Free-lance spiritual seekers: self-growth or compensatory motives?

Buxant, Coralie; Saroglou, Vassilis; Tesser, Marie

doi:10.1080/13674670903334660

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Most of the study participants crafted their own individual relationship to spirituality, something common today (Buxant, Saroglou, & Tesser, 2010). Selecting elements from a range of spiritual paths to create a novel package was often immensely satisfying.…”

Section: Integrating Identitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religion, Spirituality, and LGBTQ Identity Integration

Beagan

Hattie

2015

Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling

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Processes of navigating intersections between spiritual/religious identity and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) identity are just beginning to be explicated. In-depth interviews with 35 LGBTQ adults from a range of backgrounds explore experiences with religion and spirituality. Although not all participants experienced conflicts, the psychological and emotional harms done to some participants through organized religion were extensive and knew no age boundaries. Disconnection from bodies and delayed sexual activity were common. Many left formal religions; those who stayed distinguished between religious teachings and institutions, and between religion and spirituality. Heightened knowledge of theology proved helpful to some. Limitations and implications for counseling are discussed.Lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those who identify as queer (LGBTQ) almost inevitably have conflicted relationships to religion and spirituality. Condemnation by mainstream faith traditions has inflicted considerable harm on sexual and gender minorities. The purpose of this study was to explore how a range of LGBTQ individuals experienced and perceived religion and spirituality. In particular, it was to examine potential identity conflicts, how people sought to resolve conflicts for a coherent sense of self, and how they experienced the place of spirituality and religion in

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Section: Integrating Identitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religion, Spirituality, and LGBTQ Identity Integration

Beagan

Hattie

2015

Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling

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“…Increasingly, individualized beliefs and practices are incorporated in the spirituality of both religious attendees and those who do not adhere to a faith tradition (Wilcox, 2002), in a form of "free-lance spirituality" (Buxant et al, 2010) or spiritual bricolage (Savastano, 2007). In Canada, while public religious participation has been declining steadily, with only a third of Canadians regularly attending religious services, over half of all adults report engaging in religious activities on their own (Clark & Schellenberg, 2006).…”

Section: Canadian Context: Changing Views On Religion and Homosexualitymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…While some argue that a societal shift away from institutionalized religion marks increasing secularization, others argue that this is not necessarily a secularizing trend, but rather the development of a privatized, individualized spirituality (Buxant, Saroglou, & Tesser, 2010). Increasingly, individualized beliefs and practices are incorporated in the spirituality of both religious attendees and those who do not adhere to a faith tradition (Wilcox, 2002), in a form of "free-lance spirituality" (Buxant et al, 2010) or spiritual bricolage (Savastano, 2007).…”

Section: Canadian Context: Changing Views On Religion and Homosexualitymentioning

confidence: 97%

Reconfiguring Spirituality and Sexual/Gender Identity: “It's a Feeling of Connection to Something Bigger, It's Part of a Wholeness.”

Hattie

Beagan

2013

Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social T

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“…Overall, high levels of anxiety in adult attachments seem to be characteristic of people undergoing some forms of conversion (Granqvist & Kirkpatrick, in press). The same insecurity is thought to characterize spiritual seeking among participants in spirituality and self-development related conferences (Buxant et al, 2008) as well as people interested in spirituality and esotericism related books (Saroglou, Kempeneers, & Seynhaeve, 2003). However, people who are now members of new religious movements tend to report low insecurity in attachment (Buxant et al, 2007) which may be a reflection of the positive, compensatory effect of belonging to a religious group.…”

Section: Compensation Needsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…With regard to the first, there is now substantial evidence that insecure attachment to parents in childhood underlies conversion to a variety of religious groups, including new religious movements. Insecure attachment also seems to correspond to a heightened interest in new forms of spirituality, and a desire to become disaffiliated from the religion of one's parents (Buxant, Saroglou, & Tesser, 2008;Buxant, Saroglou, Casalfiore, & Christians, 2007;Farias & Granqvist, 2007;Granqvist & Kirkpatrick, in press). Among individuals with a history of emotional-relational insecurity, God is often considered a surrogate attachment figure, with religion and spirituality serving as a safe heaven (Kirkpatrick, 2005).…”

Section: Compensation Needsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contemporary Conversions: Compensatory Needs Or Self-Growth Motives?

Buxant

Saroglou²,

Scheuer³

2009

Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 20

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Do people convert to mainstream religions to compensate for deficiency needs or to satisfy self-growth motives? This question is particularly important in the context of secularized societies. In the present study, 180 converts to a variety of mainstream religions completed questionnaires measuring attachment with parents in childhood, adult romantic attachment, need for closure, need for cognition, generativity, appreciation on beauty and excellence, and existential achievement. Compared to scores from the general population on the same measures, our results suggested a general existence among converts of affective (insecure attachment to parents, avoidance in adult attachment) and cognitive (need for closure) needs. Except generativity, which was shared by all converts, the presence of other self-growth motives was delimited to specific religions in a way that could be interpreted in terms of correspondence between supply (people's motives) and offer (group's characteristics). Conversion motives 3 Contemporary conversions: Compensatory needs or self-growth motives? There is substantial evidence to support the idea that religious conversion occurs in the presence of pre-existing psychological vulnerabilities. Certainly, an important shift has been made in the study of the psychology of religion, moving from an older model suggesting sudden, passive, and rather emotional conversion to a newer model highlighting gradual, active, and quite rational conversion (Spilka, Hood, Hunsberger, & Gorsuch, 2003). However, there is still evidence showing that many people who convert to a variety of religious groups have experienced personal crises and are motivated by the search for solutions to problems and weaknesses relative to their meaning system, self-esteem, self-control (Paloutzian,

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Free-lance spiritual seekers: self-growth or compensatory motives?

Cited by 15 publications

References 61 publications

Religion, Spirituality, and LGBTQ Identity Integration

Religion, Spirituality, and LGBTQ Identity Integration

Reconfiguring Spirituality and Sexual/Gender Identity: “It's a Feeling of Connection to Something Bigger, It's Part of a Wholeness.”

Contemporary Conversions: Compensatory Needs Or Self-Growth Motives?

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