A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Apostasy and Freedom of Choosing to Leave Religion
Authors: Mantsinen Teemu T.
Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
Publication year: 2023
Journal: Journal of Religion in Europe
Journal name in source: Journal of Religion in Europe
Volume: 38
Issue: 3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/18748929-bja10071
Web address : https://brill.com/view/journals/jre/16/1/article-p28_3.xml
This article discusses the possibility and consequences of the idea, concept, and discourses of freedom and free choice in apostasy. The issue is explored from theoretical perspectives of discrepancy, rational choice, and free will and grounded with examples from original research on Finnish ex-Pentecostals and comparison to previous research on apostasy. The article claims that even though our choices are influenced and our freedom is limited by our personal attributes, personal and social environments, and backgrounds, the subjective assertion, belief, and experience of freedom is essential to apostates’ wellbeing and new identity.