Stepping Out: Narratives of Former Fundamentalist Christians

Abstract

Fundamentalist churches are unlike most mainstream forms of Christianity because of the elevated level of encapsulation these groups attempt to instill in their members. Encapsulation leads individuals to develop closely held identities that strongly impact their everyday lives. When an individual exits a fundamentalist group they enter a process through which their identity is transformed. This transformation occurs throughout a number of steps which appear to be similar to those leaving other encapsulating groups, namely orthodox Jewish communities. The process begins with the defector recognizing holes in the sacred canopy their church has wrapped them in, and ends with a complete transformation of identity.