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Seeing Religious Faith as Essential to Morality Predicts Deconversion Guilt.

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Title: Seeing Religious Faith as Essential to Morality Predicts Deconversion Guilt.
Authors: Bounds, Elizabeth M. (AUTHOR), Abrams, Samantha (AUTHOR), Jackson, Joshua Conrad (AUTHOR), Vonasch, Andrew J. (AUTHOR), Gray, Kurt (AUTHOR)
Source: International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. Jan-Mar2026, Vol. 36 Issue 1, p204-228. 25p.
Subjects: Faith, Religious ethics, Cross-sectional method, Psychological factors, Ethics, Conversion (Religion), Comparative studies
Abstract: Although religion is generally declining worldwide, many people maintain their religious convictions. We propose that the moralization of religiosity—the meta-belief that religion is essential to morality – may deter deconversion by increasing deconversion guilt. Five international cross-sectional and experimental studies (N = 10,071) reveal that individuals anticipate more guilt over leaving their faith when they or their cultural groups see religion as essential to moral goodness. Greater personal, national, and religious group moralization of religiosity is associated with higher levels of individual deconversion guilt across countries and world religions (Study 1), and this association remains robust at the individual level when controlling for additional psychological factors (Studies 2a-2c). Experimental findings replicate this effect, showing that imagining living in a society that moralizes religion increases personal deconversion guilt (Study 3). The moralization of religiosity and deconversion guilt may help explain variation in deconversion rates worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of International Journal for the Psychology of Religion is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Seeing Religious Faith as Essential to Morality Predicts Deconversion Guilt.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bounds%2C+Elizabeth+M%2E%22">Bounds, Elizabeth M.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Abrams%2C+Samantha%22">Abrams, Samantha</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jackson%2C+Joshua+Conrad%22">Jackson, Joshua Conrad</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Vonasch%2C+Andrew+J%2E%22">Vonasch, Andrew J.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gray%2C+Kurt%22">Gray, Kurt</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22International+Journal+for+the+Psychology+of+Religion%22">International Journal for the Psychology of Religion</searchLink>. Jan-Mar2026, Vol. 36 Issue 1, p204-228. 25p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faith%22">Faith</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Religious+ethics%22">Religious ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cross-sectional+method%22">Cross-sectional method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+factors%22">Psychological factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethics%22">Ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conversion+%28Religion%29%22">Conversion (Religion)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+studies%22">Comparative studies</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Although religion is generally declining worldwide, many people maintain their religious convictions. We propose that the moralization of religiosity—the meta-belief that religion is essential to morality – may deter deconversion by increasing deconversion guilt. Five international cross-sectional and experimental studies (N = 10,071) reveal that individuals anticipate more guilt over leaving their faith when they or their cultural groups see religion as essential to moral goodness. Greater personal, national, and religious group moralization of religiosity is associated with higher levels of individual deconversion guilt across countries and world religions (Study 1), and this association remains robust at the individual level when controlling for additional psychological factors (Studies 2a-2c). Experimental findings replicate this effect, showing that imagining living in a society that moralizes religion increases personal deconversion guilt (Study 3). The moralization of religiosity and deconversion guilt may help explain variation in deconversion rates worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
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  Data: <i>Copyright of International Journal for the Psychology of Religion is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=190647948
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/10508619.2025.2491893
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 25
        StartPage: 204
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      – SubjectFull: Faith
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Religious ethics
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      – SubjectFull: Cross-sectional method
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      – SubjectFull: Psychological factors
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      – SubjectFull: Ethics
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      – SubjectFull: Conversion (Religion)
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      – SubjectFull: Comparative studies
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      – TitleFull: Seeing Religious Faith as Essential to Morality Predicts Deconversion Guilt.
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            NameFull: Jackson, Joshua Conrad
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              Text: Jan-Mar2026
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              Y: 2026
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