"UNRAVELLING" EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCE AND MEANING OF SPIRITUAL DECONSTRUCTION

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience and meaning of spiritual deconstruction for post-evangelicals or fundamentalist Christians, what influenced this experience and how this experience impacted their lives (identity, faith, family, community etc.). Although there have been studies on disaffiliation and deconversion, there had been no phenomenological studies on the experience of deconstruction for former dedicated post-evangelicals. Six adults who experienced spiritual deconstruction were interviewed. Through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), five main themes were identified: Spiritual Devotion, Internalizing and Conforming, The Unraveling, Leaving: Attempt at Reform and Loss and Finding a New Way. These themes revealed the complex experience of unravelling one’s faith. Findings provide a valuable contribution to the limited literature on spiritual deconstruction, meaning and identity . Understanding this experience will aid future mental health practitioners and people process what is a significant and often times difficult life transition. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed