Episode Details

David Morris, with a PhD in psychology and theology, tells us about the psychology behind forming a spiritual/religious worldview, and then rejecting that worldview, and the mourning process that follows.

In this episode, we talk to Dr. David Morris, who holds a PhD in psychology and in theology, worked for one of the largest publishers of Christian books (Zondervan), and is now starting up his own publishing business.

David first gave us his personal story of growing up in a very Evangelical home (Southern Baptist), but ended up giving up almost everything he believed …. twice! Once after coming through university, and encountered a number of intellectual assaults on his faith, from which he reconstructed a very different (more liberal) Christian faith. The second time, though, was more a result of religious abuse, from which he’s still recovering.

Having his doctorate in both psychology and theology, he had to process the wide range of emotions he was going through as he deconstructed and deconverted … again, twice. Fear, anger, grief, betrayal, …. as well as peace, release, and a new understanding of himself.

David then talked to us in detail about the psychology behind the formation of a world view and belief system, as well as the psychology behind leaving both of those. We covered a wide range of topics, all related to the first half of his book — Psychology of disillusionment, mourning and a return of hope — in which he gives a foundational understanding of the history, sociology and psychology of a theology:

• sociological surveys
• Sigmund Freud
• the Jesus movement of the 70s and 80s
• America founded by Fundamentalists; Canada founded by French/Catholics, and then by British/Protestants
• Fowler’s Faith Stage Theory …. religious/spiritual formation parallels cognitive/behavioral/psychological development from childhood to independent adult
• Erik Erikson … the interaction between self and society; famous for coining phrase “identity crisis”
• how we need safe spaces to explore spirituality and religious world views
• the fifth chapter of his book: longest one in the book (2-3 times longer than the other ones) is all about mourning the loss of faith
• Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief (denial; anger; bar