Leaving Fundamental Religion: Experiences of Liminal Space and Sense-making

Those leaving fundamentalist religious groups arrive in the “outside” world often experiencing a feeling of missing the skills necessary. By using narrative interviews the participants tell their stories in their own words allowing for a rich collection of data. Areas of particular interest to this research project are: the liminal space and identity loss often experienced when moving from a group into the outside world, the challenges faced as the ex-fundamentalist sets up a new structure for their life, and protective factors throughout the process. All participants take part in semi-structured interviews, these were then analysed using grounded theory. The findings highlighted the impact of fundamental groups on the lives of the participants and the path of identity reformation they experienced. The research produced allows for a greater understanding of individuals who have experienced this unusual transition.