Mormonsk apostasi på nätet. En netnografisk studie på apostasi från Jesu Kristi Kyrka av Sista Dagars Heliga

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that, during the last decades, religion has expanded to being a part of the world online. It serves as a place where religious devotees can maintain and strengthen their religious identity as well as it yields doubters an opportunity to question religious authorities and provides the individual with communities where a new religious identity can be formed. This thesis examines the process of apostasy, religious deconversion, by analyzing exit-narratives posted online of apostates from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as The Mormon Church. The material consists of 10 exit-stories published on the Youtube-channel Iamanexmormon where apostates recapitulate their stories in front of a camera. By analyzing both the visual and the auditory, the question: how is apostasy and the apostasy-process from the Mormon Church depicted online, being treated. As the results show: apostasy is depicted as an inner journey full of shame, guilt and depression, it is triggered by either a doctrinal or social issue but it is also described as a release-process from an organization which is repressive of identity and internalizing of its members. Going through an apostasy-process is characterized as a pursuit of autonomy and the apostates encourage others to make the same journey as they once did.