Religious change after a traumatic event within a Christian population

An emerging area of research on religion and trauma has documented religious change in the wake of trauma, with some individuals casting doubt on their faith and others renewing their investment. However, the cognitive processes involved in faith change remain unclear. This study addresses this gap in the literature through in-depth interviews with 11 participants who experienced changes in their religiosity as a result of a traumatic experience. Data was analysed thematically using the grounded theory approach. Findings indicated that participants engaged in the cognitive process of faith change that generally followed one of three paths: weakening of faith, strengthening of faith, and developing an individual spirituality.