Designing for an alternative perspective on religious faith
E. Çetin (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
A.G.C. van Boeijen – Mentor (TU Delft - Form and Experience)
M.H. Sonneveld – Mentor (TU Delft - Human Factors)
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Abstract
Religious transition includes a spectrum of experiences that harbours a myriad of challenges. Though it is a non-linear process, every religious transition starts with a critical questioning of religious norms that one has been exposed to.
Reasons for questioning vary from traumatic experiences with religious others to cognitive and moral dissonance and contradictions in the sacred scriptures. Questioning brings the urge to discuss the contested aspects of one’s religion with others in the religious spheres. However, people questioning some aspects of their religion are usually discouraged in their inquiry because being critical of one’s religion is seen as heresy and a transgressive action to be avoided.
The lack of space to discuss critical questions with religious others can result in a feeling of loneliness and loss of relatedness. In the meantime, religious doubts can culminate while one suffers from uncertainties about their religion. Not being able to find answers to resolve their religious doubts makes some fear that they might lose their religious faith and get astray.
Still, one’s critical stance and positive feelings toward their religion can co-exist even after disavowing religion. Leaving one’s religion doesn’t always cause complete abandonment. Instead, people may be eager to learn from other believers to take a different angle on their former religion.
The goal of the project is to assist people in their religious transition process. More specifically, the aim is to support people critical of their religion in exploring whether to be at peace with their faith by providing them with a safe space to create their own unique understanding of their religion. To conclude, the Explore Your Perspective app encourages people to go beyond the binary perspectives dominating their religious transition experiences.