The Paradox of Belonging: Ethnocentrism among Spiritual Communities

The state of paradoxical belonging occurs when individuals resonate at deeper levels with their in-group members of the same spiritual or faith-based community and consider their community’s philosophical path superior, thereby creating a divide with out-group members. Such communities demarcate themselves from out-group members based on doctrinal lineage or spiritual philosophy, thereby fostering community-based spiritual ethnocentrism and contradicting the fundamental principle of spirituality: connectedness. Through a reflective diary study and semi-structured interviews, this study aims to capture the experiences of individuals who have faced such spiritual harm and to understand their reflections on ethnocentrism and their coping mechanisms. The study contributes to the literature by delving into the belonging paradox across the spiritual and faith-based contexts and proposing mechanisms that can facilitate cohesiveness and belonging within organizations and society.