Attachment and Spiritual Maturity 13
human. This ability to be in relationship comes from the image of God created in all humanity at birth.
Benner (1988) agrees that human beings relate to God through the same structures
of personality as those through which they relate to other people. He relates God-centered
unity of psychological and spiritual dimensions of one's being as psychospirituality. He
makes the claim that psychological structures are designed to flow from a spiritual direction
and that spiritual maturity demands that maturation occurs simultaneously in the
psychological structures of personality and in the spiritual structures of the soul.
Psychological growth (structural development) may have to precede spiritual growth (direction). This does not mean that all psychological needs must be met or all psychological conflicts resolved before people are capable of responding spiritually...This does not mean that spiritual growth automatically follows psychological growth (Benner, 1988, pp.123-124).
Benner's concepts of psychospirituality implies that we need to try to understand
human spirituality as a whole. This is in agreement with Malony (1988) who also sees a
correlation between positive mental health and spiritual maturity. He argues that
spirituality is the progressive outworking of righteousness or holiness in one' s lifestyle in
relationship with others and restoration of the image ofGod in the inner and outer person.
In summary true human spirituality is experienced and expressed socially in two
ways. In a vertical relationship with God it is expressed in trust and belief. In a horizontal
relationship with a community of others, it is manifested in moral acts, life affirming values,
and service to society (Benson, 1993). This is consistent with Jesus' spiritual maturation
shown to us in Luke 2:52: "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God
and men". This is consistent biblically with the first two great commandments first stated
in the Old Testament and reiterated by Jesus:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22: 39-39; Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18).
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