Attachment and Spiritual Maturity 17
life. These teachings then nurture our relationships with God and with others deepening growth in spirituality. Spiritual formation through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit creates holy effects of healthy social spirituality which are described in Galatians (5:22-23) as love,joy,
peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Anderson,
1997). The restoration of relationship is a lifelong process of spiritual development
guided by the Holy Sprit moving toward spiritual maturity. God's Spirit is motivating the relational component of being created in the image ofGod.
The Psychological Foundations of Relational Maturity
There are a variety of psychological theories that offer different explanations of
relational maturity. The first is the psychoanalytic tradition which is rooted in Freud.
According to psychoanalytic theory, a relationship with others develops as one
internalizes certain early childhood values and standards set forth by primary caretakers.
Behaviors toward others emerge primarily out of anxiety and guilt from transgressions of
the internalized standards (Freud, 1961). Social learning theory is another school of
thought and maintains that relational behaviors are learned through reinforcement which is
experienced externally or vicariously, and through modeling. Social learning theorists do
not consider internal values, cognitions and emotions as determinants of behavior toward
others (Skinner, 1976). A third school of thought is a developmental approach which
suggests that relational behavior develops in sequential stages as a child grows in capacity
for more advanced functioning. Erikson's (1950) progressive model of eight stages begins
with the foundational experience of bonding and the development of trust ending with the
development of integrity in the elderly. From the foundational social connection of
bonding flows the ability to initiate communication with others, resolve conflicts, and
develop commitment in later adulthood. There is a break.down in one's capacity to make
and keep commitments, when mistrust was the result of early bonding.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker