Attachment Styles and Spiritual Maturity: The Role of Secur…

Attachment and Spiritual Maturity 74

Under st anding when adult relationships become secure enough for there to be confidence to develop other relationships would be important research.

Longitudinal research studies are needed to assess the development of

relationships over the lifespan. As yet, there are no observational studies of attachment

behavior and a corresponding attachment behavior system in adults, as there are in

infancy and early childhood. The role of affect extending from adult intimate

relationships and its influence on the internal representational model formed in childhood

needs further exploration. Questions need to be asked concerning how much influence

and change an adult attachment experience is able to create. This kind of study may give

answers to what relational elements get carried over from childhood to adulthood. These

findings then could be explored in light of attachment with God.

Religious Training Institutions

What is conspicuously absent from the literature are virtually any studies on

pastors' spirituality (Hall, 1997). Because this study shows the inter-relationship

between adult attachment and spiritual maturity of seminary students, the question arises

about pastors already in leadership. Measuring the spirituality of pastors particularly

their attachment to God and others needs to be done. This will serve not only pastors,

but the communities which they serve. It is becoming increasingly difficult for religious training institutions to educate

future leaders of the church so the relational development and leadership skills converge

and integrate into a meaningful and genuine personal faith maturity. Further research on

how issues of relational and spiritual maturity relate to leadership outcomes needs to be

explored. Then curriculum can be developed to meet these concerns. This curriculum

would need to be developed in logically progressive ways throughout seminary experience

so attachments could be addressed

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