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GOD aTTACHMENT

GOD aTTACHMENT. Dr. Tim Clinton & Dr. Joshua Straub. MADE FOR RELATIONSHIPS. The Sacred Romance -- “ Lover of our Soul ” Love and Marriage -- Genesis 2:18-25; SOS; Matt.19; I Cor. 7; I Cor. 13; Eph.5:21 ff; I Peter 3:1-10 The Family -- Deut. 6:6-9, Psalm 127; I Tim. 5:8.

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GOD aTTACHMENT

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  1. GODaTTACHMENT Dr. Tim Clinton & Dr. Joshua Straub

  2. MADE FOR RELATIONSHIPS • The Sacred Romance -- “Lover of our Soul” • Love and Marriage -- Genesis 2:18-25; SOS; Matt.19; I Cor. 7; I Cor. 13; Eph.5:21 ff; I Peter 3:1-10 • The Family -- Deut. 6:6-9, Psalm 127; I Tim. 5:8

  3. Attachments vs. Close Relationships The Big Five • Seeks closeness in times of trouble • Safe Haven • Exploration • Separation  Anxiety/Anger • Loss  Grief

  4. Internal Working Models • Self – Am I worthy of love? • Other – Are others reliable? Trustworthy? • A set of conscious and unconscious rules that organize attachment experiences and act as filters through which an individual interprets relational experiences (Main et al., 1985) • Self – Anxiety • Others – Avoidance (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991)

  5. Relationship Rules

  6. Attachment and Feelings

  7. Attachment and Intimacy

  8. Measuring Attachment Beliefs SELF Positive View Low Anxiety Negative View High Anxiety Positive View Low Avoidance OTHER Negative View High Avoidance Figure 1.Bartholomew’s model of self and other

  9. Attachments vs. Close Relationships The Big Five as it relates to God • Seeks closeness in times of trouble • Safe Haven • Exploration • Separation  Anxiety/Anger • Loss  Grief

  10. God Attachment • -Research shows people seek God for a safe haven and secure base during times of stress. • Most researched area of attachment theory in the context of religion • In times of emotional distress or loss, it has been found that people: -turn to prayer rather than the church -grieving persons tend to increase their faith and religious devotion -soldiers pray more frequently in combat -times of death and divorce -fears associated with serious illness -emotional crises -relationship problems -other negative events

  11. God Attachment • As substitute attachment figure (Kirkpatrick, 1992) • Provides “felt security”(Sroufe, 1977) • More similar to parent-child relationship but moderate and consistent link to romantic attachment (Kirkpatrick, 1992, 1999; Rowatt & Kirkpatrick, 2002) • Measured on two dimensions: Anxiety and Avoidance (Beck & McDonald, 2004)

  12. Assessing Attachment with a Loving God THE ATTACHMENT TO GOD INVENTORY (Beck and McDonald, 2004) The Experiences in Close Relationships scale (Brennan et al. 1998) -Avoidance of Intimacy -Anxiety about Abandonment

  13. God Attachment Results Increased anxiety of abandonment Preoccupation and worry Angry protest Increased jealousy Resentment Concerns that they are lovable Fears of abandonment in love relationship with God Increased Avoidance A reluctance to communicate Avoidance of emotionality Obsessive self-reliance

  14. Assessing Attachment with GodCompensation Hypotheses -God may serve as a compensatory attachment figure for individuals displaying insecure attachment patterns (Kirkpatrick & Shaver, 1997, 1998). --avoidant attachment types had higher incidents of sudden conversions. These results indicate that God may serve the role of a substitute attachment figure (emotional compensation), compensating for the distant, unresponsive care-giving style they experienced in infancy and childhood. This hypothesis is based upon Ainsworth’s (1985) findings that those with insecure attachment styles seek substitute objects of attachment.

  15. Assessing Attachment with GodCorrespondence Hypotheses -proposes that individuals with secure attachment styles are more likely to sustain a future belief and relationship with God because a foundation has been established throughout childhood. This hypothesis is based on Bowlby’s (1969) idea that relationship permanence and stability stem from stable working models of attachment (Kirkpatrick & Shaver, 1997, 1998).

  16. Thoughts on Hypotheses According to this hypothesis--the explanation to the root of religiousness in securely attached individuals may be derived “from without”, or socialization processes, whereas the religiousness of the insecurely attached individual may be derived “from within”, or emotional regulation (Granqvist & Hagekull).

  17. Thoughts on Hypotheses The connection between attachment insecurity and sudden religious conversion may be considered the most robust and corroborated finding from the research on attachment and religion…This interpretation is in line with ambivalents’ observed tendency to desperately seek care and easily fall in love, and may be a continuation of the inconsistency in parental caregiving that has been shown to be characteristic of parents in ambivalent dyads

  18. Breaking Free Step I: Remember Your Story – Narrative Recall Step II: Recognize Your Pain and Need for Healing – “Can’t heal what you don’t feel”

  19. Breaking Free Step III: Reframe the Meaning of Your Story Step IV: Repair Your Story – ‘forgiveness, grace and acceptance’ Step V: Reconnect – deepening emotional strands of safety, trust and intimacy; able to accept influence from others.

  20. Attachment-based therapy • Safety • Education • Containment • Understanding • Restructuring • Engaging

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