Spiritual Experiences Reconsidered: A Relational Approach to the Integration of Psychology and Theology

Abstract

Attempts to develop a conceptual integration of psychology and theology typically encounter difficulties at the level of ontological and epistemological presuppositions. Our proposal to overcome some of these difficulties is to begin an attempt at integration with spiritual experiences-particularly experiences of being in an attachment relationship with God. Accounts of experiences of relationship with God are analyzed using the method of relational and contextual reasoning, a form of complementarity. The resulting synthesis is assessed for its coherence, comprehensiveness, and fruitfulness, as well as its limitations. We offer our relational approach as a method and as a case example of integration.

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