Integration Model Of Relational Spirituality

“Relational spirituality” has been coined by many authors to show the parallel between psychology and spiritual formation. Many opinions begin to form on both sides of the spectrum as to the effectiveness of the relational spirituality. This paper hopes to discuss the historical context of relational spirituality, the current models of relational spirituality and the pastoral implications of relational spirituality. Lastly, the paper will discuss the usefulness of relational spirituality in the context of queer ministry.
Historical Context:
Historically, human needs for relationality with God has been a central theme in Christian theological anthropology . However, Christians have historically disagreed on the understanding of the relation
In multiple ways, both schools of thought attend to the nature that is human beings. The both also attend to how humans develop and how to guide them when obstacles present themselves. In example, a spiritual director could help a person overcome a spiritual hurdle to help reclaim a spiritual connection through retreats or exercises. In the sense of psychology the shrink can help a person overcome anxiety to help reclaim a connection with humanity. A majority of the authors in this model try to study the similarities as an overlap while others try to integrate all of the similarities. In the integrate approach the Christian psychologist is to integrate the revelation of God’s word with the guidelines and standards studied by the school of psychology . The integration approach has a tendency to be hypercritical of modern psychology and begs the question, if the findings of the results are actually true to the scriptures? Due to this integration model, there was a seeming influx of Christians going into secular psychology programs at private Christian institutions . During this time there was an influx as well in Christian psychology books dealing with recovery
She was an outspoken social psychologist who came down hard on “mainstream” psychologies from a faith believers stand point . She argued that there was a lack of psychology of human nature stemming from a Christian view of a certain person not as an “as it is” mentality of modern day psychology . Paul Vitz a Catholic psychologist also performed a radical study in which he thoroughly read and studied all of Freud’s letters and stories but interpreted them with a Christian hermeneutic . It was not until philosopher C. Stephen Evans argued the need for development within the area of psychology in light of Christianity did the paradigm begin to shift