An attachment theoretical approach to women’s faith development: a qualitative study

This study is an exploration of the experience of faith from a psychodynamic perspective. The main purpose of this study is to provide a coherent and convincing account of the roots and characteristics of Christian women’s faith experience which will complement and, in some respects correct, existing accounts. Attachment theory is mainly employed as a conceptual framework for the research and the study pursues attachment as an important key factor for faith development. Examining the patterns of God-attachment in relation to human attachments, this study employs a qualitative methodological approach, focusing analysis on linguistic meanings, and using open-ended and unforced autobiographical narrative in-depth interviews with a group of 10 Korean Christian women. The main findings indicate what the key characteristics in women’s faithing are: the language, means and context with or in which women practice their faith; the relational and affective understanding of faith within the women’s accounts and the interaction of attachment issues in their experience of faith. Three major patterns are identified in which the women’s faithing strategies and their representations of self and God are presented: these are Distance/Avoidance, Anxiety/Ambivalence and Security/Interdependence. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are identified for Christian education, pastoral care and counselling for women.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

d_ph

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

d_ph

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Birmingham

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Joung, Eun Sim

• BV1460 Religious Education
• BR Christianity
• BF Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/78/2/Decl_IS_Joung07PhD.gif

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etheses.bham.ac.uk:78