Marcia Webb

Dispositional Forgiveness and Adult Attachment Styles

A PERSON’S CAPACITY FOR FORGIVENESS may be associated with both mental and physical health (Berry & Worthington, 2001; Enright & Fitzgibbons, 2000; Maltby, Macaskill, & Day, 2001; Witvliet, Ludwig, & Vander Laan, 2001). Yet researchers’ understanding of the dynamics of forgiveness remains largely unclear (Brown, 2003; Worthington, 1998). McCullough, Pargament, and Thoresen (2000) highlighted a fundamentally psychosocial element in forgiveness, defining it as “intraindividual, prosocial change toward a perceived transgressor that is situated within a specific interpersonal context” (p. 9). Other researchers have noted the possibility of developmental influences in the capacity to forgive, and some researchers have begun examining developmental variables in forgiveness (for a review, see Mullet & Girard, 2000). Attachment research may prove a fruitful venue for this investigation of forgiveness, because previous research has indicated the possibility that attachment style reflects the ability to regulate

Representation of mental illness in Christian self-help bestsellers

The present study examined messages about mental illness in 14 contemporary Christian self-help bestsellers. Content analysis revealed that most texts focused upon depression. Categories of textual units included Underlying Assumptions Regarding Depression, Representations of Depression, Roots/Causes/Reasons for Depression, and Christian Responses to Depression. Demonic influence was the most frequently cited reason for depression. Other reasons included negative cognitions, failure as a Christian, and negative emotions. Christian responses to depression included trusting God, religious activity, and individual willpower. Discussion of these results focused upon the problematic impact of these messages upon individuals with depression, and upon suggestions for reducing mental illness stigma in religious communities.

Parental religiosity, abuse history and maintenance of beliefs taught in the family

Both anecdotal and empirical investigations have indicated that childhood sexual abuse may negatively impact ones religiosity as an adult. However, few studies have examined the impact of other forms of abuse on the development of religiosity. In the present study, 167 participants recruited from a Pacific Northwest university completed questionnaires measuring parental religiosity, as well as both physical and emotional abuse history, to assess the impact of these factors on the participants’ maintenance of beliefs taught in the family. Results demonstrated that report of abuse was negatively associated with belief maintenance. Alternatively, parental religiosity was positively associated with belief maintenance, and negatively associated with report of abuse. These findings are discussed in terms of social learning theory and the lifestyle behaviours of religious individuals.

Dispositional Forgiveness and Meaning- Making: The Relative Contributions of Forgiveness and Adult Attachment Style to Struggling or Enduring With God

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition) continues to recognize the role of spirituality in mental health by including a V-Code (V62.89) for Religious or Spiritual Problem (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). As individuals may question basic religious assumptions following negative life events, this study examines attachment style, dispositional forgiveness, and spiritual response after negative life events. Analyses revealed that both forgiveness and secure attachment significantly predicted spiritual struggle and endurance. However, attachment style and forgiveness did not significantly combine to predict spiritual response. Results indicate that both attachment style and dispositional forgiveness are important in spiritual functioning.

Toward a Theology of Mental Illness

This article considers research describing religious attitudes toward mental illness, including assumptions that mental illness may be evidence of personal sin or demonic influence. These assumptions are critiqued based upon a review of relevant Scriptural passages. A reformulation of theological conceptions of mental illness is then proposed, focusing on the following themes: heroism in frailty, freedom in finitude, complexity in disorder, and the stranger in our midst. In conclusion, the article offers potential implications of theologies describing a passable God for an understanding of human suffering in general, and the suffering in mental disorder in particular.

“Forgiving” God: Reflections on Psychological Research Describing Spiritual Struggle

In A Grief Observed, when contemplating his wife’s death, C.S. Lewis described his fear of “coming to believe … dreadful things about [God].” 1 Psychological research has noted that, when suffering, people may experience anger or disillusionment with God. These experiences are also demonstrated in biblical characters like Moses, Jeremiah, and Job. This article describes the use of the term “forgiveness” in the psychological process of the resolution of anger with God for release from this type of spiritual struggle. Yet “forgiving” God may seem illogical, given conceptions of divine perfection. The author further describes the developmental processes in resolution of anger toward God which are both affective and cognitive, involving the accommodation of new “God concepts” with the challenging new experiences of suffering and injustice.

Mental Health Ministry: Creating Healing Communities for Sojourners

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of Pacific Northwest churches in developing outreach, programs, and services to persons with severe and persistent mental health issues. Eleven interviews were conducted with church leaders involved in ministry for persons coping with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). Even in churches with established programs, evidence for mental illness stigma was found; problems were also noted between churches and mental health systems. Content analysis of interview data revealed the larger theme of sojourners in the spiritual community and these three subthemes: faith community estrangement, mental health care system estrangement, and church as setting/opportunity for healing. Findings are discussed in light of Biblical theology regarding the estrangement of Gods beloved, and the Scriptural call to embrace the sojourner in the community.

Fifteen Steps Out of Darkness: The Way of the Cross for People on the Journey of Mental Illness: Scott Rose, Fred Wenner, and Al Rose. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2016). xx+ 121 pp. Paperback,

mantly highlighting her belief that this book and her overall project require separation from “the straitjacket of religion” to “make the act of forgiving meaningful to those who feel they are drowning in a syrupy pool of stagnant dogma” (p. 10). Though the book’s foreword by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu might appear to belie this intention, Cantacuzino chooses to highlight him instead as one who successfully melds the sacred and profane without alienating nonchurchgoers. Her chosen phrases might, however, alienate churchgoers who find solace in the traditional understanding of forgiveness and its place in the world. Cantacuzino illuminates forgiveness as a capacity that is at the core of what it means to be a human being. The story of a spotless victim offered as an archetypal act of forgiveness can fade into an oft-repeated fable, losing meaning over time. Cantacuzino’s meticulously curated collection of stories about forgiveness refreshes the very narrative of Christian sacrifice. As she writes in her introduction, The Forgiveness Project does not force a position or an emotional response; it allows the stories to speak for themselves. Here, the book shines. From the account of a man whose daughter was killed in the Oklahoma City Bombing to the twin caught in the grips of Nazi medical experimentation during the Second World War, Cantacuzino has knit together stories that transcend national borders and experiences. Her collection is impressive and deeply enlightening. Heavy but filled with a wide array of strikingly raw personal testimony, this book is ideal for readers looking to open their eyes to the depth of human love, the pain of forgiveness, and the narrow line between good and evil present in every person. Julia Catherine Aldrich University of Dayton mulqueenj1@udayton.edu

18, ISBN 978-1-62698-182-9.

How might abundant life be evident even in the midst of mental illness? The present article begins with an exploration of the meaning of Christs words in John 10:10. The author then considers biographical narrative as a means by which to consider the possibility of abundant life in the context of mental illness. The author shares select events from the life of her sister, now deceased, who had severe mental illness and multiple other impairments. Her sisters use of humor was described as evidence of joy despite mental illness, as well as her sisters desire to bring joy to others.