Grief in a Religious Context
Grief in a Religious Context
Alom Martínez Alemán
18 November 2012
Principles of Psychology
Professor Lisa Jack
Introduction
The U.S. National Library of Medicine describes Grief as a reaction to a major loss, and not as a state of major depression as many might assume. Most Psychology textbooks suggest that the experience of grief is usually unhappiness and pain, but it is not limited to these. Interestingly, current research indicates that bereavement involves much more than pain and sadness. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reactions to a loss for those who are religious and/or attached to God in some spiritual way. In order to do this, I will be summarizing and analyzing a study that examined the role of attachment to god, meaning, and religious coping as mediators in the grief experience Kelley and Chan (2012).
Those who have experienced a loss in their life are well aware of how unhappy and painful this can be, but meaning in a process of coping and its relation to an attachment to God or religion, is usually overlooked. Although 83% of the US population believes in a God, grief experience is rarely related to an attachment to God or religion as part of coping (Pew Research Center, 2009). Bowlby (1969) describes his attachment theory as the human need to seek security and comfort in relationships with attachment figures throughout the lifespan. If these attachment figures are accessible and responsive consistently enough, they become a refuge in a stressing time and a protected space from which people can then feel free to engage with and explore the world (Ainsworth, 1967). Kirkpatrick (1999, 2005) believes that a personal relationship with God offers a kind of love or attachment like that experienced in the mother–infant relationship. This relationship involves and increases many aspects of an active attachment process. The goal of these aspects is to achieve and maintain a relationship with God. These aspects are religious behaviors
Alom Martínez Alemán
18 November 2012
Principles of Psychology
Professor Lisa Jack
Introduction
The U.S. National Library of Medicine describes Grief as a reaction to a major loss, and not as a state of major depression as many might assume. Most Psychology textbooks suggest that the experience of grief is usually unhappiness and pain, but it is not limited to these. Interestingly, current research indicates that bereavement involves much more than pain and sadness. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reactions to a loss for those who are religious and/or attached to God in some spiritual way. In order to do this, I will be summarizing and analyzing a study that examined the role of attachment to god, meaning, and religious coping as mediators in the grief experience Kelley and Chan (2012).
Those who have experienced a loss in their life are well aware of how unhappy and painful this can be, but meaning in a process of coping and its relation to an attachment to God or religion, is usually overlooked. Although 83% of the US population believes in a God, grief experience is rarely related to an attachment to God or religion as part of coping (Pew Research Center, 2009). Bowlby (1969) describes his attachment theory as the human need to seek security and comfort in relationships with attachment figures throughout the lifespan. If these attachment figures are accessible and responsive consistently enough, they become a refuge in a stressing time and a protected space from which people can then feel free to engage with and explore the world (Ainsworth, 1967). Kirkpatrick (1999, 2005) believes that a personal relationship with God offers a kind of love or attachment like that experienced in the mother–infant relationship. This relationship involves and increases many aspects of an active attachment process. The goal of these aspects is to achieve and maintain a relationship with God. These aspects are religious behaviors
References: Cited Article: Kelley, M. M., & Chan, K. T. (2012). Assessing the Role of Attachment to God, Meaning, and Religious Coping as Mediators in the Grief Experience. Death Studies, 36(3), 199-227. doi:10.1080/07481187.2011.553317 Link: http://ezproxy.augsburg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2011453371&site=ehost-live Methodology: Pg.204 Approach: Data collected from the simple of 93 participants. Pg.210 Subjects: 8 Variables (grief, depression, stress-related growth, meaning, positive religious coping, anxious and avoidant attachment to others, and secure attachment to God) Pg.210 Results: Pg.211