Relational Spirituality Framework

Outline of Relational Spirituality Framework

For full discussion of Relational Spirituality Framework:  Mahoney, A. (2013). The spirituality of us: Relational spirituality in the context of family relationships. K. I., Pargament, J. J. Exline, & J. W. Jones, (Eds.), APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality: Vol. I. (pp. 365-389). American Psychological Association.

• Three Stages of Family Relationships
  • Discovery - forming & structuring a family relationship. For better & worse, spirituality can shape the processes aimed at the goal of creating family relationships. For example, spirituality can influence efforts to find a spouse or partner; have or adopt a child; create egalitarian or complementary gender roles in a family.
  • Maintenance - sustaining & preserving a family relationship. For better & worse, spirituality can shape the processes aimed at the goal of maintaining family relationships. For example, spirituality can motivate virtuous or destructive processes to resolve conflict & invest energy into relationships.
  • Transformation - reforming or exiting a dysfunctional family relationship.  For better & worse, spirituality can shape the processes aimed at the goal of coping with dysfunctional family relationships. For example, spirituality can motivate healthy and unhealthy efforts to accept or to change family relationships that breakdown or go awry.
• Three Tiers of Psychospiritual Mechanisms
  •    Tier 1: Family Member's Relationship to God\Higher Power
    • For better: Examples - Spiritual Resources in Coping with Pregnancy Stress - Spiritual Resources in Coping with Parenting Stress - Spiritual Resources in Coping with Divorce
    • For worse: Examples -  Spiritual Struggles in Coping with Marital Problems -Spiritual Struggle in Coping with Pregnancy Stress - Spiritual Struggle
  • Tier 2: Family Relationship as Spiritual
    • For better: Examples - Sanctification of Marriage/Couple Relationship -Sanctification of Sexuality in Marriage & Loving Relationships -Sanctification of Pregnancy  - Sanctification of Parenting;  Spiritual Intimacy 
    • For worse: Examples -  Divorce as a Sacred Loss and Desecration -  Spiritual One-Upmanship -
  • Tier 3: Family Member's Relationship to Spiritual\Religious Community
    • For better - Research Needed on Specific Constructs
    • For worse - Research Needed on Specific Constructs