[DOWNLOAD] "Resolving Anger Toward God: Lament As an Avenue Toward Attachment (Report)" by Journal of Psychology and Theology ~ eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Resolving Anger Toward God: Lament As an Avenue Toward Attachment (Report)
- Author : Journal of Psychology and Theology
- Release Date : January 22, 2011
- Genre: Religion & Spirituality,Books,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 230 KB
Description
Psychologists have mostly overlooked the topic of anger toward God. The current study tested an intervention based on the biblical psalms of lament, consisting of 20 devotional readings and weekly experiential assignments, delivered electronically over a four-week period. A total of 192 college students at Christian institutions across the United States completed the study, and were randomly assigned to the experimental condition, an attention control condition, or a no-contact condition. The expected findings--that the experimental intervention would cause decreased feelings of anger and complaint toward God, as well as increased intimacy with God over time--were not confirmed. However, those participants who reported maximum compliance with the intervention showed increased ratings on Communion with God. Implications are discussed. 'I love God." Countless believers throughout time have uttered this phrase. But what about the other side of human emotions? What about anger or frustration toward God? Anger toward the divine is nothing new, though it may remain a taboo subject among certain religious groups. Anger, confusion, disillusionment, and frustration with God have affected numerous people throughout centuries. Within the Old Testament, the Book of Psalms is full of honest discourse with God that reflects the gamut of emotions. For example, recorded as the 13th Psalm, we find the following words of angst and desperation (Book of Psalms, NIV, 2000): "How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?"