Bonding with God - by Victor Counted (Paperback)

About the Book

Synthesizing insights from attachment theory, the psychology of religion, and contemporary research, this book offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how individuals form, maintain, and navigate emotional bonds with God.

Book Synopsis

In Bonding with God, Victor Counted uses the attachment framework to explore how we develop psychological bonds with God, what sustains those bonds, and what can erode them, leading to a crisis of faith.

As we navigate questions of identity, meaning, and purpose, the role of faith in offering support and guidance becomes crucial. Yet the emotional and psychological aspects of religious experience are often overlooked. Counted fills this gap by showing how a caregiving faith can foster resilience and spiritual transformation.

Bonding with God is a fascinating read that challenges traditional notions of religion and spirituality and invites us to examine our own connections with God. It is a valuable resource for mental health professionals and students training for ministry or caring professions who seek to understand how individuals form, maintain, and navigate emotional bonds with God.

Counted's interdisciplinary approach, combining psychology and theology, makes this book an essential resource for anyone interested in the intricacies of human attachment and the power of faith to shape our lives.

From the Back Cover

How Caregiving Faith Fosters Resilience and Spiritual Transformation

Synthesizing insights from attachment theory, the psychology of religion, and contemporary research, this book offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how people form, maintain, and navigate emotional bonds with God.

"What is it like for believers to 'bond with God'? The author provides a compelling account of this aspect of the spiritual life through a masterful use of attachment theory and other key psychological concepts. An exceptional and accessible work of applied psychology of religion."
--William L. Hathaway, Regent University; chair, Virginia Board of Psychology; past president, Society for the Psychology of Religion & Spirituality

"An inspiring, intriguing, and intellectually inventive advance on Kirkpatrick's and Granqvist's takes on attachment to God. Counted grounds his guidance to students and lifelong learners of psychology, to people in the pew, and to religious seekers and strugglers in caregiving faith that sees God as a loving caregiver and inspires us to be caregivers also. It's both a helpful and an exciting read."
--Everett L. Worthington Jr., Virginia Commonwealth University (emeritus)

"If you are looking for a book on attachment theory and its implications for our relationship with God, this is it. Highly recommended for researchers, clinicians, and anyone interested in going deeper in their understanding of what it means to have a transformative relationship with God."
--Fernando Garzon, Regent University

"This book is a delight to read. It is a psychological exploration of a central relationship in many people's lives--their relationship with God. Bonding with God offers much more than just an academic and theoretical exploration, however; it offers a journey for the heart. I highly recommend this cutting-edge book."
--Edward Davis, Wheaton College

"A masterful blend of psychological insight and spiritual depth. This is an essential read for anyone interested in the intersection of psychology, theology, and spiritual formation."
--Jamie Aten, cofounder, Spiritual First Aid; Wheaton College

"This book is so badly needed and so important. Counted is ideally placed to develop an integrated understanding of the spiritual journey from the dual perspectives of attachment theory and Christianity."
--Fraser Watts, University of Lincoln; University of Cambridge (retired); secretary, International Society for Science and Religion

About the Author

Victor Counted (PhD, Western Sydney University; PhD, University of Groningen) is associate professor of psychology and director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he also directs the Abundant Life Flourishing Program. Counted is a faculty affiliate of Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program, a fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion, and associate editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology. His books include Place, Spirituality, and Well-Being; The Roots of Radicalization; and The Psychology of Religion and Place.