Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Emergence of a Relational Spirituality Paradigm

Part 1: The Need for a Relational Spirituality Paradigm
1. Theology and Spirituality: Their Fundamental Unity and Historical Split

Part 2: The Nature and Goal of Spiritual Transformation
2. The Image of God: A Theology of Being-in-Relation
3. Created to Connect: A Psychology of Being-in-Relation
4. Relational Knowledge: We Know More Than We Can Say
5. Attachment Filters: How Relationships Shape Our Capacity to Love
6. The Nature of Loving Presence: Goodwill and Connection
7. The Art of Loving Presence: Responsiveness to the Other

Part 3: The Process of Spiritual Transformation
8. Transformational Change: The Relational Dynamics of Spiritual Transformation
9. Spiritual Community: The Communal Nature of Spiritual Transformation

General Index
Scripture Index

About the Author

M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall (PhD, Rosemead School of Psychology) is professor of psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University, where she teaches courses on the integration of psychology and theology. She has published over 100 articles and book chapters and serves as associate editor for Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

Todd W. Hall (PhD, Rosemead School of Psychology) is professor of psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University, where he teaches courses on the integration of psychology and theology, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and positive psychology. He is a faculty affiliate at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University and a founding partner at Flourishing Metrics. He is an award-winning researcher, focusing on relational approaches to spirituality, virtue, and leadership. He is a coauthor of Psychology in the Spirit, developer of several widely used spiritual assessments, and co-developer of the Flourish Assessment.

Reviews

"I have been waiting for this book for a long time. With Relational Spirituality, Todd Hall and Elizabeth Hall have, with erudition and mercy, given us a masterpiece that not only tells us who we are but also points us in the direction of who we long to become. Broad in its scope, prophetic in its conviction, beautifully imaginative in its synthesis of multiple domains of human experience, and accessible in its application, this is sure to become a wellspring of hope and transformation—one that could not come at a more timely moment."
*Curt Thompson, author of The Soul of Shame and Anatomy of the Soul*

"This outstanding book is a pivotal contribution within the relational revolution in both psychology and theology. Todd and Liz Hall are both longtime, creative leaders in this emerging work on relational spirituality and bring a wealth of integrative expertise as scholars, practitioners, and (most importantly) mature persons. I look forward the conversations and initiatives that will result from deep reflection on their work. Clearly, we need much more healthy relational spirituality in our world, and they help us move in that direction."
*Steven J. Sandage, Boston University, coauthor of Relational Spirituality in Psychotherapy: Healing Suffering and Promoting Growth*

"Working from the premise that God's love is the reason, model, and source for the transformation of our natural love into Christian love, Todd and Liz Hall have provided an extended reflection that ably moves from theology to therapy, from psychological literature to implications for pastoral care. I think this volume will be especially generative for those in ministry who are trying to think in fresh ways about how to move 'relational' ministry from being a slogan to a reality."
*Kelly M. Kapic, professor of theological studies at Covenant College, author of Embodied Hope*

"Relational Spirituality is a refreshing and generative antidote to today's privatized view of spirituality and polarized world of religion, politics, and race. With many years of psychotherapy practice under their belts and decades of experience in the classroom and the church, Todd Hall and Elizabeth Hall provide a theological and psychological GPS for the thoughtful reader's journey for navigating the third decade of the twenty-first century."
*Everett L. Worthington Jr., Commonwealth Professor Emeritus, Virginia Commonwealth University*

"In this long-awaited contribution, the Halls offer an irenic corrective to modern individualism and rationalism that continue to influence much Christianity in the twenty-first century, through this accessible and sophisticated integration of Scripture, Christian theology, contemporary psychological theory and research, and even some Christian philosophy. Building on the deep coherence evident in biblical teaching on the love of the Trinity and contemporary research on attachment and social neuroscience, the authors construct a rich and profound Christian model of human love that takes into account the impact of childhood experience yet gives hope of healing transformation. Some will question the equation of mindfulness and contemplative prayer, but there is simply no better introduction today to the formative role that interpersonal relationships play in human development, maturation, flourishing, and eternal life."
*Eric L. Johnson, professor of Christian psychology, Gideon Institute of Christian Psychology and Counseling at Houston Baptist University*

"Relational Spirituality is a significant contribution that brings together attachment psychology, neuroscience, theology, spirituality, and other disciplines in an emerging and dynamic conversation, all for the sake of a deeply relational vision of Christian spiritual formation. Frankly, this is a book I've been waiting and hoping for, one that will be well used by my students in years to come."
*Chuck DeGroat, professor of pastoral care and Christian spirituality at Western Theological Seminary, senior fellow at Newbigin House of Studies*