Attachment to God Among Bereaved Jewish Parents: Exploring Differences by Denominational Affiliation
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Attachment to God Among Bereaved Jewish Parents: Exploring Differences by Denominational Affiliation Rivi Frei‑Landau1,2 · Rivka Tuval‑Mashiach3 · Tamar Silberg3,4 · Ilanit Hasson‑Ohayon3 Received: 6 August 2019 / Accepted: 5 June 2020 © Religious Research Association, Inc. 2020
Abstract While much research has been devoted to examining individual differences in one’s interpersonal attachment, very little research has been devoted to examining individual differences in one’s attachment to God (ATG). Particularly, how ATG dimensions relate to different religious denominations (RD). To explore the relationship between ATG dimensions (avoidance/anxiety) and Jewish RDs. As the attachment theory was conceptualized to understand human reaction to separation and loss, the current study examined the relationship between ATG and RD among bereaved parents. Seventy-seven bereaved Jewish parents completed questionnaires referring to their RD and ATG. The results revealed different relationships between ATG and RD for each of the two ATG dimensions. Avoidant ATG was negatively correlated with RD in a linear order, whereas the relationship between the anxious ATG and RD was quadratic, revealing the highest levels of attachment-anxiety among participants affiliated with the traditional RD (“Masorti”). Methodologically, these findings support the argument that ATG dimensions are distinct and separable from each other. Additionally, the findings highlight the importance of considering participants’ RD when exploring their ATG, as different denomination-based manifestations of ATG do exist. Clinical implications include using RD to detect bereaved parents at risk (i.e., traditional ones), due to their high anxious ATG dimension. Keywords Denominational affiliation · Loss · Attachment to God · Religion
Introduction Child loss is considered to be an extremely traumatic experience with long-term effects, as parent–child relationships are one of the strongest bonds among humans (Rubin et al. 2012). As children are perceived as a part of parents’ selves and as * Rivi Frei‑Landau [email protected]; [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
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representing their future (Mahat-Shamir and Leichtentritt 2016; Rubin and Malkinson 2001), bereaved parents experience a range of emotional symptoms as a result of their loss. This brief report is derived from a broader study aimed at exploring the resources that may aid parents in adjusting to a child’s loss (Stroebe et al. 2008), with a focus on religion-related aspects in general (Pargament et al. 2013), and Kirkpatrick’s (1992) viewpoint of religion as an attachment model in particular. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between attachment to God (ATG) dimensions (avoidance/anxiety) and religious denomination (RD) among bereaved Jewish parents, while highlighting the potentially different manifestations of ATG among individuals with different RDs.
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