基督徒祷告过程中人神依恋关系的质性探索

A qualitative research on the development of attachment to GOD by christians through prayer

采用质性研究方法探索基督徒祷告过程中人神依恋关系的形成与发展。研究者以"局外人"身份,采用逐步暴露方式进入研究现场开展客位研究。运用强度抽样方式和综合式抽样策略,抽取14名(男女各7名)正式受洗(受洗时间从2年到32年不等)的基督徒作为样本,通过深度访谈收集资料;运用扎根理论对收集到的资料依次进行初步分析、类属分析和理论建构;运用参与者检验法、非参与者检验法对研究结果进行效度检验。研究得出以下结论:祷告是基督徒以"信靠"作为承诺,向上帝、基督、圣灵袒露心迹,提出心理诉求,进而与上帝建立亲密关系的沟通方式和重要渠道,它提供了人神依恋系统被激活的情境。"信靠"是基督徒通过祷告与上帝之间形成和发展人神依恋关系的前提条件和关键因素;人神亲密度的增加又反过来促进人对于神的信靠程度。现实生活的困难为基督徒祷告提供了刺激源,并推动人神依恋关系不断向前发展。基督徒的祷告经历了三个阶段,由Ⅰ期向Ⅲ期水平渐次提升,最终形成"以上帝为中心"的困难应对图式。在此过程中,随着"上帝"的观念越来越深地植入基督徒的自我,有关"上帝"的心理表征不断得到强化,相反,有关"自我"的心理表征渐次弱化,最终进入某种"无我"的状态。

The research on the attachment to God initiated by Kirkpatrick tends to use quantitative research methods, that is, to use the Attachment to God Inventory （AGI） or experiment methods to study. Taking into account that prayer exists primarily as a process or a dialogue, it should be more suitable for qualitative research. The study of prayer and the attachment to God in China is still at an early stage. In this study, qualitative research methods were used to explore the formation and development of an attachment to God during the process of prayer by Christians. The researchers, as non-believers, were external to the religious world of the participants; they used an intensity sampling method and a comprehensive sampling strategy to gain study participants. The sample was composed of 14 Christians （7 men and 7 women） who were formally baptized （between 2 years and 32 years ago）. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with each of the participants. From a grounded theory base, preliminary analysis, generic analysis and theoretical construction of the collected data were made. Participants inspection and non-participants inspection were adapted to verify the research results＇ validity. The following conclusions were drawn： Prayer is an important channel for Christians to communicate with God. Based on the prerequisite of ＂faith＂, Christians expose their minds to God, make psychological appeals to God, and gradually establish an intimate relationship with God. This provides a context in which the attachment to God can be activated. In turn, the increase in intimacy with God promotes the degree of Christians＇ faith in God. Difficulties in real life provide incentives for Christians to pray and thus promote the development of their attachment to God. Christian prayer usually goes through three stages, and eventually forms a ＂God-centered＂ coping schema. During this process, the concept of ＂God＂ is increasingly embedded into the Christian self, the psychological representations of ＂God＂ are constantly strengthened, while the psychological representations of ＂self＂ are weakened. Eventually Christians enter a state of ＂no me＂. This study made a comparison between the attachment to God and interpersonal attachment and an exploration to the internal working model of the attachment to GOD during the process of prayer by Christian. On one hand, the study enriches and promotes the development of research on religious psychology in China, on the other hand, it provides a path to guide people＇s religious behavior. The results of this study are considered to be able to contribute to social harmony and stability, and to promote people to live and work in peace.