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attachment bond is explained as an adaptive re- count relevant ethical and spiritual dynamics,
sponse to the challenges of infant survival pre- which a natural science perspective cannot?
sent within the Environment of Evolutionary
Adaptedness (EEA; Simpson & Belsky, 2016). We now know that the attachment bond consti-
When used to interpret contemporary human tutes a major nexus of important developmen-
relationships, the attachment model inclines us tal dynamics in early childhood development,
towards a social deterministic/organismic ori- with long-term consequences. However, as
entation that draws our attention primarily to children grow into adolescence and early adult-
the causal impact of early caregiver socializati- hood, other relational capacities typically emer-
on on future human relationships, though the ge, including the ability to enter into communi-
quality of that socialization is also known to be on with other persons (Bakan, 1966; Johnson,
affected, in turn, by the child’s temperament, 2015). Communion is a higher-order relational
itself biologically determined by genetics. As a activity that requires some degree of personal
result, the attachment model recognizes only agency (e.g., self-awareness, individuation, re-
the existence of extra-personal causal forces, asons, choices, and moral responsibility), along
so not even the parents are viewed as persons with some degree of love, which according to
within this mechanistic/organismic, natural sci- the Christian tradition consists of a delight in
ence framework. As a result, while attachment the other, a desire for the good of the other, and
literature generally and appropriately seeks to a desire for communion with the other, through
promote secure attachment, and protect child- the mutual sharing of thoughts, feelings, desi-
ren from abuse, it maintains the external, inter- res, and stories (Stump, 2010). Furthermore,
ventionist posture of the natural sciences and communion can be enjoyed with other humans
conveys the sense that not much can be done as well as with God, and in a more limited sen-
about the relational deficits, physical sequelae, se, with oneself. As a result, communion opens
and even criminality of insecurely attached in- one up to psychospiritual resources and activity
dividuals, once the poor socialization they have that transcend the closed system of natural cau-
been exposed to is internalized, as demonstra- sal forces.
ted in Alcarria’s article. Agape love is an even higher kind of relationa-
lity than communion, revealed by God to hu-
The term “attachment” itself refers to the rela- manity in the Bible, and asymmetrical in the
tively simple, highly asymmetrical caregiver- opposite direction of attachment. An agape
child relationship, in which the infant contri- bond (shall we call it?) occurs when someone
butes relatively little beyond its biologically- intentionally sets their affections on someone
based needs for nourishment, shelter, safety, who is incapable of fully reciprocating. This
and the security of a comforting caregiver, that kind of love, of course, was demonstrated par
when activated, are expressed with distress. The excellence by God: “In this is love (agape), not
caregiver’s role is vastly more involved; but as that we loved God but that he loved us and sent
already suggested, within a natural science fra- his son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1Jn
mework, caregivers are typically not viewed as 4:10). And now the triune God invites us to love
personal agents (Johnson, 2007a; Martin, et al, more like the Trinity through participating in
2003; Taylor, 1985), who have a degree of self- communion with them (1Co 1:9; 2Co 13:14;
awareness, responsibilities and obligations, the 1Jn 1:3) and becoming more conformed to the
capacity for ethical and unethical actions, a image of Christ (Ro 8:29). Secular psychologists
maturity telos, and ethicospiritual resources to would of course object to reference to Scripture
address their limitations. in a psychological article, and that makes sense
given their adherence to the worldview of natu-
How might a Christian psychology perspective ralism. But Christians believe that Scripture is a
take all that is valid within the modern attach- divinely inspired source of essential psycholo-
ment model and transpose it into an enlarged gical knowledge, in some cases inaccessible in
scientific paradigm that can also take into ac- any other way.

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