1. Attachment Theory
Pam Davis
Mary Fry
John Bowlby
Reg Watson

2. A story... What is attachment theory? “Secure base” concept
(Bowlby, 1988, pp )

3. (Bowlby, 1988, pp. 124-125; Clinton & Sibcy, 2002, pp. 24-144)
Four Attachment Styles
Secure
Anxious / Resistant
Anxious / Avoidant
Disorganized
(Bowlby, 1988, pp ; Clinton & Sibcy, 2002, pp )

4. Bowlby’s Early Life Little contact with Mother
Nursemaid Minnie left:  age 4
World War II began:  age 7
Boarding school:  age 8 or 11?
Medical school / Teaching
(Steele, 2007; Van Dijken, 1998, pp , 46, 60-61; Holmes, 2001, pp ; Bowlby, 1981, p. 2)

5. Formative experiences influence Bowlby
Where theory parallels life
Single-minded focus of career: effects of separation experiences in childhood
Protest against war-time evacuations of children 
Description of Anxious / Avoidant
(Van Dijken, 1998, pp. 117, 154; Bowlby, 1958, p. 7; Bowlby, 1981)

6. Van Dijken, 1998, pp. 25- 27, 81, 117; Steele, 2007)
Bowlby's Attachment Style as an Adult
Initially: Anxious / Avoidant
Reparative experience
Subsequently:  Secure
(Bowlby, 1958, p. 7; Holmes, 2001, pp , 26;
Van Dijken, 1998, pp , 81, 117; Steele, 2007)

7. (Kirkpatrick & Shaver, 1990)
Implications for Faith and Spirituality
Early childhood experiences shape one’s view of God
Secure
Anxious / Resistant
Anxious / Avoidant
Disorganized
One’s view of God affects one’s view of self
(Kirkpatrick & Shaver, 1990)

8. God as the Attachment Figure
Some choose to seek God during difficult / stressful times
God is a safe haven – a secure base
Reparative quality
(Clinton and Sibcy, 2002, pp )

9. Clinical Applications
Therapeutic value
Self awareness
Diverse populations
(Bowlby, 1988, pp )

10. References
Bowlby, J. (1958). Can I leave my baby? London: National Association for Mental Health.
Bowlby, J. (1981). Perspective: A contribution. Bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 5, 2-4.
Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. London: Routledge. 
Clinton, T., & Sibcy, G. (2002). Attachments: Why you love, feel, and act the way you do. Brentwood, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Holmes, J. (2001). John Bowlby and attachment theory. New York: Routledge.
Holy Bible: New International Version. (1978). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 
Kirkpatrick, L. (1992). An attachment-theory approach to the psychology of religion. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 2(1), jstor.org/stable/
Kirkpatrick, L. & Shaver, P. (1990). Attachment theory and religion: Childhood attachments, religious beliefs and conversion. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 29 (3),
Steele, H. (Narrator/ Director). (2007). John Bowlby: Attachment theory across generations [DVD]. San Luis Obispo, CA: Davidson Films. Van Dijken, S. (1998).
Van Dijken, S. (1998). John Bowlby: His early life. London: Free Association.