Quest and Spiritual Development Moderated by Spiritual Transformation

Abstract

A relational model of spirituality and transformation (Shults & Sandage, 2006; Sandage & Shults, 2007) based on the dialectic of spiritual dwelling and seeking (Wuthnow, 1998) was tested in a sample of Christian graduate seminary students (N = 181). Spiritual dwelling was operationalized using a developmental measure of realistic acceptance (RA)(Hall & Edwards, 2002), and spiritual seeking was measured with the Quest Scale (Batson & Schoenrade, 1991a, 1991b). Results included modest positive correlations between Quest and Spiritual Instability, Spiritual Disappointment, and Mental Health Symptoms and modest negative correlations between both RA and Mental Health Symptoms. The report of a recent spiritual transformation moderated the curvilinear relationship between Quest and RA supporting the relational spirituality model. Implications are considered for future research on dialectical understandings of spiritual development and for training programs in the helping professions.