The Reciprocating Self: Human Development in Theological Perspective

About this book

On the basis of a theologically grounded understanding of the nature of persons and the self Jack O. Balswick Pamela Ebstyne King and Kevin S. Reimer present a model of human development that ranges across all of lifes stages: infancy childhood adolescence young adulthood middle adulthood elder adulthood. They do this by drawing on a biblical model of relationality where the created goal or purpose of human development is to become a reciprocating self--fully and securely related to others and to God. Along the way they provide a context for understanding individual development issues--concerns tensions worries or crises encountered by the self in the context of change. Awareness of these issues is most pronounced at developmental transitional points: learning to talk and walk beginning to eat unassisted going to school developing secondary sexual physical features leaving home obtaining full-time employment becoming engaged and then married having a child for the first time parenting an adolescent watching children move away from home retiring experiencing decline in physical and mental health and finally facing imminent death. Throughout Balswick King and Reimer contend that since God has created human beings for relationship to be a self in reciprocating relationships is of major importance in negotiating these developmental issues. Critically engaging social science research and theory The Reciprocating Self offers an integrated approach that provides insight helpful to college and seminary students as well as those serving in the helping professions. Those preparing for or currently engaged in Christian ministry will be especially rewarded by the in-depth discussion of the implications for moral and faith development nurtured in the context of the life of the church.