Spiritual and Psychological Maturity: A Comparison

A. Significance to my field and position.

B. Application to my field and position

Spiritual and psychological maturity are grounded in differing thought processes, although there are areas of commonalities such as an inner compassion to help others that exists in both the spiritually and psychologically mature person. Psychological maturity can be defined as a process of self-actualization and relationships with others, while spiritual maturity can best be defined as manifested in belief in God as a protector and sustainer. The spiritually and psychologically mature think differently about themselves, the world, and their connection with God. The psychologically mature person relies on his or her own insights and capacities, rather than on externals. On the other hand, the spiritually mature person does not trust in self-reliance but surrenders to God as the higher authority.

A Comparison Between Spiritual and Psychological Maturity

Both theology and psychology are concerned with working with people to show them the way to live, full, complete and satisfying lives. Although the two fields share many assumptions and ideas concerning human nature, they have cle

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d 84 Catholic undergraduates. The findings revealed that the notion of Christian or spiritual maturity may be somewhat different from denomination to denomination. Another viewpoint is presented by Anderson (1995) who argues that psychological development takes place from the inside out, not as a result of adaptations to external situations. He postulates a new theory of psychological maturation whose key components are contextual thinking, independent action and development of a sense of self and of God. According to Anderson (1995), maturation is a complex process which may take a lifetime to achieve. The lack of consensus raises the question: How should psychological and spiritual maturity be defined? Regarding these definitions, Carter (1974) conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on both psychological and Christian/Biblical maturity and provided definitions of each. Carter (1974) states that despite theoretical differences, most psychologists would agree that psychological maturity is, in large part, comprised of five dimensions. These dimensions consist of the growth and development of: values and abilities; a realistic view of oneself and others; an acceptance of oneself and others; an ability to live in
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Approximate Word count = 1627
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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