n inherent part of what is meant by the term "psychological maturity" (see: Thomas, Brewer, Kraus & Rosen, 1993), there are other psychological schools of thought that believe the truly psychologically mature individual is one that "overcomes" the tendency to believe in the spiritual at all (e.g., Harrington, 1984). This point has been also made by Roach (1994) who notes that:
Religion and psychology have been at odds for years, and while the breach has seemed irreparable, the gulf is narrower than either side supposes. Powerful figures in psychology, such as Freud and Ellis, have contended that religion is tantamount to neurosis.. and (the religious have been)...characterized as dogmatic, pietistic, and inflexible...(p. 1093)
Complicating matters further is the fact that there is also a lack of consensus regarding the definition of spiritual maturity. This point was made in a study conducted by Bassett, Camplin, Humphrey and Dorr (1991) who utilized several instruments for measuring Christian/Spiritual maturity and faith.
Subjects in the study were 131 Protestant and 84 Catholic undergraduates. Bassett, Camplin, Humphrey and Dorr (1991) reported that in order to full tap the construct of spiritual maturity, several of the instruments were collapsed together, and a principle components factor analysis was conducted.
The factor analysis revealed four factors as being measured by the instruments as part of spiritual maturity. There were: (a) personal commitment as manifested in living, (b) personal commitment as manifested in belief, (c) relationships with others, and (d) perceptions of God as protector and sustainer. However, findings showed that Catholics and Protestants did not find themselves in agreement on all factors as to whether it was or was not a viable part of spiritual maturity. Based on this discrepancy in findings, Bassett, Camplin, Humphrey and Dorr (1991) concluded that the notion of Christian...