Relationality from the perspective of Genesis

the benefits in this respect. Hunter describes wisdom as including the idea of life-long learning that is not especially religious, or a natural possession, but which may be embraced through discipline and attention to those who are more experienced – in the context of Israel, especially learning within the family via parents. Contemporarily the value for our wellbeing of such family wisdom will depend, in part, on its links with God’s creation order – there is always the danger that human wisdom is merely ‘wise in their own eyes’ (Isa. 5:21; 47:10; Job 5:13; 15:8; 37:24; Prov. 3:7; 26:5,12).

Following Crabb’s insistence on the relevance of relationship with God to our notions of mental health, he states three basic assumptions, one of which is that Christ offers us unique resources to help resolve every nonorganic problem. Hughes agrees with these sentiments in his early writing on counselling matters. In his later writing he offers a summary of his ideas:

God has designed us as relational beings who are meant first to relate to him and then to others. The closer we relate to him and draw from his resources, the more equipped we are to relate well to others and cope with whatever life brings.77

Having shown how important Hughes and Crabb believe the spiritual area to be in shaping us as persons, it is necessary to outline how Hughes develops this idea.

Hughes introduces us to pre-Fall humanity in the context of the opening chapters of Genesis: ‘We learn a good deal… by taking an in-depth look at what went on in the lives of the first human pair – Adam and Eve.’78 In a chapter in which Hughes outlines his ideas regarding God’s creation of Adam and Eve, he concludes: ‘Without doubt Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world. No sin, no disturbance of spirit, no suffering, no shame. The Almighty declared it ‘very good’. But not for long.’79 In offering a rationale for his model of personality, Hughes does not show awareness of other possible biblical starting points (eg Jesus), and thus

does not defend his method as being preferable to others. For Thiselton, using ‘the Garden’ as a means of understanding the human condition promotes relationality as a core feature, whatever varied emphasis within that theme is adopted. From such a starting point, it becomes hard to include a broader wisdom Christology (especially its social, cultural and scientific elements) as these potential elements of God’s grace have not been developed at this point in the unfolding biblical story. Wenham, arguing that the theme of Genesis as a whole is one of redemption, believes chapters one and two describe our original state to which we will return once the consequences of the Fall (see especially Genesis, chapter three to eleven) are overcome, which will occur once all the patriarchal promises are fulfilled. Hughes leaves us in no doubt that he similarly believes that the most important factor that can affect our personality is connection to God. Under a heading ‘Spiritual Needs’ he states: ‘The greatest need of every individual is to have a relationship with God.’80 There are numerous empirical studies that give weight to the value of religious belief as a critical influence upon the development of healthy personality as it transitions through developmental life stages. It was explained earlier in this chapter that Hughes regards humans as having five areas of functioning with which we may potentially enter into, and experience relationship with others.

The spiritual area is separated into three capacities: security, self-worth and significance. Hughes’ three spiritual capacities are not explicitly articulated in the Genesis account, but may be inferred by contrasting the pre- and post-Fall narratives where the initial relationship with God has been interrupted by sin. According to Hughes, the fulfilment of these core (crucial) longings – desires, needs, ‘thirsts’ – form the foundation of a healthy personality. The Waverley Model Trainers’ Notes state: ‘Some needs are crucial, if they are not met, then we simply cannot function as human beings.’81 This is a reference to the human needs for security, selfworth and significance, a principle expanded upon by Hughes. This is so important for his model of personality that I will utilise an extensive quote:

There is a longing in the soul, a thirst for relationships that is powerful, that though hidden, ignored, over-laid, and even denied, has a powerful pull in our personalities. These longings are there because we were built to relate first to God and then to others. When we don’t function in this way, then deep down we sense a high degree of spiritual discomfort because we are not relating to God and others in the way we were designed. It is impossible for people to have a clear sense of their identity – who they really are – outside of a relationship with God: To paraphrase the famous words of the fourth century preacher Augustine: ‘We were made by God, and made for God, and our identity will never be fully complete until we relate to God.’82

A New Testament theology of redemption includes within it the relevance for healthy functioning of restoring the human-God relationship so crucial for Hughes’ model.

In an introduction to the spiritual area of functioning, under the heading ‘Biblical and Theoretical Foundations’, the Waverley Model Trainers’ Notes pose the question: ‘What must it have been like for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?’83 In answering the question, primary focus is drawn to the human’s relationship with God and what is described as a crucial difference between God and Adam and Eve – the latter were dependent beings, and thus healthy functioning was rooted in their relationship with God. In defining the three crucial capacities of security, self-worth and significance, security is taken to mean the experience of belonging and being unconditionally loved. Self-worth is defined as a person’s sense of being valued or viewed as worthwhile by another. This social dimension again reinforces the relational aspect of Hughes’ model of personality. Significance is defined as a sense of achievement, a sense of purpose which yields awareness that our lives are meaningful. To put it succinctly, Hughes states: ‘Identity depends on three things – a sense that one is unconditionally loved, a sense of one’s value, and a sense of meaning and purpose.’84