Reflections on the Special Section "Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research on Relational Spirituality"

It is my great honor to offer a few words of reflection on this landmark special section of Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, guest edited by Ward Davis and Theresa Clement Tisdale. In this section, Davis and Tisdale—together with the contributors— deepen our understanding of the rich explorative possibilities of applying qualitative and mixed methodologies to the psychology of religion and spirituality (R/S). The articles, each replete with new insights, bring illumination, richness, and depth to a cornerstone of the psychology of R/S—relational spirituality. The qualitative data in this section’s articles provide insights that are profound and moving. Conceptually rich and carrying new information for our field, these articles deliver a unique window into relational spirituality, using a method of inquiry that can concurrently hold universal principles and the rich nuances of diversity. They convincingly convey that qualitative inquiry is indeed an inclusive and elucidating methodological approach. From the core concept of relational spirituality emerges a vast range of processes and complexities, a beautifully diverse array of findings, replete with nuances and contradictions. In reading this special section, there is a sense of opening a treasure box. Or, perhaps, reading the section is better described as an experience of pilgrimage. Even after 4 decades of research in this area, we can experience awe and recognize vast possibilities. Akin to when astronomers discovered that the Milky Way is but one of many galaxies, the R/S “universe” just expanded, revealing that there is infinitely more to discover. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)