The Hand of the Father
by Dr. Gerry Ball
Discover The Hand of the Father by Dr. Gerry Ball, a faith-based guide to emotional healing and spiritual development. Explore how unresolved childhood attachment wounds can distort our image of God—and how Christ, the perfect Mediator, restores our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Whether you seek understanding, healing, or deeper intimacy with God, this book will help you reconnect with the One who has always called you His child.
Discover The Hand of the Father by Dr. Gerry Ball, a faith-based guide to emotional healing and spiritual development. Explore how unresolved childhood attachment wounds can distort our image of God—and how Christ, the perfect Mediator, restores our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Whether you seek understanding, healing, or deeper intimacy with God, this book will help you reconnect with the One who has always called you His child.
The Hand of the Father
About the Book
For many, the word “father” stirs mixed emotions—some warm, others painful. But what if the ultimate Father has been calling to you all along, offering a love so vast and transformative that it can heal even the deepest wounds?
In The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball combines groundbreaking psychological research, biblical truth, and personal insight to explore the roots of Spiritual Attachment Disorder—a condition where past relational wounds create emotional distance from God the Father. Drawing on attachment theory and faith-based counseling, the book helps readers understand how early father wounds shape their spiritual lives and how healing is possible through Christ.
What You'll Discover
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Why some believers struggle to see God as Father, even after salvation
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How psychology confirms biblical truth about our need for a loving Father
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The roles of Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King in spiritual healing
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Real-life stories and assessments to help you examine your spiritual attachments
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Practical tools for restoring trust, intimacy, and joy in your walk with God
Who It's For
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Christians seeking emotional and spiritual healing
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Pastors, counselors, and ministry leaders
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Anyone affected by absent, distant, or authoritarian parental figures
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Readers curious about how faith and psychology intersect
The Hand of the Father
From Research to Restoration
Through the research and personal ministry of Dr. Gerry Ball, The Hand of the Father offers a unique lens for understanding spiritual disconnection. With detailed assessments, including the Personal Spiritual Inventory and Parental Attachment Questionnaire, this book empowers readers to:
Reflect deeply on early life experiences
Identify spiritual attachment wounds
Embrace the healing, mediating love of Jesus Christ
Select a chapter number below to reveal the chapter title and a summary of its content from The Hand of the Father.
CHAPTER 1Understanding Attachment
In Understanding Attachment, Dr. Gerry Ball reveals how the earliest bonds we form — or fail to form — profoundly shape our emotional lives, our relationships, and even how we perceive God’s love. Drawing from the groundbreaking Strange Situation study by Mary Ainsworth, this chapter explores why some people struggle with trust, connection, and intimacy, while others seem to flourish. Through the lens of attachment theory, readers will discover how God designed us for secure, loving relationships and how healing broken attachments can open the door to a deeper relationship with Him and others. This foundational chapter offers a powerful beginning to a journey of restoration, emotional wholeness, and spiritual renewal.
CHAPTER 2Impact of Early Attachment on Future Relationships
Our earliest bonds with caregivers don’t just comfort us in childhood — they shape how we love, trust, and connect for a lifetime. In Chapter 2 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball explores the powerful connection between early attachment experiences and our adult relationships. Through the lens of Bowlby’s groundbreaking theories and new insights into the divided self, discover how early wounds can shape intimacy, self-esteem, and even faith — and how understanding these patterns can open the door to emotional and spiritual healing.
CHAPTER 3Reactive Attachment Disorders (RAD)
When early bonds are broken, the wounds run deep. In Chapter 3 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball unpacks the complex world of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) — a condition rooted in disrupted early caregiving that can shape a lifetime of relational struggles. From emotional withdrawal to indiscriminate trust, discover how these early fractures impact emotional health, relationships, and spiritual growth — and how understanding RAD is the first step toward hope and healing.
CHAPTER 4The Influence of Parental Images
How we experience our parents—especially our fathers—shapes far more than our childhood. In Chapter 4 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball reveals how early parental influences profoundly impact emotional security, attachment styles, and even our connection to God. Discover how healing parental wounds can restore not just our relationships with others, but our relationship with the Father Himself.
CHAPTER 5The Interplay Between Attachment and Spirituality
The way we trust—or struggle to trust—often begins long before we ever hear the name of God. In Chapter 5 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball explores how early attachment patterns influence our spiritual lives, shaping everything from belief to intimacy with the Divine. Learn how understanding the interplay between attachment and spirituality opens a pathway to emotional and spiritual healing.
CHAPTER 6Mediators and Biblical Principles
Our earliest bonds with caregivers don’t just comfort us in childhood — they shape how we love, trust, and connect for a lifetime. In Chapter 2 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball explores the powerful connection between early attachment experiences and our adult relationships. Through the lens of Bowlby’s groundbreaking theories and new insights into the divided self, discover how early wounds can shape intimacy, self-esteem, and even faith — and how understanding these patterns can open the door to emotional and spiritual healing.
CHAPTER 7Mediating the Outcomes
Early wounds in childhood don’t just fade with time—they echo into every relationship we form, even our relationship with God. In Chapter 7 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball explores how mediators—pastors, counselors, and Christ Himself—play a vital role in healing childhood trauma and restoring emotional and spiritual trust. Learn how Biblical truth meets psychological insight to transform brokenness into restoration.
CHAPTER 8Mediators and Attachment Styles
The wounds of childhood leave more than scars—they build walls between us and the love we desperately need. In Chapter 8 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball uncovers how attachment styles shape our relationships with others and God, and how mediators—especially Jesus Christ—provide the bridge to healing. Learn how faith and psychology converge to transform brokenness into trust and restoration.
CHAPTER 9The Mediator and Jesus Christ
Broken relationships and wounded hearts often leave scars too deep for human efforts to heal. In Chapter 9 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball reveals how Jesus Christ, the ultimate Mediator, bridges the gap between humanity and God, offering full emotional, relational, and spiritual restoration. Discover how Christ’s mediation transforms brokenness into eternal wholeness.
CHAPTER 10The Perfect Mediator
When human efforts fall short, the perfect love of Jesus Christ remains. In Chapter 10 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball explores how Christ’s roles as Prophet, Priest, and King make Him the Perfect Mediator—offering healing for broken relationships and eternal hope for wounded hearts.
CHAPTER 11Spiritual Attachment Disorder
Early wounds can quietly alter our relationship with God. In Chapter 11 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball explores the hidden struggle of Spiritual Attachment Disorder and reveals the path to healing, restoration, and deeper faith.
CHAPTER 12Four Attachment Archetypes
How do early life experiences with caregivers shape not only how we love others but also how we view God?
In Chapter 12 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball unpacks the Four Attachment Archetypes, explaining how childhood relationships form emotional patterns that impact trust, love, self-worth, and spirituality.
Understanding your attachment style is a powerful step toward healing fractured relationships—with others and with God the Father.
CHAPTER 13Assessments: Identifying the Roots of Spiritual Disconnection
Our early relationships—especially those with father figures—leave lasting imprints on our emotional and spiritual well-being. In Chapter 13 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball explores how assessment tools rooted in attachment theory can help uncover the emotional patterns that influence our connection to God. These assessments are especially valuable for identifying signs of Spiritual Attachment Disorder (SAD), guiding individuals toward healing and deeper intimacy with their Heavenly Father.
CHAPTER 14Understanding the Development of the Self-Report Attachment Style Prototype (SRASP)
How do we truly understand the emotional patterns that govern how we relate to others — and to God? In Chapter 14 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball introduces the Self-Report Attachment Style Prototype (SRASP), a powerful assessment tool designed to reveal the deep-seated attachment styles we carry into adulthood. Learn how this tool helps uncover the hidden impact of childhood caregiver experiences and how it plays a pivotal role in healing spiritual and emotional disconnection.
CHAPTER 15Parental Influence on the Perception of God
Our earliest relationships don’t just shape how we interact with others—they profoundly influence how we see God. In Chapter 15 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball reveals how parental behavior, attachment styles, and emotional wounds create lasting templates for our spiritual beliefs. Discover why healing your view of God often begins by healing your view of your earthly parents—and how understanding these connections can open the door to deeper faith and emotional freedom.
CHAPTER 16Parental Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ)
Our earliest relationships don’t just shape our emotions—they define how we trust, grow, and connect spiritually. In Chapter 16 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball introduces the Parental Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ), a research-backed tool designed to reveal how parental bonds influence emotional security and our perception of God. Discover how understanding these attachment patterns can open doors to deeper healing, stronger relationships, and a more resilient faith.
CHAPTER 17Personal Spiritual Inventory (PSI)
In a world full of noise and busyness, it’s easy for spiritual growth to take a backseat. In Chapter 17 of The Hand of the Father, Dr. Gerry Ball introduces the Personal Spiritual Inventory (PSI) — a powerful tool designed to help believers pause, reflect, and realign their lives with God’s purposes. Through thoughtful self-assessment across key areas of Christian living, the PSI offers a path toward deeper faith, intentional discipleship, and a more vibrant relationship with the Father.
As Listed on Amazon:
“Through psychological observations, biblical insights, and practical tools for healing, this book demonstrates there was always a roadmap for breaking free from those anchors of pain and embracing the immeasurable love of our Abba Father through His Son.”
Ready to Begin Your Healing Journey?
Rediscover your identity as a cherished child of God. Let The Hand of the Father guide you to the peace, joy, and freedom found only in His eternal embrace.
