Experiences of reconciliation with god: A multinational qualitative exploration of the christian-sensitive relational spirituality model of personal sin in eight countries.

Divine forgiveness is central to Christian faith yet remains understudied psychologically.This study examined incident-specific experiences of reconciling with God among Christians from culturally and religiously diverse contexts, guided by the Relational Spirituality Model of Personal Sin, which conceptualizes reconciliation as emerging from cognitive-emotional appraisals involving the self, personal sin, God, and other people.Participants were 64 adult Christians (eight each from Brazil, China, Colombia, Ghana, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey, and the United States).Half completed a single retrospective interview about a past violation; half completed two prospective interviews following a recent violation and again approximately 2 weeks later.Interview transcripts were analyzed using directed qualitative content analysis, with cognitive-emotional appraisal as the unit of analysis.Across contexts, reconciliation with God emerged as a relational, dynamic process beginning with disruption following personal sin and culminating in renewed communion with God.Self-appraisals clustered into three themes: struggling (e.g., distress, inadequacy), repentant (e.g., acknowledgment of wrongdoing, desire for restoration), and transformed (e.g., growth, renewed identity).Retrospective interviews more frequently emphasized transformation, whereas prospective interviews captured movement from repentance toward transformation over time; struggling appraisals remained prevalent.Appraisals of God emphasized mercy, holiness, and forgivingness, often referencing Scripture.Other people, particularly family members, were implicated in both offense and recovery.Findings provide qualitative support for the Relational Spirituality Model of Personal Sin and identify psychologically meaningful, culturally portable pathways through which Christians experience reconciliation with God, with implications for research, pastoral care, and spiritually integrated interventions.