title: Promises, Promises.
abstract: Presenting a pledge to another establishes expectation in the recipient for the commitment to be fulfilled, particularly when a promise is devoid of coercion. Defaulting on a commitment may damage relationships between people and may predispose the disenchanted recipient to distrust those who proffer succeeding commitments. God's advocates who have been disappointed by God's evident under-delivery may experience a crisis of faith, exemplified in attachment distress, when disappointment intimates God has over-promised his providence, which questions the nature and, ultimately, the relevance of God.
authors.affiliation: Hershey Medical Center, USA hjmclean@comcast.net.
authors.forename: Haydn
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McLean
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D065026:Hope; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D029181:Spirituality
keywords: disappointment; promise; providence; trust