Category Archives: Christianity

July 22, 2009 · 11:17 am

Did Paul struggle with past memories?


On Sunday Steve Light preached from Acts regarding the conversion of the Apostle Paul. Prior to his conversion he was known to be one seeking the death of Jewish followers of Jesus. He witnessed and may have provided support for the stoning of Stephen. Upon his conversion those Christians in his circles were wary of whether he was a changed man or merely using it as a ploy to disrupt new churches. These folks had visceral reactions to such a person because they had likely experienced great suffering and distress by Paul’s hand.

Today, Christians generally think positive thoughts about Paul. He is the human author of most of the NT. His words give instruction, comfort, rebuke. We know he was a former violent man but we don’t experience him that way.

SO, here’s my question. Do you think Paul suffered from unwanted or painful memories of past actions? How did it impact him? We know very little about this from Scripture. Yes, Paul admits his past. He thanks God for unmerited grace and favor. But, he doesn’t address the existence of memories.

My thought? I think it is very human to remember shameful acts we have done. In fact, let me be bold enough to say we must remember them if we are to be human. The bigger question is rather HOW we remember them? Volf’s The End of Memory (which I have blogged through here some time ago) is instructive in answering this question. 

How do you remember shameful images or memories of your past? Do they hold you back from relationships? Do they keep you paralyzed? Are you constantly trying to better yourself to make up for the past?

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Filed under Biblical Reflection, christian counseling, Christianity, memory, Psychology, sin

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July 3, 2009 · 4:20 pm

Rwanda Day One


[Returning home from Rwanda 2 days ago I am now trying to process what I saw and heard. So, I will post for each day. Pictures will be forthcoming as well.]

First impressions of Africa after traveling for 20 plus hours? The smell of charcoal cooking fires. Stepping of the plane onto the tarmac at Kigali airport your nostrils immediately detect the thick smell of smoke. Many people, even in the city and even if they have wealth, cook their meals out of doors. We were met at the door by Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo of the Gahini Diocese. The bishop and some of his staff welcomed us and drove the four of us to our retreat house (The House of Tranquility on the east edge of Lac Muhazi). Since we arrived after dark we couldn’t see much of what we passed on our 1 plus hour ride.  But we still had our experiences along the way! Picture an undivided highway with a mass of people walking or biking along the road and no street lights or reflective clothing. People of all ages and under all sorts of burdens. Even in the rural sections, we never went more than a few yards without seeing someone walking along the road. Further, people drive quite differently there. When a car approaches, use your left turn signal to let them know where your outer edge is. Also, use your horn as a constant means of communicating–brief honks to let the moped drivers that we were passing by. Oh, and though they drive on the “right” side of the road, our car had the driver on the left side. Since I was in the shotgun position, I had a wonderful view of oncoming traffic when we drifted across the lanes and around sharp turns while passing slower traffic.

Our group (Diane Langberg, Josh Straub (of AACC), Leah Herod (Columbia International University), and myself) had our first meals and meeting together on the plane ride but now we were glad to arrive at our destination–a stucco 2 story building with dining and living space and 4 nice bedrooms with shared bathrooms and the requisite mosquito nets (this picture was taken some time ago as the bushes are very much bigger than this).

A quick meal of vegetable soup, fried bananas, fried tilapia, cassava, rice, and potatoes (notice the heavy emphasis of starch) and off to bed. Tomorrow will begin our serious work of fact-finding, discovering the current resources, needs and possible interventions we might bring to deal with the problem of trauma due to the 1994 genocide of nearly 800,000 people in just under 100 days.

Already I am well aware of my self-centered life. I love Jesus but also comfort. I am struck by the level of sacrifice and hardship and the impossibility of turning a blind eye to dangers (moral, physical, etc.) in this country.

Tomorrow we are off to Butare, a university city in the South of the country.

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Filed under christian psychology, Christianity, Rwanda

June 20, 2009 · 2:33 pm

A Christian Psychology 2


Chapter 2 of Eric Johnson’s book, Foundations for Soul Care(IVP, 2007) traces the use of the bible as soul healing agent throughout the history of the church. Eric explores the work of early church fathers, medieval church, reformation, and Puritanism as examples of soul care writings based on the biblical text.

The chapter then moves to consider the historical movement of the relationship between Christianity and science. While early scientists saw their field of study as something revealing evidence of God’s handiwork, a “fracture” begins with Enlightenment thinking.

Ironically, while Christianity contributed to the development of the scientific revolution, that revolution came to be increasingly linked to an alternative worldview: modernism (p. 63)

 Eric does a nice job summarizing the transition. One moves from the use of metaphysics, tradition, and revelation (Eric’s words) to a focus on the specific object of study and the use of observation. Thus, human reason and empiricism rule the day.

At core what distinguishes modernism and Christianity as ways of thinking about human life are their different ultimate commitments. Christianity assumes a God-centered worldview in which the individual self (with its submissive reason) is seen as relatively important in relation to the rest of creation but relatively unimportant in comparison to the infinite God. In such a framework, science is a noble task done first for the glory of God and second for the benefit of humanity, a good means to a greater end. Modernism inherited the self of Christianity, but without its God to keep things in proper perspective, the self became the center of the universe (an anti-Copernican revolution!), eventually regarding its own experience, together with its autonomous reason, as the foundations of truth and morality…Consequently, individualism–and not relationship–was established at the base of the modern worldview. (p. 65)

Eric goes on to talk about how Christianity imbibed the modernistic assumptions (either trying to use empiricism to defend fundamentalism or accepting that psychology is the best way to understand human functioning).

Eric does a good job summarizing the modern pastoral care movement and capitulation to psychotherapy models. Further, he shows how a Barthian model of soul care was not quite liberalism nor evangelicalism. Finally, he reviews the postmodern turn and “postliberal recovery.”

Johnson’s take on modern pastoral care movement? It doesn’t offer much to the evangelical in the way of thinking biblically about souls. The postliberal engagement with the Bible does two things: re-engages the text of Scripture as a real dialogue partner while not dismissing the helps within positivist psychology.

If you are unfamiliar with the modern history of Christian counseling and pastoral care, this is a great chapter to start with. You can get  a quick overview plus a bibliography to point you to original sources. The next chapters deal with evangelical and fundamentalist counseling models and how they dealt with Scripture (i.e., biblical counseling or integrationism).

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June 19, 2009 · 8:50 am

Vital Religion per Ben Franklin


I think vital religion has always suffered when orthodoxy is more regarded than virtue. And the Scriptures assure me that at the last day we shall not be examined by what we thought, but what we did…

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

by W. Isaacson (Simon & Shuster, 2003)

My wife is reading this book and pointed out the quote to me. From Isaacson’s take, Franklin is less a deist than many have reported. And while he fought with some of his relatives over the meaning of faith, I think he does capture this sentiment right. It is possible to concern yourself so much with orthodoxy that you fail to miss the heart of the Gospel. Yes, Franklin did try to have virtue via his own power (a friend of his said something to the effect that Franklin’s efforts failed to tackle the virtue of humility or the vice of pride).  But nonetheless, virtue or act is what is asked of individuals. Did you clothe the naked, feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned?

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Filed under Biblical Reflection, Christianity, Doctrine/Theology, Gospel, Great Quotes

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June 18, 2009 · 4:02 pm

Making sense of things and the suffering it brings


Ever had the experience of having your brain work overtime to try to make sense of some action, something done to you?

Some things make no sense and we know it–things like the premature death of a single parent, a genocide, impulsive choices that make matters much worse, etc. Yet our minds keep trying to figure it out. Why? How come? What does it mean? If only I could understand what God was up to then I could…

Sometimes, trying to understand the incomprehensible compounds and adds to our present sufferings.

We then tend to respond in one of three ways, (a) give up and stop functioning, or (b) develop antiseptic conclusions (e.g., God is going to use this to bless me later), or (c) put our heads down, ignore the pain and do the thing in front of us.

Response b may in fact be true but often it is used to help the person dissociate from the incomprehensible in a way to keep living and moving.

What do you find most helpful when dealing with an unsuccessful attempt to make sense out of suffering? How do you avoid giving in to ruminations about unanswerable angsts or hopelessness or its opposite, baseless optimism that denies the present reality?

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Filed under christian counseling, christian psychology, Christianity, suffering, Uncategorized

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June 16, 2009 · 12:40 pm

Ethics Codes and Christian Counselors


Last night was the last class session of my ethics and practicum orientation classes. In both places students were discussing matters related to mandated abuse reporting, dual relationships, and attitudes towards state and professional ethics codes.

Evangelical or conservative people tend to have several responses to ethics codes that I want to highlight here.

1. Fear. Actually almost every student has this reaction. The rules can be complex and their are vague rules about everything (barter, dual relationships, advertising, competency, etc) which may even seemingly contradict other rules. While they have been written to protect the client, following them often leads to both client and counselor having vulnerable feelings (i.e., abuse reporting rules) and feeling a bit out of control.

2. Rejection (or dismissal). One’s feelings about government regulation and whether submitting oneself to a secular agency (licensing board, professional organization) may tempt the counselor to think little of the codes. In particular, the heavy emphasis on avoiding dual relationships where possible seems wrongheaded to many ministry minded individuals. It would seem that sterile counseling relationships (no touch, no informality, no friendship, keeping mental health records, etc.) run counter to the values of brother/sister relationships in church settings.

3. Fastidiousness. Maybe this is really just as number one. But some respond to ethics codes by being ethics junkies. They fastidiously keep every iota and in so doing tend to suck the humanity out of the counseling relationship.

A better way?

The first time you face something completely new, fear is common. With repeated contact, comfort can develop. At least that is what I told myself after my 3rd statistics and research design class. Remembering that these rules are designed not merely to catch you doing wrong but to help protect you and your clients might help. The more you talk about them with others (including the spirit of the rule, not just the letter), the more you will relax.

Also, paranoia is not a good character feature for counselors. Thus, if you have a tendency to see the government as all bad all the time…if you think alarmist conservative talk radio is right from God’s mouth to your ear…if you look at every psychological ethics rule as anti-Christian, you may not be right for this field. In fact, such feelings may induce pride, arrogance and forgetting that the number one goal is avoiding client exploitation and increasing client protection (yes, even from themself).  Further, 1 Peter 2 reminds you to submit to your authorities and governments–even if they are harsh…so you can silence ignorant talk and not use your “freedom as a cover-up for evil.”

Finally, don’t forget to be human. Cross your t’s, dot your i’s but do it while showing concern for the person in front of you. Some of your ethical standards may seem foreign to others. A kind explanation can do wonders.

Hey, and don’t forget to seek out consultation and/or supervision. There is NO reason you should be going this path alone.

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Filed under biblical counseling, christian counseling, christian psychology, Christianity, counseling and the law, ethics, Psychology, teaching counseling

June 10, 2009 · 2:08 pm

A Christian Psychology Proposal 1


This summer I’m choosing to read through Eric Johnson’s Foundations for Soul Care: A Christian Psychology Proposal (IVP, 2007). Eric is the founding director of the Society for Christian Psychology. I’ve skimmed large portions of it before, had numerous, enjoyable conversations with Eric over the years, and am familiar (and mostly agree) with his ideas. But, I thought I might share of few tidbits now and again from what I’m reading. But realize the book is 700 plus pages (he tells me he had to cut 1/3 of his book to get it published!). So, I will not be blogging through it like I have done with others books.

What distinguishes this Christian Psychology?

The book attempts to lay out a framework of Christian psychology. Johnson says that a framework ought to include these core distinctives:

1. It is doxological. It should glorify God in all that it aims to do and understand.

2. It is semiodiscursive. Here, he uses this word to convey that any psychology is a use of words, descriptions, and interpretations that point to meaning. “…soul care is interested in the referential function of various aspects of human life: language, emotions, mental images, actions…”

3. It is dialogical/trialogical. It is relational and interactive rather than something that exists by itself.

4. It is canonical. The bible, Johnson says, is the Text of texts. There is a standard that is our guide for soul care.

5. It is psychological. It is interested in the “nature of human beings and their psychopathology and recovery….Christian soul-care providers study the bible not for its own sake but for the light it sheds on the nature of human beings and their well-being and improvement.” (p. 16) 

I encourage interested parties to read his first chapters. Chapter one, “The Place for the Bible in Christian Soul Care” acknowledges that “The entire canon shows a concern with human well-being with reference to God.” He goes on to explicate that by sampling from Old and New Testaments as well as to define “soul-healing to include both salvation and sanctification in both vertical and horizontal dimension. Soul healing is not merely for creating the right relationship with God but also for healing and strengthening human to human relationships.  Chapter 2 and 3 talk about the misuses of the Bible in both biblical counseling and Christian psychological venues.

This book is exceptionally focused on the foundations. So, we may not expect great focus on whether soul care will greatly reduce mental healthy symptoms. But, lest we only think pragmatic thoughts, we ought to step back and consider the basis of the practical–the theoretical and theological bases for our work.

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June 2, 2009 · 11:15 am

Why texting is hazardous to your life


We already know that texting while driving endangers lives. No surprise there. But have you considered the danger of texting while angry? Texting while avoiding?

Consider the following situation. You have a set-to with a loved one while each are at work. Finding yourself hurt and angry, the thought crosses your mind to text that person to say something mature like,

“fine. u go rite ahed and do it. c if i care.”

Of course, you don’t really mean “fine.” Nor do you  want them to “go ahead”. You do care, otherwise you wouldn’t be texting while angry.

Notice the dangers here:

1. Texting give us the illusion of connection. We can send a message to communicate with another but don’t really call it a connection.
2. Texting provides an opportunity to jab each other when angry but avoid (for a few moments anyway) seeing the impact of that jab. Sure, we could say these silly and immature things to the other’s face, but with the advent of texting we don’t have to admit to ourselves that our words have impact.
3. Texting allows another to keep a record of our wrongs; to read it again and again and maintain the hurts. Yes, we can remember words spoken in anger, but keeping a copy would be tempting and very dangerous.

For those of you who text, maybe a few rules should apply.

  • If you are tempted to text someone so you can avoid them, don’t.
  • Don’t text or email when angry.
  • Ask yourself about impact: Does it truly meet the constructive requirement of Ephesians? And if it does, why not say it face to face?

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Filed under anger, christian psychology, Christianity, conflicts, Relationships

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May 21, 2009 · 9:59 am

Podcasts for Pastoral Health


last March Biblical Seminary ran a daylong seminar for ministry leaders and their spouses. Podcasts of the plenary and break-out sessions are now available here for a very low price: http://www.biblical.edu/pages/connect/hazardoustoyourhealt0309podcasts.htm

Consider buying some and giving to your pastor and spouse. Other leaders like missionaries, elders, deacons, parachurch workers, etc. would likely benefit.

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May 19, 2009 · 10:19 am

Dialog between Christian Psychology and Biblical Counseling


Yesterday Robert Kelleman made a comment on an old blog post of mine about my model of counseling. In that comment he said the following:

Your readers might find of interest my summary of last week’s symposium on biblical counseling where Eric Johnsons (SCP), myself (BCSFN), David Powlison (CCEF), and Steve Viars (NANC, FBCM) discussed with Jeremy Lelek (ABC) the state of biblical counseling/Christian psychology:

http://tinyurl.com/r8kf7r

To me, true biblical counseling and true Christian psychology should be the same thing. They use biblical psychology (understanding people, diagnosing problems, and prescribing solutions) theory to guide their biblical counseling (sustaining, healing, reconciling, and guiding) practice.

Bob Kellemen

The link takes you to Bob’s own site and has links to christiancounseling.com where DVDs of the dialogue will be available. It is good to hear of the unity among these cousin models of counseling.

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