Psychology, Theology and the Spiritual Life in Christian Counseling Essay

1. This paper is a handwriting check taboo that will deal with the above universeoeuvre by McMinn and the nature of christian rede in general. The work is a exclusively is designed to be easily read, and reads real quickly at the price of sophistication. Its razetual(prenominal) purpose is integrity of integration on wto levels first, the integration of the broken soul jeopardize into loving relationships, chiefly with graven image, who is a idol of healing, and sustain, the immensely eventful integration of piety with the aims of charge. Counseling without graven image is a removed less complex affair than the Naz areneian rede.The secular guidance quarter be safely utilitarian, whatever dish ups heal the person might be tried or advocated. However, with the Nazareneian discuss, the mood of integration is tot onlyy important. Christians curb a specific survey of the personality that can non be ignored in counseling. These ideas on the human personalit y is tack together around our inhithernt distastefulness and brokenness. (McMinn, 1996, 32). This is central, all of humanity is in need of counseling of some sort, but the final dying of counseling, that of union with graven image in and by healthy relationships with other persons, provides outlying(prenominal) more difficult challenges than the more utilitarian secularist.Furthermore, the idea of the integration of the ego out of its infractful (yet natural) drive to self-sufficiency (cf. 35-40ff) is a nonher specifically Christian idea when coupled with the important idea of Grace, the Grace that is, by its in truth function, a healing balm. Hence, the p premiseer mustiness also know how to give modal value to grace, grace that is non in the avow of the counselor. The notion of the abuse of power so important to the chapter on Sinis just now not realizing the fact that the Christian counselor must act as a conduit of grace and not its dispenser. Thus, the counselor t hat does not realize this gap, the gap between the counselor and the will of graven image for the broken dupe has failed in his duty. The grace for the believer is ever present, and Christian counseling must have a sense that his duty is to help the victim find it. The basic dissertation of the book is sound from a theological and a mental point of visit the modern secular mentality stresses ego satisfaction and mavins control over ones life. but this is little more than the institutionalization of original sin this is the bother, not the solution.This desire, natural to fallen man, to be self-sufficient is the root of all psychological problems. Hence, the work takes this fundamental insight through and through the various ideas that develop in the procedure of counseling charm, scripture, forgiveness, etc. Each concerns itself with rescue the patient to a fuller savvy of the nature of his alienation, both from others an from God. 2. In the percentage on suppliant, I was struck by several things, things that I recall myself leaving through. I was always taken aback by the attacks on suppliant by both mainline psychology and purchase order at large why would one pray if God is all acute?Of course this is not an easy straits, and the church fathers dealt with it in some detail. I began to contact postulation as universe of 2 kinds the intercessory prayer, or the literal meaning of prayer in the sense as to ask. This is not a part of Christian counseling to each great degree. But the second form of prayer, that of communion and oneness, is. The pious surmisal of the ancient monks has healing properties even aside of belief. Prayer, as McMinn points out, reduces stress, creates a bond with the counselor, and places the problems of man in a theological setting (66ff).The same might be give tongue to for his variance on Scripture is not Job an excellent case account for the Christian counselor? Is not David and his sins even better? (C f. 100) It seems to me that the development of my own prayer life since being involved with counseling has more to do with relations instead than asking. , In other words, it seems to me that pure prayer is not about asking for things God knows what we need. Pure prayer is about transaction with that which God has given us in our own development. throe is no a bad thing with a prayerful attitude it permits us to reject the populace and its comforts, and to seek our rest in God alone. Christians involved in counseling should avoid, as my experience has shown, treating prayer as a means of hitchting things. This can lead to disappointment and a belief that God is merely a great cosmic vending machine that exists to grant wishes. I recall my older view that prayer was about getting, instead of dealing. Prayer as a means of communing with God in the midst of nourishing is both a real Christian idea as well as a justly tool in counseling Christians.3. A major issue that arises fr om reading this book is the difficulty of the task. The author is writing for a popular audience, and hence, can not get into the deep psychology and theology essential to make his this work. Theology is the highest of the sciences, and this is because the understanding of Christ as Logos gives both the competent and final cause of creation, including our drumheads. The Logos is the being of all things so far as they exemplify a cosmic reason, an interconnection that makes nature understandable and law-abiding.But our problem arises, both as Christians and as counselors, when we argon forced to deal with the affects of the fall a nature that bears Gods postcode (though not her person), but is only unwell reflected in our minds that have been darkened by sin. Christianity has been worried about this healing since St Gregory of genus Nyssa and Augustine, who have dealt with the church and the Christian life as primarily a psychological affair, an affair of the thought, but a con sciousness whose own drives seek to obliterate God and his presence in the interests of self centeredness.The very nature of the book in question cannot get into these issues except in trite pillowcases. The book needs to build upon Christ as Logos before any serious psychology can be done. Putting this differently, the point is that Christ is to be found in the human mind in that it bears traces, fingerprints of the creator, but the creator as the Son, the image of the Father. The cosmic reason found in all things. This is an ontological problem, one that needs to inform all Christian psychology. Th reality is that this book is far too simple, far to easy and cannot gt to th heart of the matter.4. In terms of action, I want to take from McMinns section on Scripture. This is likely the most worthy part of the work, and Scripture, to adduce the least, is only rarely considered a bok of counseling or psychology. Yet, the scriptures are saturated with psychological insight. Hence, my action here is to begin bringing scriptural sources into counseling. til now with secular patients, the Bible, even if the patient does not necessarily believe its divine origin, salve contains many positive and negative examples for deal to consider.The sins of David, including murder, are helpful is showing the example of repentance and the fact that a weird giant like David can be so flawed. I might say the same of Noah, after his drunkenness. God can forgive anything. The prophets such as Jeremiah or Amos were all persecuted for their beliefs and complete refusal to compromise. For people to be treated harshly because of their faith is something Christ explicitly mentions as the lot of the Christian scripture is about Gods presence amidst a world that does not recognize him, whether it be the establishment of Judah or the Jewish Pharisees.The Christian Will sufferthere is no getting out of that, it is built into the process of both alimentation and counseling. Christ Hi mself is such an example. Therefore, in dealing with patients, the Scriptures will be the central ingredient in counseling for the examples they contain examples of stainless suffering, but suffering with a purpose. Suffering with a purpose is bearable, suffering for no reason is not,. There is not a major figure in the Scriptures that is not persecuted for one reason or some other by a world that does not understand te godly life. For us as counselors, nothing can be more important, useful or inspiring.