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McMinn 4-MAT Review: Psychology, Theology and Spirituality Toya V Mitchell Liberty University Review The text Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling written by Dr. Mark McMinn brings psychology, theology and spirituality together within the counseling office. Throughout the book McMinn presents several challenges that counselors face within their profession, spiritual relationship and personal self (McMinn, 2011). These challenges include areas of competence, blurred personal-professional distinctions, training difficulties, dominant views of mental health, lack of scientific foundations and ethical standards.
Summary In the book, Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality, Mark McMinn commences by providing the groundwork for the Christian worldview about counseling. He indicates that the book is crucial for individuals interested in looking into the aspect of intra-disciplinary integration (McMinn, 1996). In his exploration of the intra-disciplinary integration frontier, McMinn (1996) focuses on the challenges that Christian counselors face in their practice. As McMinn (1996) discusses the aspect of integration, he disregards religious interventions as well as foundational perspectives, indicating that they might not apply to the identified frontier.
The purpose of this 4MAT Review is to discuss Mr. David Entwistle’s book, Integrative Approaches to Psychology & Christianity: An Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and Models of Integration, 3rd Edition, which is a scholarly analysis of the integration of the study of Psychology and the religion of Christianity. The beginning of Entwistle (2015) takes an in depth look at the reasons why throughout history there has been such a strong debate about the relationship between science and faith, specifically whether Christianity can and or should be combined with the practice of Psychology. Traditionally science and faith have been considered incompatible and irreconcilable (Entwistle). One reason is because, it was thought
Emily Dykstra and Dr. Jennifer Feenstra, both professors within the psychology department, discussed the journeys of their faith life and how they came to truly articulate their personal beliefs. These professors also talked about the many challenges faced by “emerging adults” who perhaps have a rather weak hold of their faith in the midst of a heavily-secular world and how to deal with such challenges. Of course, they believe that our education at Northwestern equips us as “courageous and faithful learners” with the suitable framework for our faith, yet they also realize that this Christian environment may be sheltering us from the harsh realities of the world. This session reminded me of a previous discussion I had with my FYS class about why we believe what we believe. Through that discussion, I realized that I had never really articulated what my faith actually meant to me.
An individual can become emotionally disturbed due to their own sin or due to the sin of someone else. Psychological and Spiritual Growth This segment of the chapter discuss whether or not a counselor should confront the client about sin. Will the confrontation increase their spiritual and mental health, or will it cause them to turn away from the counselor and the help the counselor has to offer? McMinn says that there are four appropriate ways to confront the client’s sin in counseling.
Integration: Mixing Psychology and Christianity Latoya Alston Liberty University Summary In the book Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity, David N. Entwistle (2010) forces readers to question whether or not psychology and Christianity can be integrated. As the book begins, he argues that integrating the two disciplines is difficult because there are two perspectives in which a person can view the world: from a secular perspective or from a Christian perspective (Entwistle, 2010). Secular thinking contradicts Christianity because it consists of a worldview that is limited to the earthly realm and is based on things that can be tangibly proven (Entwistle, 2010). Christian thinking, however, reaches beyond the physical,
Because of the division of science in religion discussed in chapters 1 and 2, there is very little room for interaction among psychology and religion, especially in the earlier years of psychology. Going into chapter 4, the author gives a comprehensive overview of different worldviews while discussing what they are and the importance of a Christian entering into the counseling profession to have a Christian worldview. Worldviews are learned through various influences and shape our understanding of the world, which gives both insight and distorted thinking. It is vital for counselors to have the proper worldview that is aligned both with empirical scientific evidence and sound theological doctrine to properly guide and direct others into truth, insight, awareness, healing, and
Johnson explains in his book that psychology and Christianity went hand-in-hand as a coalition. This is seemingly due to the church’s assumed responsibility of soul-care, and the belief that all problems were caused by sin, not necessarily mental illness (2010). However, there are currently several views of conflict between psychology and Christianity, similar to the conflict recurrently found between science and faith. There is importance in the correlation of psychology and Christianity for both scientists and Christians. When not examined and pondered on, the relationship between psychology and Christianity today can cause much confusion in an individual, potentially leading to atheism and evolutionism.
In this book, I feel the title of the Christian psychology approach can be very confusing .if we see from the title, we will interpret the Christians who are in the field of psychology is a Christian psychologist. Also, in this book explained that not all Christians must conform to Christian psychology approach. Christian psychology approach is a combination of integration approaches and the biblical counselling approach. This approach get many criticized because there is no application or can we called is only an
One of our first obstacles is defining exactly what assumptions are constitutive of a uniquely Christian approach to psychology. How do we identify the core convictions of Christianity, and how can we leave room for a divergence of different Christian approaches?” (Entwistle 2015). The main problem that Entwistle is addressing is integration and the boundaries in which they both inhabit together. Where do the bounds of psychology and theology begin and end?
Clients like her who come to counseling for help with their problems could become offended if biblical scriptures and prayer used during counseling. McMinn(2011) has stated clear guidelines in his textbook such as "praying for the client outside the session or silently in session, providing Scripture supported principles, avoiding overuse of spiritual practices, and avoiding becoming preachy, or overbearing, with the client. " We all Christian counselor must be very cautious in implementing or utilizing the prayer and scripture in a counseling session with a client like Daniella. Before counseling a client like Daniella, a Christian counselor must carefully follow guidelines after acquiring extensive knowledge of the client’s situation before introducing the use of prayer into counseling. "Based on survey data, prayer appears to be a frequent but not routine part of Christian counseling and psychotherapy.
The integration of counseling practice and theology can take two forms: explicit and implicit integration. Explicit integration occurs in the interaction between the counselor and client, which
The story “The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas” is a story that can relate to the real world that we are living in today, being able to be pleasured without guilt. Although the world is not much as a Utopian world for people, but more of a place where someone who wants to be pleasured or happy without feeling guilty. Our civilization is willing to take guiltless trips in or to be happy or satisfied, not knowing what danger they could be causing. In the story, there is a Summer Festival that attracts numerous amount of people of various ages.
Essay #1: Why is biblical counseling important, and how does it fit within the ministry of the local church? As Christians, biblical counseling helps us apply both the greatest (and the second which is like it) commands as spoken by Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40. Biblical counseling is also a mechanism to which each of us can fulfill the great commission as spoken by Jesus in Matthew 28: 19-20. As such, biblical counseling not only fits within the ministry of the local church, one could argue that it is the ministry of the local church!
Counseling by the Book In reading this book I was amazed at the degree to which we must know the Word of God and rely upon the Holy Spirit who is the most important Person in the counseling context. He is truly the Counselor. If we try to counsel without His help, we will fail miserably, but in many of our churches people are not encouraged to do neither of these, but I will leave that alone. This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time.
