A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption

by Jay E. Adams

Book Overview

Connecting sound biblical doctrine to the practice of effective counseling.

Jay E. Adams--vocal advocate of a strictly biblical approach to counseling and author of the highly influential book Competent to Counsel--firmly believes that the Bible itself provides all the principles needed for understanding and engaging in holistic counseling.

But in order to bring the practice of counseling--whether by professional therapists...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0310511011
• ISBN13: 9780310511014
• Release Date: June 1986
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 18 years and up

Customer Reviews

Being grounded doctrinally in a secular world.

If you are pursuing counseling, trying to get your degree in a particular mental health field, this is a must read. All the secular humanistic and optimistic views of the human being in gneral require the christian counselor to be grounded so he will be swayed to the right or left but remember the grace was given to him on the cross and the reason for the cross. In this day and age is to easy to make Jesus death out to be of no meaning because we all have "good" in us. So i encourage anyone who is trying to be a counselor or just desiring to grounded more dotrinally for there own faith to read this. Jay E. Adams is th founder of "Christian Counsleing Education Founation." A biblically based counseloing progam. Check it out "www.ccef.org." Any of their resources are rich in truth and knowledge.

A forceful, practical exposition of the primacy of the Scriptures in counseling.

This volume is indispensible for anyone who presumes to call himself a "Christian" counselor, because the Scriptures must be the bedrock authority for any such claim. Jay Adams begins by dispelling any misconceptions about the advisability of trying to syncretize biblical counseling with worldly methods and theories. He then continues to explore, in very practical terms, how the Scriptures relate to various aspects of counseling doctrine and practice. The format and structure resemble a systematic theology text. Given the breadth of the potential subject matter, this volume is not, and indeed cannot be, exhaustive in its coverage. However, there is sufficient treatment of most important areas of counseling practice and the critical importance on using the Scriptures to the exclusion of competing resources. My only negative comment is Adams' distracting writing style, with its excessive use of parentheticals and, to a lesser extent, footnotes. However, these do not detract from the substantive value of his commentary. Excellent book!

It's just the best!

Dr. Adams is THE authority when it comes to Biblical Counseling. He doesn't just call it 'Biblical' and then again uses Freudian, Rogerian or other psychology - no, Adams solely uses Scripture, which is sufficient for instruction in righteousness. Adams' main strength is that he is exegetical and therefore very well balanced. This book is almost a full systematic theology - it's just excellent!!

Applying Biblical Truths to the Heart

In this book, Dr. Adams identifies Biblical truths that relate specifically to problems that are faced by many people that go for counseling. He discusses how these truths, since they come from God's perfect revelation, are to be followed instead of man's faulty reason. Dr. Adams writes from the perspective of Reformed theology. Though he summarizes teachings from that perspective, it would be best for the reader to be familiar with it before reading this book (and the author says as much).As a layman with only personal curiosity in the topic, I didn't know what to expect. This is the first book I've read in the area of Christian counseling, and so don't have background knowledge in the field to guide me. However, I found a very readable, in-depth survey of how Biblical doctrine applies to the counseling situation. If I were to give this book a different title, it would be: "Applying Reformed Theology To Our Everyday Lives." I learned a great deal about how doctrines such as original sin, the Trinity, and sanctification work out practically, and even found guidance for some personal struggles I was going through at the time. (I would not recommend this book as an alternative to counseling.) I also learned about the meaning and process of counseling as a Christian.The paperback is a nice, sturdy one, printed on good paper. There are some typos throughout the book, but the correct meaning is usually clear.I recommend this book for those with a background in Reformed theology and are interested in learning more about counseling and/or how that system of theology works our practically in the situations of life.

A Must Read For All Christians in the Counseling Field

This wonderful, thought provoking book by Jay Adams has opened my eyes to new techniques in the Biblical Counseling field. He has given precise, accurate information that is easy to read from a more reformed position. A must read.