COUN 506 EXAMS ELABORATIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AVAILABLE

COUN 506 EXAMS ELABORATIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AVAILABLE WEEK 1 Integration of Psychology and Christianity: Why bother? Counseling is rooted in Christian decisions – soul care and spiritual formation What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What concord is there between the Academy and the church? With our faith, we desire no further belief.” – Tertullian, c. 160-225 ad) “The history of science is a narrative of the conflict of two contending powers, the expansive force of the human intellect on one side and traditionary faith on the other side.” – (J.W. Draper) Science is rooted in a naturalistic philosophy – only what can be observed and measured can be trusted Science clashes with theology – Galleo – the universe does not revolve around the Earth but revolves around the sun (heliocentric), was reported to the inquisition, Catholic church condemned theory, Dialogue of Two Chief World Systems, was tried, convicted of heresy, and spent his life on house arrest, from then on scientist saw church as the enemy. Seven Earmarks of Integrated Counseling 1. All truth is God’s truth – John Carter and Bruce Naramore – Grid of conflicts between Christian worldview and theological propositions and psychological vs. scientific: If we are dealing with any truth, we are dealing with God’s truth 2. Intentional about bridge-building and unity 3. Holistic view of client wellbeing – indivisible wholes, emotion impacts physical and spirit and how they relate to the world (metamorph grid). 4. Redemptive worldview – believe that every person is subject to the redemption of God, moves us beyond initial goals, help empower them to set and achieve new goals, internal view of client, help them seek relationship with Jesus 5. Demand counselor awareness and humility - None of us is as smart as all of us – Warren Biddus 6. Requires multitasking in counseling process – be aware of other dimensions of the client’s life 7. Integration is intrapersonal: A way of life – personhood of counselor, moral individual, greater care and compassion, motives on healing Defining Integration – Key Concepts Seeking truth in God’s two books Integration is a noun and a verb – Something we discover and something we do – God’s word and God’s world A scholarly project – to ascertain and develop integral relationships between Christian faith and human knowledge An essential unity that is opposed to fractionalization. The combining of diverse parts into a complex whole. Hermeneutics – theological science of intrepretation Five Types of Integration • Worldview integration – coherent, held together by solid core of faith • Foundational integration – understanding presuppositions and methodologies, self- awareness • Disciplinary integration – Interdependence, integrity in research, drawing from many theories and their relationship to theology • Public and personal integration – Personhood of the counselor • Applied integration – Using integrative principles to help others Two Levels of Integration Interdisciplinary • unity of truth • data/theory matrix • concerned with both sources Theology – revelation of God and Bible Psychology – observable facts of the world And methods Theology – hermeneutical interpretation of the Bible Psychology – scientific method – empirical experimentation, careful research principles • presuppositions and worldviews Intradisciplinary • Being and doing: the therapist as an integrated person • Professionalism • the way of not knowing – humility, seek guidance of Holy Spirit Working definition of integration – A multifaceted attempt to discern the underlying truths about the nature and functioning of human being from the unique vantage points of psychology (in its various sub-disciplines, utilizing various methodologies) and Christianity (in theology, faith, and practice). Worldview and Christian Counseling Science standing on Christian shoulders (Brooke) • Foundational assumptions – uniformity of nature, predictability of natural law, orderly creation, science takes for granted but come from Christianity • Humans capable of knowing (imago dei), image of God • Human role of dominion – creation should be studied and mastered, Genesis – have dominion over all of the Earth • Motive for scientists – glorify God, relieve suffering (humanistic) • Natural law apologetics – accuracy of science was justified by the predictability of nature by the mind of God which is apparent in the created order, trueness of scientific claims were based on theological arguments What makes a Christian counselor? • Is it a distinctive worldview? • Do they engage in distinctive practices? • Do they only work with certain types of clients? • Do they use the Bible or do they emphasize psychology, theology, spirituality, or some combination? • How do they differ from those who call themselves spiritual counselors? Secular vs. Christian Counseling • Secular thinking vs. Christian thinking (Blamiers) Secular counseling is based on a here and now perspective with goals related to the present relief of suffering and to help them adapt to their Earthly lives Christian counseling focuses on the eternal wellbeing • Starting points and authority of Christian worldview Starting point for Christian counseling is faith, Bible is source of authority • Awareness of sin and redemption • Counseling as a calling, a ministry that is more than a job or profession • Counselor self-awareness and lifestyle commitment Biblical Worldview of Counseling: Nouthetic (Adams) - based strictly on the Bible • Sovereignty of God - no problems that fall beyond the powers of God to heal • Primacy/Sufficiency of God’s word - when there is a conflict between disciplines, God's lens provides the filter • Two-pronged anthropology Created in the image of God Those who have fallen • Incarnational – Word became flesh Holy spirit is speaking and working through counseling • Ecclesiastical – body of Christ Paul - being like a living body where there are many gifts, callings, and ministries, not isolated individuals doing their work, part of the body of Christ • Soteriological – Reconciling and redemptive • Pneumatological – we are guided by THE counselor Psychological Worldview • Naturalistic methodology - limited to the observable and measurable • Pervasive secular philosophy that excludes spiritual • Deterministic - cause and effect • Positivism - objective/empirical only, factors that cannot be described through the scientific method are dismissed • Humanistic or bio-centric anthropology - humans are basically good, humans are blank slates and are an accumulation of experiences, so when people develop problems it has to do with an accumulation of negative influences across the course of a life time • Personal responsibility - ethic rooted in individualism, highest good is individual happiness • Tendency to analyze, categorize, and specialize rather than approach the needs of clients in a holistic manner Comparative typology Theology Psychology Theocentric - see the world based on relationship with God, God's relationship of World Anthropocentric - centered on human beings Revelation - authoritative source is the Bible Reason/Observation Imago Dei - makes us distinctly human Personality Sin Psychopathology Redemption Recovery/health Sanctification - process of becoming more like Christ Personal Growth Second coming - all things will be fulfilled Self-actualization - ultimate goal WEEK 2 Worldview Questions and Answers Who am I? • Theology - Imago Dei, imbued with free will, fallen, created for a purpose • Psychology - rational self, blank slate, self-creating social organism • Christian spirituality - God-breathed life, child of God, temple of the Holy Spirit. Where am I? • Theology - World is a good creation of God, human dominion, creation under God's sovereignty • Psychology - heredity (internal), environment (external), psychological systems • Christian spirituality - community, part of the body of Christ, two realms world: physical and spiritual What is wrong with the world? • Theology - Sin and rebellion to God's law, work of satan, evil (nouthetics) • Psychology - sickness, maladaptive responses, poor coping skills, dysfunctional environment • Christian spirituality - alienation from God, self, and neighbor, spiritual warfare, quenching of the Holy Spirit What are the solutions to our problems? • Theology - grace, repentance, redemption in Christ, sanctification • Psychology - self-actualization, understanding, recovery, intervention • Christian spirituality - communication with Christ, reconciliation, abiding in the Spirit, prayer 21st Century Worldview Shifts Modern - First Part of 20th Century Post-Modern Rational Experiential Go from truth to life Go from life to truth Priority on individualism Priority on community Objectivity possible Everyone is subjective One way to live Many ways to live 5 Keys to an Integrated Worldview (Entwistle) 1. Essential unity of all truth as God's truth 2. Human abilities are gifts from God to be used according to God's moral law and for God's glory. 3. Human life is unified on an individual and corporate level; people must be understood holistically and in community context 4. Human sin and finitude are limiting factors in all of our pursuits 5. Humans can know through rational means, empirical methods, and revelation, but our interpretation of facts is limited and flawed Philosophical Underpinnings of Integrative Counseling Epistemology - 4 ways of knowing • Internal dialogue - logic • Interactive - rational discourse • Investigative - empirical methods • Interpreting God's work - revelation Presupposition is how we give authority to these various ways of knowing. For a Christian, it is through revelation. Others are given differing degrees of importance. God told me.... Epistemology - How do you know what you know? Literal • Naive realist - Same as recording of God's voice • Anti-realist - must be hearing things, delusional • Critical realist - explore the claim with openness • Faithful realist - grounded in natural law, but believing in God's revelation Limiting Factors in epistemology • Flawed thinking • Emotional overload • Cultural biases and presuppositions • Personal and corporate sin • Self-deception • Drugs and disease How can we know anything? Seven Key Intellectual Virtues • Honesty - Fact vs. interpretation • Self-knowledge - Gifts and growing edges • Diligence - persistently seeking truth • Teachability - Open to new truth • Respectfulness - Listening to others • Responsibility - Moral duty to use knowledge to honor God • Humility - Admitting our limits Paul - Letter to church, Philippians 4:8 - whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, if anything is excellent or praise worthy, think about such things. Metaphysics and Cosmology It's a Miracle! Andrew Little - Cosmology is the belief in which the space we occupy in the universe is in no way special • Naturalist - Quirk of nature, coincidence, natural explanation • Materialist - Ignorant superstition and magical thinking, science is normative • Supernaturalist - Act of God that nature accommodated, science is descriptive, not normative • Integrative - Respectful of data, aware of interpretive dynamics, open to God's free working in the world Anthropology: Human Nature Jay Adams - Psychology is just sinful human beings thinking sinfully thinking about sinful human beings What is your antecedent worldview and philosophical system that informs your view of human nature (the story behind the story)? Our response to Adams is going to reveal what we think about human life, human nature, the ways humans change, and about the potential for change in people. It will also indicate our worldview. Psychological, Theological, and Spiritual Approaches to Anthropology Assumptions and Exemplars Methods Standards of Thinking Ideals and Goals Psychology Bio-psycho- social naturalism Empiricism, rational inquiry Theories Therapeutic effectiveness, understanding Theology God's word, supernatural, Imago Dei Hermeneutics, theological reasoning Systematic theology Salvation, sanctification, faith Spirituality Works of Holy Spirit, God's living word Prayer, spiritual formation, community Formation tradition, biblical patterns Complete unity, abiding in Christ Models for Interdisciplinary Integration Theoretical constructs of Christ and culture designed by Niebuhr Christ against culture - Culture Wars • "either or" combatants, with Christ or against Christ, the enemies view Secular Combatants Christian Combatants Freud: Religion = neurosis, individual and organized religions were not reality in and of themselves, but rather an inappropriate way of coping with problems Jay Adams - Nouthetic counseling relies on the Bible, not therapy, Biblical counseling Ellis: Was negative, but religion is okay, avoid extremes, religion becomes a neurosis when people become over-devoted as a way to hide their problems Martin and Deidra Bobgan: psychoheresy, also supports nouthetics Incompatibility of scientific thinking and religious commitment John MacArthur: Rival gospel, neognosticism Care of the psyche Reject and eradicate psychology Reject and eradicate religion God's word is sufficient, psychology is not necessary Christ of culture - Living in a parallel universe • assimilated, spies or colonists, reality to that culture Spies paradigm Colonist paradigm Psychological worldview Welsh and Powlison - new nouthetics Secular "of" model: Jefferson, Fromm, Jung: Pick and choose content without believing Theological dominance Sacred "of" model - Peale "applied" Christianity, Power of Positive Thinking Book of God's word is lens for Book of God's works Experience is starting point Use of psychological findings without scientific research or methods Manipulative Hierarchical assumptions Christ above culture • "both and" neutral, private devotion and at the same time a worldly person • not holistic • Psychological neutrality (Allport and Peck) - not hostile but take an instrumental view of religion • Christian neutrality - orthogonal (statistically independent), complimentary relationships (Clement) • Lack of search for unified truth Christ and culture in paradox - Two kingdoms • two kingdoms vying to be dominate, compartmentalized faith • Segregate science and faith - compartmentalize • Christian faith has distinct relationship to psychological processes, but not interactive or dynamic • parallel models (Carter and Narramore) - spiritual and psychological - faith is a personal matter Christ the transformer of culture • conversion is possible, allies, real change • look for an alliance • Truth is found in both of God's books, "We seek to think God's thoughts after him" (Kepler), God's word and God's work • Conflict: Disciplines vs. Practitioners • Genuine integration - open, respectful, substantive interaction between different perspectives • Levels of integration: Disciplinary, diagnostic, intervention, counseling relationship, counselor identity