Biblical Counselling rejects science, psychology and psychotherapy tools. I remember a time when biblical counseling, like Christian counseling, integrated both biblical and secular wisdom. The traditional Christian is view that science and psychology are discovering how God made us. But the conservative resurgence in evangelical churches has impacted Christian views of science and psychology. In my writing, I integrate psychology with new and healing ways of reading the Bible.
Evangelical Rejection of Science
The opposition to science shows in the rejection of Evolution and the rejection of Global Warming (See Christians and Earth Day). Prior to the Protestant Reformation, many Christians understood Genesis to be a figurative account of how God created the world and all the creatures in it. The Catholic catechism states that scientific studies "have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life forms, and the appearance of man(kind)". Believing Genesis either literally or figuratively has no impact on whether or not you are a Christian (See: Who is a Christian?).
However, as I read in The Exvangelicals, many evangelicals only accept science as far as it fits with their views of Scripture. They may reject the idea that the earth is millions of years old, and reject those who do not believe Genesis is a literal account of creation.
The evangelical rejection of science reaches also the rejection of psychology and psychotherapy, saying it is based on secular presuppositions and sources. Instead, they turn to biblical counselling.
What is Biblical Counseling?
This term has been re-defined over the last twenty years to mean the Bible is used in counselling to the exclusion of all psychological theories and tools. In 2005, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary announced it was halting the use of counselling that integrated psychology with biblical principles and would teach only "biblical counselling". School officials say that biblical counselling is "built upon the view that scripture is sufficient to answer comprehensively the deepest needs of the human heart". Biblical counselling is a method of counselling that "rejects secular research and psychology". They are often unlicensed and have no requirement for confidentiality or ethics.
This school of counselling is also called "Nouthetic Counseling". Nouthetic is a term from the Greek meaning "to admonish or correct". The biblical counsellor identifies the sin of the client and admonishes him or her to confess it and ask God for healing. The idea originated from a book by Jay Adams "Competent to Counsel: Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling". In other words, the counsellor confronts the client with words or ideas from Scripture in order to help the client make changes to meet the biblical requirements.
Yes, we Christians are to admonish and correct one another. The Bible authorizes women to correct men and vice versa:
"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts." Colossians 3:16 NIV
What's Wrong with Biblical Counseling?
This type of counselling is not only bad for your self-esteem and mental health, it can bring serious doubts about God and God's love for us. Nouthetic Counseling "naively confronts essentially every issue as a moral failure (sin)." The counsellor can essentially be a bully insisting on putting women down.
Sheila Wray Gregoire and the team at BareMarriage have seen how biblical counselling can harm women and marriages. Instead of identifying the problem of an abuser needing to be self-controlled, it identifies the problem as residing in the person coming for counselling. In some cases, perhaps a client is in pain because they need to repent through their own guilt or regrets. However, it is not the correct approach for a client who is in an abusive relationship, has undergone trauma, or has a mental or physical imbalance.
Rebecca Davis points out that Adams' ideas lead to abuse and enable blaming and shaming of the victim. Furthermore, Adams teaches that clients can discipline themselves to become godly. His books state we can please God through our self-efforts and developing good habits. Davis points out that this slavery to the law is exactly the reason Paul calls the Galatians foolish:
"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?" (Galatians 2:21 - 3:3 NIV)
Julie Roys, of The Roys Report, exposed how biblical counseling led the evangelical megachurch pastor John MacArthur to tell a woman to return to her abusive, child-molesting husband. When the woman refused, MacArthur shamed her in front of his 8,000 member-church for not repenting, forgiving, reconciling, and exhorted the congregation to exclude her as an unbeliever.
Ken Pulliam, who had extensive training in evangelical schools and is now an agnostic atheist, notes that Nouthetic counselling is another way of keeping women down. In biblical counselling, the woman has fewer rights than the man. She is taught that if she has a problem, it is because she stepped out of the protection of the male umbrella of authority. She is counselled to stay with her husband even if she is being abused. Many biblical counsellors have little training in psychology, mental illness, or trauma. In rejecting science, they eschew proven psychological techniques and professional licensing bodies.
An Alternative: Christianity and Psychology
Many professional, licensed counsellors integrate psychology and faith. Since religion can play a significant role in a person's life, some clients need to be able to discuss their faith or religious trauma without judgment. Look for psychologists, psychotherapists, or counsellors who identify as Christian and integrate evidence-based psychological practices with faith discussions.
I am not a licensed counsellor or therapist, and I highly recommend that you contact a professional. However, I have learned some techniques from personal life experience that I share in my latest self-help book: Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience.
I integrate egalitarian and affirming views of Scripture with psychology tools such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and other techniques. I reframe Scripture in new and healing ways. Below are a few examples of how my book might contrast with advice from a biblical counsellor.
Sample Issue | Biblical Counseling | Walk with Mara self-help |
fear of public spaces | fear comes from lack of faith: pray | recognize trauma and post-traumatic effects and get an advocate. |
shame about body image | Confess pride and vanity about body image, wear modest clothing, be available to your husband. | Accept compliments, see yourself as God's beautiful creation, balance and humility/pride. |
ashamed of oneself | good to acknowledge you have a sinful nature; repent and accept God's forgiveness | Accept God's love and forgiveness; see yourself as God sees you. You are a new person in Christ. |
low self-esteem | pray for more faith; stop holding bitterness or grudges; the Bible opposes suicide as a sin | find someone who values you and will listen to you; put up boundaries against those who put you down. |
Resent or hate abuser | Forgive and reconcile; accept God's will for you; stay and pray | Escape to shelter and safety, pray to release bitterness for your own peace of mind; this does not mean reconciliation or re-exposing yourself to abusers. |
Jealous | Repent, Pray for forgiveness; be perfect. | See your strengths as well as the strengths of others; we are one body and all parts are important |
Hopelessness | You have stepped away from the protection of God and man; move under their authority | Gain confidence by going directly to God, take control of some aspects of your own life. |
Sadness / Depression | Give thanks in all circumstances, repent for lack of thanksgiving. Perhaps the bad situation is God's plan for you. | Use psychology tools to uncover source of sadness so that you can make changes to address it. God's plan for you is life in abundance. |
Feeling worn out | Take care of God first, husband next, then children. Do not express your needs. God will take care of you. | Take care of yourself first, communicate your needs. Re-energize physically and spiritually and you will have abundant love to share. |
Worry and Anxiety | Worry is a sin; repent and pray for forgiveness | Worry is a God-given response to a dangerous circumstance. Pray and ask for God's comfort. |
Physical illness | Are you holding onto a sin? Christ heals us of all disease. Pray to get rid of the seed of bitterness so that God can heal you. | See a medical professional or licensed counsellor. Christ brought spiritual healing, not physical. |
Click here for my short video on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Click here for my short video on humility, price, and healthy self-confidence.
Click here for my short video on Worry is Not a Sin.
Elaine Ricker Kelly Author is empowering women with historical fiction about women in the Bible and early church and Christian blogs about women in leadership, church history and doctrine. Her books include:
Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, Book 1 (2022)
The Sword A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role (2023)
Because She Was Called: from Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church, imagines Mary Magdalene's trip to testify before the emperor (2024)
Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience (2024)
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