The basic assumption of this book is that Christianity is
distinctly unique--unique in its content and unique in its
approach. Christianity is not a way of life. It is life
itself.
Thus, the terms "Christian" and
"human" are synonymous terms. What it means to be Christian is also what it means to be human.
From the world-view of Christianity, life can be interpreted and
understood only from the Judeo-Christian perspective. In the world
of the twentieth century, this assumption is somewhat radical, but is,
nevertheless, the very foundation of a biblical model for Christian
counseling.
This basic presupposition of the uniqueness of Christianity has
far-reaching ramifications. It implies, and rightly so, that not
only the content but the approach to that content as well will be at
odds with the various cultures of the world. Paul, perhaps the
leading spokesman for Christianity other than Jesus Christ, seems to
indicate this reality when he wrote to the Roman Saints, "And be
not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind" (Romans 12:2).
After the believer has experienced the initial event of salvation
(Romans 12:1), there is a "process" of Christianity that
involves what Paul calls the "renewing of your mind."
The implication is that the believer must have, or be in the process of
experiencing, an entirely new way of thinking. True Christians
simple do not think (both in the what and in the how) as the people of
the world.
Building upon the premise that Christianity is uniquely different from
the cultures of the world, a biblical model for Christian counseling has
been developed springing from the distinctiveness of Christianity.
The model itself is derived from probably the greatest single statement
of Christianity ever written, Paul's letter to the Romans saints.
The model also will serve as the general format for the structure of
this treatise. After dealing with the two general chapters of
"Sin, The Problem of Mankind" and "Salvation: The Divine
Intervention Process," the flow of the material will move
systematically through each aspect of the model.
The overriding purpose of the the book is to build both a theology and
strategy for Christian counseling. Out of the premise that
successful strategies must evolve from basic Christian theology, an
overview of the book has been developed that may cause some readers to
have to work through in the early chapters what may seem to be a little
too heavy reading for a practical presentation of counseling.
Although this summation may be, in fact, an idiosyncrasy, or maybe even
worse, a dream fantasy of the author, the book, nevertheless, will move
from theology to strategy. The actual strategy of counseling will
begin to emerge primarily in the chapters on "The Grace of God:
Supernatural Enablement to Be Christian" and "Frustrated
Grace: the Reality of Religion." The final chapters will then
attempt to format some general counseling strategy.
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