Theory Critique Adams 101709 Fd

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Running head: A CRITIQUE OF ADAMS

A critique on Adams book How to help people Change LaVelle Figueroa ID #22537191 Liberty University

COUN507_B07_200940 Deadline: 08/30/2009 Date of Submission: 10/18/2009 Instructor: Dr. Glenna K. Dunn

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The book How to help people change does provide theoretical approach to Christian counseling; it offers an explanation of Dr Adams 2 Timothy 3:14-17. Adams (1986) says that the Word is capable of making the person wise for salvation; it also teaches the person and brings them to conviction, corrects them as well as disciplines them to a just way (Adams, 1986, p 12). II Timothy 3 reads, “But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught, you know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you, you have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus, All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right, it is God's way of preparing us in every way, and fully equipped for every good thing God wants to us do”. (II Tim 3:14-17, NLT) Adams, major error was underlying theological assumptions that only believers make use scriptural teachings, when offering biblical counseling, and as a result the outcome will be transformation. He provides an unfair approach, AS said by Adams , But if that outward change does not involve a change of heart toward God, it creates a self-satisfied person who, to that extent, has become a Pharisee ” (Adams, 1986., p. 6). Paul says, “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship”. (RSV, Romans 12:1), yet Matthew 5 reads, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (NKJV, Matthew 5:45).

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His approach is unsustainable to for non- Christians , they are blind to their predestined fate by God, as said by Paul in Eph. 1, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace , that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ, in him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory” (TNIV, Eph. 1:7-12). But I do acknowledge that I admire Adams theological and spiritual foundations. In his book he offers an innovative, approach to Judeo-Christian faith. But, Adams in way what so ever tolerates or scrutinizes his approach isolated from the Jesus teachings, as said by Adams, “if it is a truth that is necessary to counseling, it will be found already in a purer form in the Bible” (Adams, 1986, p. 39). As a result a Christian counselor must disagree with scholarly authority to make such an avowal. The Word merely does not concentrate on several dilemmas dealt in our therapy sessions to date. The option that is offered by Adams is to discipline our counselee, as sustained by Adams, is that when a Christian therapist deals with when a counselee has an addictive behavior, they are obliged to “deny the Bible’s sufficiency, to deny Jesus adequacy as a Counselor and believe God left His church for over 1900 yrs without the necessary resources to solve human problems and live a godly life” (Adams, 1986, p 36). Additionally, we have the responsibility to show our counselees to efficiently make use of the bible verses they

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already know. Conversely, Adams offers more alternatives that can integrated along with the Bible in our therapy such as prayer. In I Thes. 5 reads Paul said, “pray without ceasing” (NKJV, 1 Thes. 5:17). Finally, there is another option the Adams offers, just in case the first two do not work, it is called nouthetic counseling, as maintained by Adams, “Do nouthetic counselors believe in integration?”(Adams, 1986, pg 33) The term nouthetic [biblical] counseling refers to a person that was reborn again, as said by Paul in Romans 1, “So God let them go. They were filled with shameful longings. Their women committed sexual acts that were not natural.” (NIRV, Romans 1: 26), in addition, I Cor. 5 reads, “for I verily, though absent in body but present in spirit, have judged already as though I were present concerning him who hath so done this deed: In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, I being there in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus”. (KJ21, 1 Corinthians 5:3-5) An individual becomes a born-again Christian, when they have accepted the fact that they are sinners, as per to Adams, that say that their three essential elements that are uses in our ministry as Christian or pastoral counselors are evangelism, sanctification and edification, as well as four steps for instance, teaching, conviction, correction and disciplined training to righteousness” (Adams, 1986, p. 12-14) In addition, it is the Christian counselors’ duty to establish a therapeutic relationship, based on trust of trust, so this can open a pathway, so the counselee so they can mature in Christ. As well, although it sounds mundane to say, the counselor should acknowledge that some counselees’ are able to adjust and live well as non-believers do as

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well. In contrast a non –believers’ fate is being condemned to hell, but they live they have reached their goal auto-realization and they are satisfied with their lifestyle. In the field of Christian counseling, Adams is eminent a very eminent scholar who, professes to be a "nouthetic" counselor. Nouthetic counseling includes the follows traits confronting, admonishing, warning, teaching, and training that is the heart of biblical or nouthetic counseling, Romans 15 reads, “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another " (Romans 15:14). (Adams, 1986, p. 33, Binkley, 2005, OAIM, 1998) The therapeutic process outlined by Adams includes four main aspects are: teaching, conviction, correction, and disciplined training in righteousness. The Word also has a tremendous role in this process. Scriptures are the vehicle that the Holy Spirit employs to transform (sanctification) the counselee's existence. Adams advises us that not all transformations are good. The transformation has to be consistent with biblical principles. If it is not, it is dangerous. Adams (1986) notes, "The direction of all change is toward God or away from Him, and therefore not all change is moral" (p. 17). Scriptures include every thing that is required for living a sanctified life. They are capable of “equip him fully for every good task." Conversely, Adams (1986) does not consent to aspects of God’s truth being revealed or studied from an approach that is not Biblical. Dr. Adams notes that “if it is a truth that is necessary to counseling, it will be found already in a purer form in the Bible” (p. 39). An individual has to refute scholar trustworthiness to make such an avowal. Scriptures do not deal frankly with several matters encountered during counseling

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sessions these days. What is Dr. Adam’s solution for a person’s undisciplined and out of control sexually addictive behavior? The first answer is to make them refer to the Bible verses that as a Christian, they already know. According to Adams (1986), the Holy Spirit also plays a strong role in Biblical change. The Holy Spirit will convict and change the counselee as he studies God's Word. The Holy Spirit brings the understanding, and enables the counselee to obey. The Holy Spirit, through His word, and working through the counselor, both changes and empowers the counselee to change. Change attempted apart from God is change in the power of the flesh. If the heart has not been changed, only the surface has been scratched. The first step in Dr. Adams’ process (1986) (after and during the ongoing collection of personal data) is teaching. Proper instruction and teaching of the Bible has fallen off as western society has become more feeling and emotion oriented. The Church at times is more interested in feeling good than in learning Biblical truth. People (including Christians), are more likely to compromise their beliefs than to stand for the truth. Adams (1986) says: “Likewise, as Christian eclectic counselors have been carried along with the times, they have adopted the views and methods of feeling-oriented counseling systems" (Adams, 1986, p. 52).¶ Adams (1986) at times can seem a little rough when discussing what he considers to be compromise in the church. We do have to acknowledge that, on an average (but not for all), the church in the United States is very materialistic, self-centered, and lacking in spiritual vigor. Sunday school attendance has fallen very low compared to the numbers who attend an actual (worship) service. ¶

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Adams (1986) says that Christian teaching is to be distinct in form and content. As counselors we are to practice what we teach. We cannot tell another that this is what God says, and then not follow that teaching ourselves. We are to be ". . .willing to share from our own experience, and exemplify what we are saying, as well as pointing to other models of Christian thinking and living in the counselee's and counselor relationship that, "when he is fully trained, the disciple will be like his teacher" (NSAB, Luke 6:40). Adams (1986) also stresses the importance of the counselor to always be willing to learn more. "If, however you wish to be a faithful minister of the word, you will be constantly "into" the scriptures, untying knots in your thinking, coming to correct interpretations of passages, thinking through the implications of doctrine (1 Tim 4:15)" (p.54). Scriptural instruction answers the question of what the final goal should be. Adams (1986) says, ". . . counselors are out to change others, but they can't agree on what the end product should be like" (p. 59). The Christian counselor with a biblical base is the only one who has a definite, holy, moral standard. As the counselee is instructed on what the Word prophesizes about specific sins, he must pray for assistance because the Holy Spirit ". . . is producing in you both the willingness and the ability to do the things that please Him" (NKJV, Phil 2:13). "This battle is waged not by education alone, but also by prayer, reproof, and encouragement (Adams, 1986, p. 65) ". It is important to let the counselee know that the Holy Spirit empowers him to change and the Bible lays down the standards on how. A Christian therapist is to be an expert in one thing only: in teaching the counselee how to become more and more dependent on God and less and less dependent

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on anyone else. He must become an expert in pointing counselee's away from themselves and to Christ. The counselor has a distinct advantage, in ways, over a pastor giving a sermon. During a counseling session, the counselee is much more tuned into what is being said by the counselor then he probably would be if it were a sermon. Since it affects him or her directly, the counselee will struggle with how the verse affects him. The concepts become very pertinent to the specific problems at hand. "So often [it is] that change doesn't take place because biblical doctrine is taught merely as a fact to be known and not to be lived" (Adams, 1986, p. 85).

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Reference: Adams, J. E. (1986). How to help people change: The four-step biblical process. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Blackenship, R.A. (2007) Critique of Two Theoretical Models: How to help people change by Dr. Jay E. Adams and Telling yourself the truth by Dr. William Backus and Marie Chapian. Retrieved October 17, 2009] from http://www.royablankenship.org/assets/papers_for_school/Theory_Critique_Adams_Bac kus_Chapian.pdf Binkley, K (2005) How to Help People Change. Emmanuel Baptist Church. Retrieved October 17, 2009. from http://ebcrochester.org/misc/resources/BookReviews/How%20to%20Help %20People%20Change%20-%20A%20Review%20by%20Kevin %20Binkley.html Open Arms Internet Ministry (1998) What is nouthetic counseling? Retrieved October 17, 2009 from http://www.oaim.org/bibcounsel.html

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GRADING GUIDELINE FOR THEORY CRIT1QUES COUN 507/PACO 600 Theology and Spirituality in Counseling The following represents an additive template for grading. Instead of beginning with 100 and losing points for errors, you begin with a 0 and earn points for your work In determining your grade, three questions will be asked. QUESTION VALUES TOTAL 100 POINTS HOW DID IT RUN THE COURSE? Question Value: 35 Points • Submitted with correct cover sheet located on Blackboard and Grading Guideline for Theory Critiques pasted correctly? Score: •

Evidence of proof reading? Score: (Minimal typographical, grammatical, punctuation errors, no unnecessary pages, paragraphing/sentence structure is proper and without awkwardness, body length is not more than 4 pages)

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Followed current APA Guidelines (headers, margins, spacing, numbering, font, referencing titles correctly with initials, italics, and appropriate use of lower case letters, etc.)? Score:

HOW DID IT HANDLE THE SOURCE(S)? • Citations are properly referenced? (A minimum of 4 appropriate citations per author under review) •

Question Value: 15 Points

APA Reference list?

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DOES THE WRITING HAVE FORCE? Question Value: 50 Points • Content reveals an organized interaction that specifically addresses the assignment with clarity and coherency? Score: •

Clear, insightful, rich interaction with subject matter?

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