Sexual Intimacy in Marriage by William Cutrer November 5, 2006

The authors wanted to take the subject of sex “out of the closet while keeping it out of the gutter” (13). In the past, many publications on the topic of sex have been “overly spiritual” (ignoring “human realities”) or were too medical (bypassing the “mental and emotional” aspects of sex). The answer to the dilemma was this “easy-to-read” book that blends the “glory of sex” with the “realities of life”(13). This book explains all aspects of sex, including male and female anatomy, sexual myths, and answering specific questions regarding sexual practice from a Christian point of view.

This book was very frank in explaining sexual issues. The authors said that the “number one” problem couples experienced was talking about sex, even though communication was the key to discovering the sexual desires of one’s spouse (82). The book, containing sketches of male and female anatomy as well as the proper form for the “squeeze technique,” could be used as an “ice breaker” for couples who find it difficult to openly communicate about sexual matters.

In the section entitled, “The Sexual Response Cycle,” Dr. Cutrer shared, “God designed our genitals to become aroused” he continued by saying, “the enjoyment of beauty does not need to be wicked…we can appreciate the lovely form of biceps or breast without falling headlong into uncontrolled passion” (50). It seemed almost contradictory for him to write in the next paragraph, “arousal whets the sexual appetite…it gently or not-so-gently turns the mind toward sexual fulfillment…sometimes sight is enough” (50). Perhaps the wording was not clear, but it appeared that being sexually stimulated by others was acceptable. This seemed contrary to what Jesus said in Matthew 5:28- “I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Overall, the book had several positive aspects. For instance, many people get married without ever realizing the magnitude of the commitment. The most helpful section of the book was entitled, “What is Marriage?” It described the “two things” involved with marriage-leaving one’s parents and cleaving to the spouse (116). Instead of giving newlyweds an opportunity to come back when they are unhappy about their marriage, the authors insisted that parents ought to tell their child, “When you say `I do,’ keep your commitment in sickness and health. We’re renting out your room tomorrow. Drop by sometime for a visit” (117). This statement puts an emphasis on the importance of marital commitment and through “tough love” the parents demonstrate support for their child’s marriage. The authors valiantly described the biblical roles of both husband and wife. This book fulfilled its goal of providing a “practical approach to many sexual problems and challenges that confront married couples” (14).

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

The Extraordinary Leader : Turning Good Managers into Great Leaders by John H. Zenger November 5, 2006

Though Zenger and Folkman stated that leadership is developed, they concluded that people must naturally possess basic leadership traits (231). They admit, however, that being born with natural abilities is not enough for one to become a great leader (231). Since one must have natural abilities of leadership first, this last statement seems contrary to their suggestion that people can improve their “leadership outcome” by “deciding to become a great leader” (232).

The authors stressed that strengths, not weaknesses, ought to be improved. Halfway through the book, though, Zenger and Folkman added that “in some cases” improvement of weaknesses was the best place to start (158). They referred to these weaknesses as “fatal flaws,” which they claimed led to “failure in leadership” (160). The effects of “fatal flaws” not only affected the individual, but also the leader’s subordinates (168). To illustrate this occurrence, they recounted a story of the “tyrannical” vice president who had no interpersonal skills. His inapproachability and his inability to accept ideas from others created subordinates who lacked initiative or creativity. Even under the leadership of a new vice president, these individuals could not recover from the effects of being “smothered” by the previous leader (168).

Zenger and Folkman posed several evaluative questions. For instance, one query asked, “Can people really change?” Others include, “Are people truly valuable? Do people possess latent talents and abilities?” and “Is it worth the organization’s investment to help an individual fix a fatal flaw in his or her leadership skills?” (169). This book was not written from an evangelical Christian perspective, and as such, the answer to these questions were oblivious to the fact that people are image bearers of God. The truth is that people are capable of change with God’s help (Matt. 19:26). They are also very valuable to Him, in fact, the Bible is clear about people’s special place in creation: “What is man that You are mindful of him? …For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet (Psalm 8:4-6).

People are valuable because they are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). Due to the fall, all humans are sinful creatures and in need of redemption (Gen. 3). The expression of an organization’s love is its investment to help an individual “fix a fatal flaw” in his or her leadership skill. This love is reminiscent of God’s love towards mankind. Just as Christ’s death and resurrection offers people a second chance, an organization should offer restoration to an individual.

More so, the bible states, “Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven (Col. 4:1),” and “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well…If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously… (Romans 12:6-8 NLT).” Becoming a “great leader” encompasses more than working on one’s “fatal flaws” or improving personal weaknesses, a great leader is one who has a servant’s heart and acknowledges God as the Leader of his or her life (Matthew 20:26; John 3:30; 1 Samuel 16:7).

The authors admitted, “Given our current condition, leadership is still nearly impossible to define or describe in detail or specificity” (9). This statement reflected the limitations of human wisdom. The authors failed in their attempt to educate people on how to turn “good managers into great leaders” because despite the numerous knowledgeable reference sources listed in the Endnotes section of the book, without an understanding of God and the Biblical basis of creation, fall, and redemption, no secular book can ever accurately describe true leadership.

The presupposition that people become leaders when they work on their strengths and study the examples of established leaders was accurate, however the authors left out some very crucial points. First, one must follow the leadership patterns of godly men and women (1 Corinthians 11:1), not of those whom are merely great managers. Second, people should work to excel within their God-gifted abilities (1 Corinthians 12). When these two things are accomplished, the result is truly an extraordinary leader.

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian Nurture and Counsel by David G. Benner November 5, 2006

In “Care of Souls,” Benner proposes to explain “soul care” in its totality. He does so by examining the ideal characteristics of soul care providers, presenting his own definition of “dialogue,” and explaining in detail the distinctiveness of “Christian spirituality.” Unlike typical counseling techniques, Benner suggests that “providers of soul care” ought to offer “judicious advice, suggestions or offerings of direction” (155). He reasons that if dialogue is based on an “authentic relationship of care” then offering “ideas” and “suggestions” are expected (155).

I found the “seven characteristics of Christian soul care” helpful because I used the list to measure my own “qualifications” (207). Benner states that soul care providers should be “spiritually mature,” which includes descriptors such as “personal holiness” and “well-developed habits of prayer” (209). The term “personal holiness” seems vague because it might be misconstrued as “holier than thou.” The “demands of Christian soul care” are realistic and should be expected from all “soul care” providers (212). I think counselees expect (and deserve to get) truthfulness from the counselor; and counselors should “continue to grow” through continuing education, but more importantly they should continue to grow in their relationship with Christ in order to remain effective in their Christian counseling practices (213).

I found Benner’s presentation of the future dilemma of “soul care” to be very troubling. According to Benner, soul care is not clinical or therapeutic (in the secular sense). Even though it is not clinical, soul care that is provided by a lay counselor will be seen as “substandard” and if it is promoted as “distinctly Christian,” it will not be taken seriously (215). Based on Benner’s suppositions, a soul care ministry would never work. His statement bothers me since this is the type of ministry I would like to start at church.

Although Benner’s section “Preparing for Soul Care” is meant for people who will receive care, I think there were helpful suggestions that care providers should do for themselves. For instance, Benner recommends the practice of self-reflection (or “contemplative prayer”). This is where a person can “sit in God’s presence” by allowing Him to “fill” one’s consciousness thus enabling “psychospiritual growth” to happen (231). This seems like a fancy way of saying that persons ought to have personal devotions and meditate on God’s Word-something soul care providers should be doing. Benner also suggests writing a “soul care autobiography” whereby a person can assess how “internal reality” matches with “external behavior” (232).

Providing soul care should be taken very seriously, in fact Benner lists seven “challenges” for those who wish to provide this type of care. Two challenges resonated with me: “Guard against the erosion of the personal in such care” and “avoid sacrificing being on the alter of doing” (216). Sometimes I forget that soul care is different from “traditional counseling.” In a traditional counseling situation, friendship is not encouraged or developed-there is a “professional attitude” that keeps the relationship very business-like (216). From my understanding of Benner’s stance, “professionalism” (one-sided approach to counseling) is discouraged because he believes the caregiver and receiver are “mutually” caring for each other (217). I tend to think that if someone seeks care, then the person is probably not very capable of giving care, so “mutual care” is not realistic.

Doing ministry due to an obligation, or forgetting the reason why one does ministry (to serve God) is probably a common problem for soul care providers, who are concerned about providing good care and meeting the needs of others. Ministry may start to feel like a chore. If the other “challenges” are met, then the focus of ministry will always be evident and soul care providers will never be drained of their “inner psychospiritual resources” nor neglect the “formative and transforming power” of the gospel (216). These challenges are good reminders for all counselors and soul care providers.

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture by David Powlison November 5, 2006

This book is an effort to bridge psychology of counseling with “moral-spiritual” issues (249). Powlison believes that “sinners sin instinctively,” and though external factors such as having a dysfunctional family or experiencing childhood abuse can contribute to sinful desires or actions in adulthood, his contention is that “sin is its own final reason” (206). People have sinful thoughts or do sinful acts because they are focused on themselves rather than God (230).

Powlison points out that “secular psychology” views “human problems” simply as “things that are not working right,” this is because the Bible was not utilized to understand the core issue of all humans, which is their “alienation from God” (192). He explains that if sin is seen as a “willed action” then “complex inner troubles” will be classified under “other categories” (194). In fact, psychiatrists will not explain that a paranoid schizophrenic is yielding to sin, but rather he or she is experiencing a psychosis. Powlison states that paranoid schizophrenia is a “defensive behavior” and actually refers to it as the personification of “powerful unconscious defensiveness” (193). Powlison explains that the underlying issues for schizophrenics are pride and “hiding” (195).

Powlison admits that biblical counselors are seen as “bizarre spiritualizers” because they rely on God, repentance, and faith as their main focus in counseling (251). He speculated that the premise of Jay Adams (the founder of Nouthetic counseling movement) was not fully understood when he said, “to be feeling-oriented is the central motivational problem in people” (215). Powlison believes that the problem with current counseling practices is that the counselor is seen as “primary” while God (if He is even considered at all in the process) is usually “secondary” (178).

This book has helped me to understand the stance of Nouthetic counselors, and to comprehend the reason why they say sin is the core issue of human disorders. However, I did not get a clear indication of Powlison’s position regarding psychotropic medications. Powlison’s perspective on counseling is a good start in the right direction, but his book does not outline the direction. There is something missing. To counter society’s view of biblical counselors as “bizarre spiritualizers,” Powlison suggests, “We have work to do to protect and build up the body of Christ” (251). This is not a solution-it is merely a generalized statement. In order for others to see biblical counselors as competent practitioners, they need to find a way to truly bridge the gap between traditional and biblical counseling.

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

Effective Bible Teaching by Jim Wilhoit November 5, 2006

In this book, Wilhoit and Ryken detail the basic and necessary components to teaching the Bible. They start by explaining how to teach (such as “challenging” students with thought provoking questions), and then shared what to teach (i.e. parables or epistles) (48). An understanding of the educational process was highlighted. For example, the authors chose to include an except of Alfred North Whitehead’s “process of education,” which are “romance” (drawing the students’ minds and interests on the topic), “precision” (teacher instructing with “mastery of the field” so students gain an understanding of the topic), and “generalization” (the students internalizing what they have learned) (77).

I feel the main purpose of the book is to show teachers how to interpret Scripture and pass the interpretation onto others (85). Another important function of the book is to “look honestly at where Bible teaching stands today and diagnose where it fails” (15). It is important for a teacher to realize that the mindset one has in regards to the Bible will affect how he or she teaches Scripture (i.e. hermeneutics involved and belief of the inerrancy of the Bible). “Effective Bible Teaching” is a readable technical manual (a sort of “A to Z” listing) in how a teacher should instruct students using the Bible so they can ultimately incorporate Scriptural truths into their lives. This book is an encouragement as well as an instructional manual for Bible teachers.

The authors’ suggestions on how to get an accurate interpretation were simple yet worth mentioning- a teacher must discover two things: (1) What a passage meant to the original people for whom it was written, and (2) What it means for us today (32). I found the suggestions helpful because teachers who have been poorly trained may not have realized the basic information needed for proper Scripture interpretation (hermeneutics).

Although the authors devoted several sections of the book to address the importance of proper hermeneutics, they misinterpreted Scripture in page 63. They used Luke 6:39-40 to support their contention that Jesus “warned that students tend not to rise above the spiritual level of their teachers,” however this text is not about Christ. According to Matthew Henry, the “blind” are the Pharisees who are blinded by “pride, prejudice, and bigotry” and unable to lead people in the right way (http://blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk006.html). Those who “ignorantly” follow the Pharisees will follow them to “destruction.” The followers of Christ should not expect the world to treat them better than He was treated; rather they should be “dead to the world, and every thing in it” and “live a life of labor and self-denial” as Christ did. Based on this commentary, the Scripture had nothing to do with Jesus’ warning of a student rising above the spiritual level of his or her teacher.

Overall, I agree with the authors’ ideas, and their description of Bible teaching- which is “ministering to people,” changing their faulty ideas about God, showing them how to live in faith, helping people to get rid of “self-defeating habits,” and encouraging them to learn “habits of holiness” (51). These are important aspects of Bible teaching that all teachers should address.

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

Connecting by Larry Crabb November 5, 2006

The book focused on “connecting” with people. Dr. Larry Crabb’s point is to show that the true way to help others is not by using clever therapeutic techniques. Dr. Crabb believes “there is a power within the life of every Christian waiting to be released,” which he believes can lead to “further and deeper change,” to help people “join more intimately to the heart of Christ,” and heal “soul wounds” by allowing God’s grace to “flow freely through us to them.” From the standpoint of a counselor, showing care for someone is more than just checking on their mental well-being-it is about enjoying their presence. People must be able to feel that counselors truly care about them, which is the whole premise of “connecting.”

Dr. Crabb shared a story of his oldest son. No matter how much he would try to help his child on a psychological level, he continued his destructive pattern. One day, instead of nagging and pointing to obvious mistakes, he decided to ask him, “How can I help?” Those simple words had connected with his son, who finally felt like his father really cared about him (4). He was never the same again. Dr. Crabb stated, “When we look for the bad, we must always be looking harder for the hidden good (12).” In the midst of trials, we are to “search for the good God may be releasing (16).”

Although I enjoyed the book, I found some of the counseling suggestions to be vague. For example, in pages 16-17, Dr. Crabb presents a scenario of a couple during a counseling session. The wife snaps at the husband because she feels unappreciated by him. Instead of acknowledging her anger, probing for a psychological explanation, or expressing empathy, Dr. Crabb proposes that the “good urges” be released from the counselees. It seemed he was making the wife see things from a different perspective-not necessarily releasing “good urges.”

Counselors have been taught to be listeners and guides, but Dr. Crabb suggests that counselor and counselee “walk together as honest strugglers (99).” I agree with this suggestion to a point. I realize that it is not healthy for counselees to believe that counselors are without problems. I think that if a counselor is more honest about themselves and their vulnerability, then the counselee will not see him/herself as a “lost cause.” Part of being “real” with others is for others to know that “things” happen in the counselor’s life as well-they are not immune to Satan’s attacks. However, the counselor’s primary focus should be on the counselee’s struggle. The counselor’s struggles should not be shared on the same level as the counselee’s. I think it would be too overwhelming for the counselee to be fully subjected to the counselor’s struggle.

I found the questions on page 161 very helpful. The “think vision” questions go beyond problematic issues and raises therapeutic counseling to a higher level. The basic idea is to bathe everything in prayer and concentrate on “who that person could become (165)” by “releasing the energy of Christ.” I thought the most useful part of the book was in the appendices. These were practical information for counselors. The role of the church is examined in the context of soul care because friendships and a sense of community can heal people with “soul struggles.”

Dr. Crabb wrote, “We’ll smile at our spouses with a new kind of appreciation and kindness, and they will soften and move toward us. We’ll see people whom we know don’t like us, and we’ll sincerely wish them well without feeling self-righteous (185). He also noted, “Goodness is most fully released only when badness is first resisted (18).” He explained, “When a friend meets our meanness with kindness, something better often comes out of us (18).” This is not a new concept. He was merely stating an obvious response to kindness. In fact, this statement illustrated biblical principles: “Bless those who curse you (Luke 6)” and “Repay no one evil for evil…live peaceably with all men (Romans 12).”

Dr. Crabb has found a way to apply biblical principles to the everyday life of a believer. “Connecting” is a way to build a nurturing and supportive community. If all Christians were to incorporate the simple concept of “blessing those who curse you,” then the “connecting” process will take place. If people did this, then soul healing will no longer be dependent on “mental health professional.” This book was a good resource for motivating people to go beyond themselves in reaching out to others with Christ-like compassion.

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

Created to Learn: A Christian Teacher’s Introduction to Educational Psychology by William R. Yount November 5, 2006

Through this book, Yount hopes to expand the understanding of educational psychology in the field of Christian teaching. He does this by using a model of teaching that he has called, “The Disciplers’ Model.” According to his model, there are seven elements: Content Mastery (“letting the Bible speak”), Learner Needs (individual differences and development), Thinking (cognitive and behavioral development and theories), Feeling (empathy and sharing oneself with others), Relating (group dynamics), Growth (maturation and human growth), and Holy Spirit (spiritual growth) (22). His book is devoted to outlining the concepts in each element.

Yount believes teachers ought to provide three things for their students: (1) help learners think objectively, (2) help learners unmask, and (3) help learners build relationships (17). Teachers (who are also “disciplers”) can see indications of spiritual growth in their students through the learners’ reduction of “fleshly behaviors” and development of more “godly behavior” (19). He explains the intricacies of learning-how one learns, how one teaches, how information is cognitively stored, and how the Bible can be taught and integrated into a person’s life. The basics of teaching is illustrated in the two principles Yount shares: One principle is to “become great, serve,” and the second is to live one’s life as an example of Jesus’ own life which is “the Son of Man, as a ransom for many.” He states that a teacher’s place is to serve the learner (43).

I found the section on the history of behavioral change interesting. Yount shares that “secondary reinforcers” included such things as “acceptance, hugs, attention, money, grades, prizes, free play, games, and trips” (166), but he never provided practical application of “secondary reinforcers” in Christian education. He provided practical applications in other sections of the book, for example he said that Bible classes are verbally taught and teachers tended to “spoon feed” scripture to their students rather than having them realize the meaning on their own (203). In order for students to find the meaning of scripture for themselves, he suggests writing three questions on 3×5 cards and passing it out to small groups. The groups will study certain passages using the Bible and other resources and answer the questions. Each group then shares their answers and discusses the variations (203).

The inclusion of Kohlberg’s stages of “moral reasoning” seemed more appropriate for an ethics book rather than one on education. Yount featured the findings of Duska and Whelan in an effort to legitimize his use of Kohlberg’s work. Although Duska and Whelan suggest that Kohlberg’s theory “fits well” with Christian principles, it was a “stretch” to include it in a book about education and the process of learning. In fact, Yount states that Duska and Whelan’s stages “provide helpful filter for various levels of Christian practice” (116). On the other hand, James Fowler’s “Stages of Faith” was a good addition to Yount’s book primarily because Fowler’s study was based on “how a person believes” (122). In understanding where the learner and teacher “stands” in regards to personality, approaches in life, and personal drive, proper adjustments in the learning environment can be exercised.

Yount took the reader through several aspects of secular and biblical models of learning, so his emphasis of Jesus’ teaching methods was a good concluding chapter for his book. Many features of Jesus’ teaching ministry were basic ingredients that are easily overlooked. For instance, Yount shared, “Jesus established relationship with His learners,” “Jesus recognized the worth of His learners,” and “Jesus stressed long-term rather than immediate results”(354-62).

Overall, Yount’s book provided a wholistic approach to education as he utilized the works of cognitive psychologists, behaviorists, and psychoanalysts by reframing their findings in Christian terms. He makes a good effort to tie everything together as he examines Jesus as the “Master Teacher” (340). This was a fitting end to his book.

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

Healing the Dysfunctional Church Family by David R. Mains November 5, 2006

Although Dr. Mains did a good job exposing the patterns of family dysfunction in a church setting, he did not provide practical suggestions on how to counter the various dysfunctions mentioned in his book. Mains shared a `helpful prayer’ to break the habit of “blaming and shaming,” but most people were unaware of their behavioral pattern. For leaders to suggest that a church member prayed a particular prayer will only make the person defensive. Mains never said how a church leader could promote change in this area of a person’s life.Based on Dr. Mains’ vague descriptions for compulsive/addictive personalities, it would be nearly impossible to positively identify someone with this trait. He provided these characteristics: habitually sitting in the same pew during services, trying to “control” a business meeting, constant tardiness, and chronically “bad-mouthing” others, however these “symptoms” may not necessitate a compulsive/addictive trait. It was possible that these descriptions indicated that the person was disorganized and was in need of time management training, or the person was just obnoxious and lacked basic manners. Perhaps the “bad-mouthing” individual was simply seeking attention or venting frustration.

In the chapter, “Love That Has to Be Earned,” Dr. Mains listed types of people he found difficult to show “Christ-like love.” His inventory contained vindictive, disloyal, unappreciative or untrustworthy people, and those who have “never-ending needs” (19). His recommendation was for congregations to express “unconditional love” for each other. This was unrealistic, and his supposition that churches become “dysfunctional” because they failed to emulate God’s unconditional love was harsh. He failed to realize that this ideal church would never exist here on Earth because the church is full of sinners.

David A. Seamands contributed a deeper meaning of “perfectionism.” He pointed out that perfectionists possess a “combination of pride and low self-esteem.” They were fearful people will reject them if it was “discovered” that a disparity existed between their “real selves” and “fantasy selves” (119). They had low self-esteem because they “put themselves down” before others can, which protected their false pride.

Mains included another writing from David A. Seamands in the “Living in Denial and Delusion” chapter. What Seamands described was comparable to split personality– when painful childhood memories were repressed (not allowed to be expressed), the emotions “disguised themselves and tried to smuggle into our personalities through another door” (79). He said that if the “buried memories” were released due to “physical exhaustion, illness, or traumatic shock,” then the “dormant child” will “take over” a person’s attitudes, reactions and behavior. The emotions will be expressed as “deep depression, rage, uncontrollable lust, fear or inferiority (80).” He likened this repression to someone who was put into “deep freeze”–the body and mind matures, but a part of the person remained “locked” in a “childhood stage of life” (80).

The book was written from a Christian worldview, incorporating biblical stories or characters and scriptural references into the main body of each chapter. There was a good balance of psychological indices throughout the book, but the signs and symptoms of dysfunctions were presented in “layman’s” terminology. Some of Dr. Mains’ suggestions were not original ideas, but were helpful reminders. For instance, he mentioned that Christians ought to have a prayer partner because the experience of praying with another person made it easier for people to pray spontaneously with others.

There were additional positive aspects of the book. For example, Mains included discussion and reflective questions at the end of each chapter. I found some of the reading excerpts from other books and authors insightful. The inclusion of Sandra D. Wilson’s writing enhanced Mains’ chapter of “perfectionism.” She described this dysfunction to possess an “all-or-nothing thinking,” in which anything less than perfect is “total failure.” As a consequence of perfectionism, this type of person often developed negative characteristics like indecisiveness, self-hatred, and depression. In extreme cases this dysfunction led to suicide attempts or completions (118). By in large, Mains’ book effectively categorized dysfunctional traits. His description of dysfunction within a family setting seemed applicable.

Mains’ objective in informing readers to “stop pretending” was achieved. His main point was to show that there were no perfect churches, ” just as no family was perfect.” His secondary message was conveyed, that Christians were “sinners saved by grace,” but continued to sin. Believers should not “ignore or minimize” sin, but they should not “ostracize” or “blame” people who made mistakes. Mains’ purpose in writing this book was to compel Christians to transform the congregational body of Christ to become a place “where people can come and feel loved, helped, forgiven, and given hope to got out and do better next time.” Maybe if everyone in a church congregation read this book, the love and support people longed for will be realized, then given and received by its members.

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

Family Therapy Basics by Mark Worden November 5, 2006

This book offered good instructions for conducting family therapy, but it was not written for Christian counselors. This was strictly a “techniques” manual. Although the book was theologically limited because of its focus on secular counseling methods, helpful concepts were found. The strategic questions Dr. Worden asked were very insightful. However, an inexperienced therapist would have difficulty recalling questions during specific points of the session. One would have to compile these questions into notes and then refer to it during family counseling, which may inadvertently hamper the therapeutic process since the counselor is distracted with asking the “right” questions instead of understanding the family’s presenting problem.The number and length of sessions was left up to the discretion of individual therapists. Considering that Dr. Worden wrote the book for “a beginning therapist,” he failed to answer his initial question, “What do I do next?” in regards to this important aspect of counseling. Granted there are various factors involved with different families, Dr. Worden still should have recommended his own standard number and duration of sessions as a “rule of thumb.” He did mention that HMOs found five to 10 sessions the “acceptable standard” for treatment (34), but it was stated as an expected fact when one counsels HMO clients.

Dr. Worden included ways of confronting family members during a therapy session, even though he said it “may harm as much as it helps” (67). These questions seemed harsh and unproductive. For example, he asked, “Mrs. Martin, your complaints fall on deaf ears. I wonder why you persistently bring them up?” Then he said, “Cindy, you have a one-note act. All you can do is interrupt in a hostile fashion” (68). This line of questioning and remark might actually erode the therapeutic alliance instead of helping the overall counseling process.

In redirecting the session from “the emotional to the cognitive,” Dr. Worden used some closed-ended questions, such as “Is this what happens at home?” or “Do the same issues start the same fights?” (76). These questions were meant to allow family members to “interact in problem-solving mode with the therapist,” but instead of allowing for a comprehensive cognitive reflection, it would probably yield only simple “yes or no” answers (76).

Dr. Worden believed that “continually” asking someone, “How did that make you feel?” was counterproductive for feelings to “emerge” and exhibited in counseling (86), but if the therapist never asked the client to label their feelings, an outburst of emotions may be misinterpreted and thus mislabeled. Also, Dr. Worden never quantified what he meant by “continually.”

According to Dr. Worden, play and drawing therapy can be useful tools for seeing the family from a child’s perspective; however, asking a child to “draw a picture of everyone in your family, including yourself, doing something,” may be taken literally and the result will be pictures of each family member doing some sort of activity unique to that individual (88). This could be misread to imply that the “family is absorbed in personal interests” because family interaction is not taking place in the child’s drawing (89). If the purpose for the drawing therapy was to find “family interactional patterns” (89), then perhaps asking the child to draw a picture of the family doing something together is a better approach. If the family never does anything together, the child will have nothing to draw.

There were several positive aspects of the book. For instance, asking family members certain questions like, “After an argument, can you predict what will happen next?” was a good way to make people realize their influence in family interactions (87). The basic premise is if a behavior can be predicted, then it could be “controlled” and “modified” (87).

Dr. Worden included a section on “avoiding an emotional trap” (77). He discussed how a family’s “dynamics” could influence a therapist’s discernment into “agreeing that the scapegoat is the family problem” or “believing that someone needs to be rescued” (77). He suggested that the therapist “take a step back” and ask him or herself questions such as, “Why do I feel like rescuing this person?” He said the answer would give the therapist a “clearer perspective” of the counseling situation (77).

Despite the fact this book was void of Christian principles, it ought to be read by pastors and family ministers who would benefit in understanding basic techniques of family counseling. Dr. Worden’s step-by-step treatment of a realistic dysfunctional family was instructional for preparing students in what to expect from an actual therapeutic setting. “Family Therapy Basics” is a book all counselors should read.

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

God Our Teacher: Theological Basics in Christian Education by Robert W. Pazmino November 5, 2006

Pazmino’s book is helpful for new Christian teachers to understand the concept of teaching that is explicitly Christian. It is a reminder for seasoned Christian teachers that their teaching focus should never waiver from Christ. I agree with Pazmino that Christian education encompasses proclamation, community formation, service, advocacy, and worship.

Sunday school and Discipleship teachers present Christ to their students through the Bible while using their words and actions. Teachers then educate their students so that one day they will tell others about Jesus, share each other’s burdens, do ministry, intercede in prayer, and glorify God. This is the process that Pazmino describes as “formation and transformation of person as beings for others (21).”

Overall, I enjoyed reading Pazmino’s book because he encapsulates principles central to the teachings of Christianity. He dissects the topic of Christian education and presents the various parts to the reader. This is a book all new Christian teachers should read.

Pazmino’s six “theological teachings” summarizes the main points of his book:

– “God is the starting point of Christian education” (35)

– “We teach: God transforms sin through salvation” (57)

– “Jesus Christ provides a model for teaching that transcends time” (86)

– “The Holy Spirit empowers us for teaching” (112)

– “God works through us to accomplish His mission in the world” (132)

– “God wants us to embrace the future of Christian education with living hope” (157)

 

 Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti