Term Paper on "Biblical Terms Used for Counseling"

Term Paper 12 pages (5696 words) Sources: 15 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Biblical Terms Used for Counseling

There is much debate and contention about secular as opposed to religious approaches to counseling - which is in effect a reflection of the secular / religious divide in contemporary culture. However, an analysis of the terms and concepts found in the Biblical texts showed evidence of a great deal of similarity and concurrence with contemporary counseling terminology. This study examines a few central terms in the light of Biblical meaning as well as the relevance of these terms in a contemporary therapeutic and counseling environment. The result of this analysis indicates the ways in which Biblical concepts enrich and expand the meaning and effectiveness of modern counseling. The analysis of the specific words tends to concur with Olsen's (1997) view that modern counseling that takes into account Biblical terms is one which, "speaks to our existential present" (p. 6). In this sense the understanding of Biblical terms and counseling terminology suggests a process which possibly transcends the dualism between secular and religious view of counseling in general.

1. Introduction

2. Research Methodology

3. Analysis

3.1. Healing

3.1.2. Discussion

3.2. Correlation with the terms wisdom and communication

3.3. Counsel

3.3.1. Discussion

3.4. Help

4. Summation and Conclusion

Reference List

1. Introduction

The contemporary views and the common dispute about the validity and the nee

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d for counseling that takes into account biblical views and interpretations of key concepts should, in the first instance, be briefly discussed in this introduction. This refers to the antagonism between secular and Biblical or religious approaches to counseling. As one article on this subject states;

Psychology approaches human behavior from a secular, humanistic perspective. Accordingly, Biblical revelation is irrelevant to understanding or changing human behavior. Psychology seeks to describe and explain human behavior apart from what God has clearly revealed. Its premises are derived from man-made theories, human wisdom and research conducted without a corresponding search for truth as God defines truth. (What Is Biblical Counseling?)

The above approach is in direct contrast to the strictly Biblical view of counseling, which is succinctly expressed in the following quotation.

By contrast, the emphasis in Biblical counseling is exactly opposite. Whereas secular psychology begins with a study of man's ideas, Biblical counseling begins with a study of the Word of God as it relates to human behavior and human need. It is dependent upon the revealed mind of God rather than the easily deceived mind of man. Yet it does not just begin with God, it follows a path that is in constant harmony with the Word of God and addresses man's problems in light of God's answers.

(What Is Biblical Counseling?)

The above two divergent views express the extremes in the debate about secular vs. religious counseling. However, both these dualistic view have been replaced in recent years by a third alternative way of viewing counseling. This is often referred to as the secular-humanist approach, which tends to attempt to integrate religious views and perceptions within the ambit of psychological counseling. On the other hand the tension between secular and religious attitudes towards counseling is a reflection of the larger secular- religious divide that characterizes much of the discourse and debate in our world in almost every modern academic discipline.

In the light of this division it has been suggested by many pundits that there is another alternative stance or theoretical trajectory that can be adopted. This is the more open - ended and intellectually liberal approach to the praxis of counseling; where the Bible and religion are enlisted to aid and expand the concept and meaning of counseling. This view tends to envisage counseling in religious terms that are not dogmatic or necessarily bound by traditional interpretation.

Modern counseling also sees religion as an important component of the cultural aspects that are important in counseling any individual; and that these cultural aspects must be taken into consideration. This form of counseling is described as a process of listening and communication and taking into account religious criteria that influence the individual.

Counseling is the process of prayerfully and sensitively listening to another person (Prov 18:13, 17), helping them discern real soul needs, and providing practical, biblical advice about changing their attitudes and behaviors in relationship to God and others (Mat 22:36-40).

(What Makes Counseling "Biblical"?)

This paper aims to show the usefulness and the value of the Christian Bible as a source for counseling as well as a means of expanding the secular view of counseling concepts. The paper will, through the analysis of words and concepts in the Bible and their comparisons to modern counseling concepts, also attempt to show the significance as well as the problematics that are involved in this comparative process. It is also suggested that the use of Biblical concepts adds depth and enriches counseling in the modern environment. It expands counseling in various ways which are not necessarily subject to dogma or particular belief systems. This also refers to the "Relevance of Religion and Spirituality to Counseling in the area of multicultural theory..." where "...psychologists have continued to call for psychological treatments and interventions that are culturally sensitive and relevant and that integrate aspects of client culture into the counseling process... "(Walker, Gorsuch & Tan, 2004, p.64). This stance is concerned in a theoretical sense with the view of counseling which stresses that "... counseling is inescapably a religious endeavor, focused around the progressive sanctification of the soul" (What Makes Counseling "Biblical"?).

This paper will therefore discuss examples of Biblical terms and their relationship to modern counseling concepts and terminology. This discussion will also take into account the secular- religious debate referred to above. The central thesis that will be explored is that Biblical terms can not only provide a useful tool for counseling in a social and cultural contact but that a study of these terms extends the understanding of counseling concepts and widens and enriches the area of discussion, research and application.

The discussion of these terms will be relatively open-ended and will take into account the variations in meaning of Biblical terms and the way that these meaning interrelate with modern counseling terminology. For example, while the terms addiction might be a term used in the modern counseling lexicon, this term can be referred in meaning to Biblical words such as "in bondage" or "enslaved to"; likewise, the term deception can be related to "self-deceived." As one commentator states;

Common words such as "dysfunction," "bulimia," "self-esteem," and "cognitive therapy" are not used in the Bible -- yet the Bible does describe them. Furthermore, while we do not read a clinical description of such things as panic attacks in the Bible, we do read about the problems that underlie and feed panic attacks and other such difficulties. Every problem that originates in the way we think and respond to life's circumstances is addressed in the scriptures!

What Is Biblical Counseling?

2. Research Methodology

The methodology used in this paper involved a number or different sources and resources to address the issue of biblical terms used for counseling. Firstly, articles and books were consulted that dealt specifically with this issue and the approaches of different theorists both from a theological and psychological counseling perspective were taken into account. This theoretical base provided the groundwork for an informed examination of certain terms used in counseling and the way that these terms were reflected in Biblical usage.

These terms examined included the following: 'health', 'counsel', 'wisdom', 'communication' and 'help'. A number of sources were used in the analysis section of the paper. These included online dictionaries and concordances, including Strong's Concordance. A number of Biblical Web sites were also consulted, such as Crosswalk.com; which were related to offline papers and articles dealing with the various terms and words. This methodology was employed to provide a wide, discursive and inclusive view of the words and phrases in order to explore the central theme of paper; which is that Biblical text is an important element in modern counseling ands in fact enriches counseling concepts without necessarily being dogmatic or exclusionary of secular approaches.

3. Analysis

3.1. Healing

The term "healing" is a broad term which can be applied in many medical and counseling contexts. It is also possibly a significant term to explore at the beginning of this discussion of the relationship between biblical and counseling terms. Therefore, the term healing and related words such as sickness and illness were investigated using Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. More than fifty references to healing were found in the Bible and these were cross referenced with Strong's Concordance.

There are different versions and interpretations to the way that healing is presented in both the Old and New Testaments. Healing appears in a number of the gospels of the New Testament. As one commentary notes;

In some cases Jesus' disciples requested the healing and in other cases Jesus himself saw the need and interceded directly without another person making a request. Most of the references are in the New Testament (n… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Biblical Terms Used for Counseling" Assignment:

“

***** REQUEST: *****

I am requesting the ***** with the username ***** to complete this order. To successfully complete this project, the student will need to skillfully use a number of resources including:

*****¢ Reputable Bible Dictionaries

*****¢ A thorough Bible concordance

*****¢ Reputable Bible commentaries

*****¢ Required and recommended course textbooks and professional journal articles

*****¢ Fairly comprehensive course notes from classroom attendance and participation

*****¢ Interaction with other students

Part 1: Begin the project by doing a thorough word study in the Bible of terms and their variations like counsel, advice, wisdom, plan, help, etc. Define the terms using Bible dictionaries. Document the range of situations in the Bible involving these concepts by using the Bible concordance. Then, using the Bible commentaries, detail a couple of situations from the Bible that, in your opinion, best illustrate what a biblical view of counseling is all about. Be sure to state the reasons for your opinion using the biblical data as support.

Part 2: Next, compare/contrast your views on what you learned about what the Bible has to say about what counseling is and is not with what you have learned about professional views of counseling. Give attention to ethical considerations including how professional codes of ethics are congruent or incongruent with biblical principles of counseling. Particularly relate this information to your current understanding of how you will be functioning in the role of counselor. Do NOT submit a paper with 25 year old references as your primary sources. Do not get off into citing/quoting others who believe *****Bible only***** is the only appropriate source in counseling. That is NOT what the assignment calls for. When doing the word study, do not simply *****proof text***** the paper. This is a research paper. You MUST cite Bible dictionaries, commentaries, and concordances in addition to Bible verses. Remember, with this option, only eight of the 15 required sources may be from books and/or electronic Bible study sources. The rest of your sources should be from professional journal articles.

Part 3: Finally, include a section on how what you have learned biblically and professionally about counseling affects you personally. Include your thoughts about implications for decisions regarding educational/training preparation, the setting and context of where and how you will counsel, the types of counselees you will work with, and even how you see all of this affecting your personal, family, and church life.

As usual, papers are to be presented in APA style. The body length is to be 11 pages and 15 references minimum, so you will want to be selective about the words you use. The *****Guide to Understanding Letter and Numerical Grades***** will help sharpen the focus of your work.

Suggested Outline for the Body of the Research Paper

Your research paper must be in APA format, which includes the title page, abstract, and reference/works cited page. See the grading template for the research paper for further details to be aware of. The outline below is suggested for the body of the paper and appropriate levels of heading. This outline is suggested, but not required. However, if you make changes, be sure they are consistent with APA format. Remember, the outline is designed to help you structure your paper, but it is not a comprehensive example of what to include. You will need to do a word study on more than just the two words used as examples in this outline, but follow the same levels of heading.

On the first page of the body of your paper the basic headings and subheadings should look something like this, remembering to use one-inch margins according to APA style.

Research Paper 3

Title of Your Paper

Provide a couple of paragraphs of introduction to your paper. Let your reader know what your paper is about, how you*****re going to accomplish that, and something of how the paper is organized. Do not simply copy your abstract, though.

Also include brief descriptions of the main sections of your paper including the word study, the compare/contrast, and personal application sections.

Biblical Words Related to Counseling

Develop a brief paragraph or two describing the word study and how you accomplished it. Provide an overview of the words studied, resources used, and key themes identified through your study. Then, go to the level of detail of each word.

Counsel

Provide the word study of counsel and its derivatives. Give some general information about the word here and, then, provide more specific information using the section heading format that follows.

Old Testament Usage. Describe how the word is used in the Old Testament, covering the key points in the Guide for Successful Completion of the Research Paper and the grading template.

New Testament Usage. Describe how the word is used in the New Testament, covering the key points in the Guide for Successful Completion of the Research Paper and the grading template.

Advice

Provide the word study of advice and its derivatives. Give some general information about the word here and, then, provide more specific information using the section heading format that follows.

Old Testament Usage. Describe how the word is used in the Old Testament, covering the key points in the Guide for Successful Completion of the Research Paper and the grading template.

New Testament Usage. Describe how the word is used in the New Testament, covering the key points in the Guide for Successful Completion of the Research Paper and the grading template.

Compare and Contrast Biblical Views with Professional Views

Introduce and develop the compare/contrast section using the Guide for Successful Completion of the Research Paper and the grading template to make sure you cover the main points of the assignment. If helpful, use appropriate levels of heading to organize the section.

Similarities between Biblical and Professional Views of Counseling

Present your views on similarities between biblical and professional views of counseling. Be sure to cite and reference the sources upon which your statements are made.

Differences between Biblical and Professional Views of Counseling

Present your views on differences between biblical and professional views of counseling. Be sure to cite and reference the sources upon which your statements are made.

Personal Application

Describe the *****so what***** of having completed the word study and the compare/contrast sections. Feel completely free to use 1st person pronouns in this section, since it is appropriate to do so here. See the Guide to Successful Completion of the Research Paper for more detail on what to include in this section.

How to Do a Word Study

To complete the word study section of the research paper, you will need to use Bible dictionaries and commentaries. These resources can be found in print form or on several different websites, including www.crosswalk.com and www.blueletterbible.org. You can also purchase scholarly Bible study programs such as PC Study Bible and Logos Bible Software which have various levels of libraries available. Regardless of the sources you use, you MUST document your sources in APA format. This includes the article or entry title, the author and/or editor, date, publisher, page number, etc. Basic citation information is typically provided with the electronic sources, but you are responsible for making sure that information is in proper APA format.

Begin by looking up key words in one or more Bible dictionaries. Note the Hebrew and Greek words that have been translated into the English word you looked up. Ideally, you want your word study to focus on Hebrew words used in the Old Testament (OT) and on Greek words used in the New Testament (NT). In many instances, you will be able to study these words using Strong*****s numbers, which will then link you to other word study tools like lexicons and other dictionaries. How many times is the Hebrew or Greek word translated? What patterns of usage can you identify? Describe the range of meaning of the terms. How are OT and NT usage similar or different? Do this for counseling-related terms such as counsel, advice, plan, purpose, instruction, etc.

Next, identify and explain a couple of key Bible passages (at least one OT and one NT) that capture the essence of what biblical counseling is. How do the passages illustrate the important concepts identified through the word study? Use Bible commentaries to assist you in proper interpretation of the passages, being sure to cite and reference your sources in appropriate APA format. Examples in the APA manual of other dictionary and reference book entries will help.

The word study forms the basis for your compare/contrast section. Based on your word study, how is a biblical view of counseling similar to and different from what you*****ve learned about a professional view of counseling? This section of your paper is where you incorporate principles from the word study with professional literature from journal articles and textbooks. Remember, this is a graduate-level research paper, not an opinion paper. You must support your opinions and document your sources.

Your word study and compare/contrast sections form the basis for the personal application. Based on what you learned doing the word study, and based on the similarities/differences identified, what are the implications for you as a professional counselor? If you are going to be biblically consistent in your work with clients, what professional attitudes/activities can you approach with vigor and which ones must you approach cautiously? What challenges does all of this pose for you personally if you are going to be successfully *****integrated***** in your work with clients?

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