Foundations for Soul Care: A Christian Psychology Proposal

Much of what passes for "Christian counseling" seems to be simply secular pop-psychology with Biblical references pasted on as an afterthought. In reaction, so-called "Biblical" or Nouthetic counseling seems so anti-scientific, so quick to focus on blame, and so, well, reactive. Johnson examines these extremes with frank analytical honesty and finds them both lacking. His proposal not to try to integrate these two extremes, but rather that we as psychologists and Christians start from scratch and build a new truly Christian psychology.This is not an easy read, because it assumes familiarity with psychology, modern secular counseling theory, and Christian counseling. If you can hang with the author, you will find his analysis is careful, thorough, and fair. His proposal is breathtaking. When do we start?

Dr Johnson's Magnum Opus is a fascinating, though admittedly difficult, book to read. He makes crystal clear the primacy of scripture while taking a cautious but not rejecting approach to psychology. If this indeed led to the kind of research he encourages we'll learn more in the next hundred years than we have in the last!

The most thorough and comprehensive proposal for soul care. Dr. Johnson lays out an excellent (and very lengthy) argument for Christian Psychology. Must read for anyone in the counseling world.

Johnson sets the tone for the book in his preface. Unfortunately, Johnson's preface is not a very effective one. Besides making it too long, he introduces the reader to vocabulary that could be described as elitism. For example, he uses the word "canonical" instead of "biblical," "dialogical" instead of "relational," and "semiodiscursive" instead of "symbolic." The last word is a word that he might have made up, since I was unable to find it in a dictionary and a quick Google searched returned all links to his book. The reason this is significant is because this preface sets the tone for the rest of the book. If Johnson is going to set a "foundation" for Christian Psychology, he needs to do so in a way that both Christians and non Christian professionals alike can understand in more acceptable language. As a seminarian, he is falling into the trap of writing in a style only used in advanced theological training. If he wants to move beyond theology, he needs to write in a more scientific way. This being said, he never does move into a useful model (that counselors can use).In chapter five, Johnson presents the idea of the authority of the Bible and how it needs to be used in Christian psychology. He does caution that Bible's intension is not a science book; however, if it is not a science book, how can it be an authority for an actual science he is proposing? He says the Bible, "...must set the agenda for Christian psychology and soul care" (2007, p. 191). Unfortunately, he has disregarded a pillar of science: science draws conclusions from evidence, not evidence from conclusions. The most he can hope to achieve is a loose pseudo-science. Furthermore, if one could base a science on the Bible, the diversity of different interpretations of many passages paired with arguments of what is or is not relevant will sabotage any hope of having a unified, effective model for Christian psychology.Strengths: Author is very smart; knows what he is talking about.Weaknesses: Author uses elitist language and fails to write to any audience outside of theology; by using his theological, seminarian writing style, he shuts out any scientific basis for his proposal of Christian psychology.

This book is an invaluable source of information regarding psychology, theology, and care. Great effort was put in developing this text.

Johnson works hard, uses a lot of words, and starts at the wrong end for his argument. Perhaps that is what makes the argument weak or perhaps it is because he realizes the argument is weak. A Christian psychology must begin with a biblical theology and anthropology otherwise one's humanistic psychology determines one's view of God and man. Through New Eyes by David Powilson gives a better framework for understanding human beings.

Great