A Word from Bob
I’ve adapted today’s post from The Annual Guide to Biblical Counseling Resources: 2022 Edition. The Biblical Counseling Coalition now oversees and distributes The Annual Guide. For 2022 (as for 2018-2021), I provided the collation and content for The Annual Guide.
Adams, Jay. A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption
A Theology of Christian Counseling connects biblical doctrine with practical living. In this book, the reader will gain an insight into the rich theological framework that supports and directs a biblical approach to counseling. And the connection between solid theology and practical application will become compelling.
Arms, Donn, and Dave Swavely, Editors. Whole Counsel: The Public and Private Ministries of the Word
Jay Adams’ landmark book Competent to Counsel was first published 50 years ago, and it was the first of over 100 books that he has written. The editors and contributors hope that this volume will be used by God to spark a resurgence of interest in Dr. Adams’ teaching, and more importantly, a return to the timeless truths of Scripture on which it is based.
Biblical Counseling Coalition. Biblical Counseling Coalition Confessional Statement
The Confessional Statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition involved over three dozen biblical counseling leaders collaborating to outline a dozen summary statements describing biblical counseling. The conclusion outlines the Coalition’s statement: “Biblical counseling occurs whenever and wherever God’s people engage in conversations that are anchored in Scripture, centered on Christ and the Gospel, grounded in sound theology, dependent upon the Holy Spirit and prayer, directed toward sanctification, rooted in the life of the church, founded in love, attentive to heart issues, comprehensive in understanding, thorough in care, practical and relevant, and oriented toward outreach.”
Jones, Robert, Kristin Kellen, and Rob Green. The Gospel for Disordered Lives: An Introduction to Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling
The gospel of Jesus Christ—the heartbeat of the Bible—brings life-changing hope and power to real people with real problems. Inspired by that conviction, The Gospel for Disordered Lives provides an introductory guide to the theory and practice of Christ-centered biblical counseling. Intended to serve as a foundational textbook for students in Christian colleges, universities, seminaries, and graduate schools, the book also provides a useful overview that working counselors can reference in their ministry contexts.
Kellemen, Bob. A Biblical Counseling Model of Humanity: Understanding People Scripturally
What is the nature of human nature created in the image of God, defaced and fallen because of sin, and justified, reconciled, regenerated, and redeemed in Christ? This book (originally a Th.M. thesis) develops a biblical anthropology—a biblical understanding of human nature—as relational, rational, volitional, and emotional beings—and uses it as a model for biblical counseling. In this 120-page PDF e-book, you will explore every Old Testament term for our inner nature—learning a biblical understanding of the soul. We are relational beings who long and desire (the OT terms for the soul). We are rational beings who think in words and images (the OT terms for the heart). We are volitional beings who choose and act (the OT terms for the spirit). We are emotional beings who feel and experience (the OT terms for emotions and feelings). Build a biblical model of our inner life directly from God’s Word.
Kellemen, Bob. Counseling Under the Cross: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Daily Life
Martin Luther not only reformed theology; his understanding of the gospel revolutionized soul care. In Counseling Under the Cross, biblical counselor Bob Kellemen mines Luther’s writings to help readers gain a new appreciation for how Luther richly, relevantly, robustly, and relationally applied the gospel to suffering, sin, sanctification, and our search for peace with God. Counseling Under the Cross guides pastors, counselors, lay leaders, and friends toward a rich understanding of the gospel that will directly impact their personal ministry to others. Through lively vignettes, real-life stories, and direct quotes from Luther, readers are equipped to apply the gospel to themselves and others so together they find their hope and help in Christ alone.
Kellemen, Bob. Gospel-Centered Counseling: How Christ Changes Lives
Everyone talks about the personal ministry of the Word, but how do we make one-another ministry truly biblical? Gospel-Centered Counseling equips readers to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth. It does so by examining life’s eight ultimate questions and then guiding readers on a journey that explores the biblical, gospel-centered narrative of each question. It provides a biblical counseling theology—applied to daily Christian living—of all the classic categories of systematic theology. Gospel-Centered Counseling is ideal for equipping biblical counselors in churches, colleges, graduate schools, seminaries, and para-church training institutes.
Kellemen, Bob. Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction
Soul Physicians equips pastors, counselors, and one-another ministers to understand people, diagnose problems, and prescribe solutions—biblically. It is a twenty-first century theology manual for soul care, relating theology to counseling in the areas of: God’s Word, the Trinity, Creation, Fall, Redemption, Glorification, and Sanctification.
Kellemen, Bob, and Steve Viars, Editors. Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling: Changing Lives with God’s Changeless Truth
Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling is a comprehensive guide that equips God’s people to use biblical truth to change lives. It increases people’s confidence in the sufficiency and relevancy of God’s Word to address real-life issues in a multitude of counseling situations. Readers will understand clearly why they should embrace biblical counseling, be encouraged to trust God’s Word to provide rich insight for living in the midst of even the most difficult challenges, and enjoy relevant, pastoral, and theological teaching. Multi-authored by over two dozen leading biblical counselors, Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling provides a theology of biblical counseling as well as a methodology of biblical counseling.
Lambert, Heath. A Theology of Biblical Counseling: The Doctrinal Foundations of Counseling Ministry
A Theology of Biblical Counseling unpacks the core theological convictions that underlie sound counseling. Heath Lambert shows how biblical counseling is rooted in the Scriptures, while illustrating the challenges counselors face through true stories from the counseling room. A substantive textbook written in accessible language, it is useful for training biblical counselors at colleges, seminaries, and training institutes.
Lelek, Jeremy. Biblical Counseling Basics: Roots, Beliefs, and Future
Drawing from a wide range of resources and experts in Christian soul care, this book is a well-researched, easy-to-read, and practical guide for students and counselors who want to better understand its aspects, methods, and goals. Biblical Counseling Basics equips readers with practical skills for one-another ministry and engages them with their call to counsel.
MacArthur, John, Editor. Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically
In this multi-authored work, solid theological foundations of biblical counseling are clearly presented in contrast to humanistic and secular theories of psychological counseling. A practical, proactive, and relevant book for students, church leaders, and lay people.
Tautges, Paul. Counsel One Another: A Theology of Interpersonal Discipleship
This book is solidly rooted in the belief that the Scriptures are sufficient for every soul-related struggle in life, and committed to the truth that the Holy Spirit is competent to accomplish the work of sanctification. Counsel One Another biblically presents, and defends our responsibility to work toward God’s goal to conform us to the image of His Son—a goal that will not be reached apart from targeted discipleship—counseling.
Join the Conversation
What additional biblical counseling resources would you add for a theology of biblical counseling?
