An Update (September 14, 2025)

I published my original post on May 14, 2025. It has been four months. Several of the groups mentioned below as potentially part of this five-views book have been very open to the idea. However, no one in the ACBC group has expressed openness to this potential/proposed project. So, given the significance of ACBC within the biblical counseling landscape, I do not see this project moving forward at this time…

Five Views Books (Original Post, May 14, 2025) 

In 2010, David Powlison participated in the book, Psychology and Christianity: Five Views. In that book, various leaders in their field each wrote a chapter presenting their positions, and then they each responded to chapters written by the other four authors. The five views included the Levels of Explanation approach, the Christian Integrative Counseling approach, the Biblical Counseling approach (written by David Powlison), the Christian Psychology approach, and Transformational Psychology approach.

A Biblical Counseling Five Views Book 

Recently, I asked on social media whether the time might be right for a “Five Views Biblical Counseling” book. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of such a book. Here’s my thinking…

Rather than addressing various Christian counseling perspectives on psychology, this book would be an “in-house,” “family” conversation among people who identify as biblical counselors. Biblical counselors would respectfully, publicly interact with each other about central issues regarding what makes biblical counseling truly biblical.

Some Suggested Authors/Approaches 

Perhaps biblical counseling leaders from the Biblical Counseling Coalition, like Curtis Solomon and Deepak Reju could serve as the book’s moderator—writing the Introduction and Conclusion, etc. Dr. Eric Johnson served that role with the Psychology and Christianity: Five Views book.

Here are some possible five (or seven) biblical counseling approaches/models and potential authors for those views.

1. Perhaps biblical counseling leaders like Brad Hambrick, Nate Brooks, and Kristin Kellen could represent the Redemptive Counseling, Clinically-Informed Biblical Counseling (CIBC) view.

2. Maybe biblical counseling leaders like Ed Welch, Mike Emlet, and Alasdair Groves could present the CCEF biblical counseling view.

3. Leaders like Dale Johnson and Heath Lambert could share the ACBC view.

4. You could have biblical counselors like Jeremy Lelek, Jason Kovacs, and John Henderson represent the ABC view.

5. Perhaps Jeremy Pierre and Robert Jones could present the SBTS biblical counseling view.

If you wanted to expand beyond five views to seven views, then…

6. Perhaps Donn Arms and John Babler could represent the “classic” nouthetic approach.

7. I (Bob Kellemen) could present the historic biblical counseling/soul physicians approach (gospel-centered, theologically-saturated, church history-informed, research-aware, soul physicians of embodied-souls).

A Suggested Framework for Each Chapter 

In the Psychology and Christianity: Five Views book, each chapter author “wrote what was right in his own eyes.” That is, the content, focus, and structure were all different, and all over the place. There was not a consistent outline of what each chapter/author addressed. This makes it difficult, in my assessment, for there to be an accurate compare/contrast between the various approaches.

Because of this lack of chapter consistency, if I were “editor for a day,” here’s the framework I would recommend/impose. Each chapter author(s) would write their chapter explaining their model by following an outline/structure like this:

1. Section 1 (Up to 4 Pages): Present a concise theology/theory of your biblical counseling approach. Describe your core theory of biblical counseling—how do you understand people, problems, and solutions? How do people change?

2. Section 2 (Up to 4 Pages): Present a concise methodology/practice of your biblical counseling approach. Describe your core engagement with a counselee. How do we care like Christ?

3. Section 3 (Up to 2 Pages): Using the twelve categories of the Biblical Counseling Coalition Confessional Statement, outline areas of agreement, and any areas of disagreement (or areas/wording you would change/tweak).

4. Section 4 (Up to 4 Pages): Define “the sufficiency of Scripture” and explain how your definition impacts your theology and methodology of biblical counseling.

5. Section 5 (Up to 4 Pages): Describe your understanding of common grace and biblical counseling. Explain your use of common grace and extra-biblical resources.

6. Section 6 (Up to 1 Page): Succinctly highlight what you see as the unique strengths of your biblical counseling model.

7. Section 7 (Up to 1 Page): Succinctly describe specific areas where your biblical counseling model needs further development (potential “weaknesses” of your model).

8. Section 8 (Up to 3 Pages): Address how your biblical counseling model/approach differs from the other approaches in this book. What sets your model apart? How is your approach different from and/or similar to Jay Adams’s nouthetic counseling approach? How is your approach different from and/or similar to Christian soul care/pastoral care approaches that predate the modern nouthetic/biblical counseling movement?

9. Section 9 (Up to 2 Pages): How does your biblical counseling model differ from the Christian Integrative Counseling approach and from the Christian Psychology approach?

10. Section 10 (Up to 5 Pages)—Case Study:  A case study would be presented that each chapter author(s) would briefly address. Describe in outline/skeletal form how your biblical counseling model would understand this issue (theory/theology). Describe in outline/skeletal form how your biblical counseling model would counsel (methodology/practice) this issue. Note: Since methodology (actual counseling engagement) is such a large and important area, the skeletal outline in this book could lead to an entirely new, companion book. For an example, see, Counseling and Christianity: Five Approaches. This book addressed, “What does authentic Christian counseling look like in practice?” A five-views biblical counseling methodology book could address, “What does authentic biblical counseling look like in practice?”

The editor/publisher/moderator(s) would assure that every chapter included each section, and kept within the page limitations. In the Psychology and Christianity: Five Views book, each chapter was between 25 and 30 pages. The suggested page amounts/limits noted above would be commensurate to that book.

A Suggested Framework for Each Chapter Response 

After each chapter is written, then the other authors would each provide their brief assessment, reflections, and iron-sharpening feedback. To assure a respectful response, the response framework could include:

1. Section 1 (Up to .5 page): What did you hear? In half-a-page, summarize the model presented in this chapter—in wording that the chapter author would say, “Yes. That captures my biblical counseling position well.”

2. Section 2 (Up to 1 Page): In a page, outline the strengths of this biblical counseling model.

3. Section 3 (Up to 1 Page): Outline any weaknesses you see in this biblical counseling model.

4. Section 4 (Up to 1 Page): Outline where you see your model differing from this biblical counseling model.

5. Section 5 (Up to .5 Page): What questions would you ask the authors of this biblical counseling model that would respectfully advance the conversation?

The editor/publisher/moderator(s) would assure that every chapter included each section, and kept within the page limitations. In the Psychology and Christianity: Five Views book, each response to each chapter was about 3-to-4 pages The suggested page amounts/limits noted above would be commensurate to that book.   

Publishers? 

Possible publishers might include (in alphabetical order):

1. Crossway

2. IVP or IVP Academics

3. Harvest House

4. New Growth Press

5. P&R Publishing

6. Shepherd Press

7. Zondervan or Zondervan Academics

8. Other(s)

Thoughts? 

What do you think? Would you be interested in such a book? Would it sell?

What suggestions would you have for chapter authors/models/approaches?

What suggestions would you have for chapter outlines?

What suggestions would you have for chapter responses?

What suggestions do you have for publishers?