A Word from Bob: Crowdsourcing 

This is a first draft, rough draft, “straw man” statement on biblical counseling and science and neuroscience research. I am seeking feedback—“crowdsourcing.”

What do you think? Feedback? Pushback? Additions? Subtractions? Edits? Changes?

Science as a Catalyst for Studying Scripture 

David Powison and Jay Adams often addressed how scientific research, neuroscience research, and descriptive psychology research were a catalyst. That is, research findings motivated biblical counselors to return to Scripture to more robustly study issues raised by research. For example, studies on trauma’s possible impact on the body/brain could motivate biblical counselors toward a more in-depth examination of the Scripture’s teaching on the embodied-soul. I agree with Powlison and Adams.

Scripture as a Catalyst for Studying Science 

Additionally, Scripture ought to be our primary catalyst for studying science, neuroscience, and descriptive psychological research.

Here are two follow-up convictions:

Biblical Conviction #1: The Creation Mandate is a primary scriptural catalyst for studying science and neuroscience.

In Gospel-Centered Counseling, I defined the Creation Mandate as:

The God-given, repeated command that image bearers subdue and rule the earth as God’s vice-regents, under-shepherds, and under-scientists. God’s mandates that we be good stewards of His creation by studying it and learning from it.

God’s special revelation (His all-sufficient written Word) teaches us what we can learn from His general/natural revelation. From general/natural revelation, we not only learn about God; we also learn life lessons from observing and studying God’s creation.

• We are to learn about God by observing and studying God’s creation—the fingerprints of God. We are to learn from creation about God, God’s goodness, God’s power, God’s affectionate sovereignty, God’s care, and God’s providence. See: Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 9:1-3; Genesis 9:7; Genesis 9:12-17; Job 38:1-41; Job 39:1-30; Job 40:15-24; Job 41:1-34; Psalm 8:1-4; Psalm 19:1-6; Psalm 24:1-2; Psalm 65:5-13; Psalm 74:12-17; Psalm 89:1-18; Psalm 95:3-5; Psalm 97:6; Psalm 103:24-28; Psalm 104:1-35; Psalm 136:1-26; Psalm 145:1-21; Psalm 147:7-9; Psalm 148:1-14; Isaiah 40:21-26; Romans 1:18-25.

• We are to learn life lessons from observing and studying God’s creation—observational wisdom. God calls all of us to be wise observers of His creation who use our redeemed minds to learn life lessons and wisdom principles from His creation. See: Job 12:7-12; Proverbs 6:6-8; Proverbs 30:24-31; Ecclesiastes 1:12-13, 17; Ecclesiastes 5:18; Ecclesiastes 7:25, 27-29; Ecclesiastes 8:9-10, 16-17; Ecclesiastes 9:1, 11-18; Matthew 6:25-27; Matthew 6:28-30; Luke 6:43-45; Luke 12:22-26; Luke 12:27-31. (Note: For more about observational wisdom, see: What Does Ecclesiastes Teach Us About How We View Traumatic-Suffering?)

God calls some people to fulfill His Creation Mandate by being research scientists and neuroscientists. God calls some of us at least to “research the research.” God calls all of us to observe creation wisely and to learn from it.

Biblical Conviction #2: The Scripture’s teaching on embodied-souls should motivate biblical counselors to engage with neuroscience research.

I don’t study neuroscience simply to drive me back to Scripture. Rather, Scripture’s teaching on the embodied-soul drives me to study neuroscience. Scripture teaches that:

God fearfully and wonderfully designed us as a comprehensive, complex unity of body/soul—embodied-soul—inseparably and intimately intertwined with a continual interaction, interconnection, and mutual ongoing effect between our body/soul.

It is this consistent scriptural teaching on embodied-souls (see 560 Biblical Passages on Embodied-Souls), that motivates me to study neuroscience findings about the possible impact of traumatic suffering on the embodied-soul—on the brain, body, mind, soul. Scripture teaches that suffering in our fallen world impacts us body/soul.

Therefore…

Therefore, as a soul physician of embodied-souls, I want to obey God by learning what neuroscience is saying about the potential ways trauma impacts the body/brain.

Therefore, as a soul physician of embodied-souls, I want to obey God by learning what neuroscience is saying about the potential physical interventions that could bring some level of healing to the body/brain.

Therefore, as a soul physician committed to the sufficiency of Scripture, I will use “the new eyes/scriptural lens” and my redeemed mind to assess, to the best of my ability, the validity of neuroscience findings.

Therefore, as a soul physician committed to the Creation Mandate, I will use my redeemed mind to seek to understand and evaluate neuroscience findings, using peer-reviewed research that is both positive toward such findings and that critiques such findings (co-belligerent research).

Therefore, as a soul physician committed to the iron-sharpening-iron collaborative ministry of the body of Christ, I will seek to learn humbly from my fellow biblical counselors as together we seek to discern the potential validity and application of neuroscience research to our calling as soul physicians of embodied-souls.