A Significant Proposition
In a recent X thread, Keith Evans suggested that:
Mel Neufeld’s “piece on breathing techniques … reflects a fundamentally different theology of counseling and hermeneutic of counseling than” his.
Keith does not identify what that fundamental difference entails.
Evans’s statement is quite significant, especially given the fact that two “founding fathers” of the nouthetic biblical counseling movement (Adams and Powlison) both affirmed the use of physiological interventions. Evans has placed discussions about whether, when, and under what criteria a biblical counselor might include physiological interventions at the level of fundamental/foundational doctrinal and hermeneutical differences.
Theological Anthropology, Embodied-Souls, Whole-Person Care, and Physiological Interventions in Biblical Counseling
Evans’s provocative comment became a catalyst for me to collate resources in the following category:
- Theology of counseling resources and hermeneutic of counseling resources from biblical counselors who believe the Bible teaches the legitimate careful use of physiological interventions as one part of comprehensive embodied-soul care.
A charge like the one Evans made deserves primary source theological cross-examination. That’s the purpose of this collation:
- This collation will assist Evans—and all of us—to carefully and accurately compare and contrast diverse theological perspectives on what the Bible teaches about physiological interventions in biblical counseling.
Note: By including a resource, I am not implying that I agree with everything in the resource.
Resource #1
Mike Emlet, CCEF, The Journal of Biblical Counseling, “A Biblical Rationale for Embodied Spiritual Practices.”
Resource #2
Todd Stryd, CCEF, The Journal of Biblical Counseling, “‘Take a Deep Breath’—How Counseling Ministry Addresses the Body.” Stryd’s article was approved, endorsed, and affirmed by David Powlison here: ”Slow Growth.”
Resource #3
Jay Adams, The Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine, “The Biblical Perspective on the Mind-Body Problem, Part One.”
Resource #4
Jay Adams, The Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine, “The Biblical Perspective on the Mind-Body Problem, Part Two.”
Resource #5
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “Jay Adams on Embodied-Souls, Trauma, Neuroscience, Sanctification, and Physical Interventions.”
Resource #6
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “‘Feed My Sheep’: The Biblical, Theological, and Historical Basis for Whole-Person Embodied-Soul Care.”
Resource #7
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “Yes, I’m Christ-Dependent When I’m Doing Deep Breathing Exercises.”
Resource #8
Bob Kellemen, The Biblical Counseling Coalition, “Scripture and Soul: Implementing the Hermeneutical Spiral in Biblical Counseling,” Chapters 10-11 in Scripture and Counseling.
Resource #9
Bob Kellemen, Zondervan, Gospel-Centered Counseling: How Christ Changes Lives. This book develops a systematic theology of biblical counseling, including what the Bible says about extra-biblical information.
Resource #10
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “The Sufficiency of Scripture and Extra-Biblical Information.” Chapters 1-2 in Gospel-Centered Counseling.
Resource #11
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “6 Biblical Counseling Convictions.”
Resource #12
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “10 Questions About Biblical Counseling and the Body: Becoming Soul Physicians of Embodied-Souls.”
Resource #13
The Faculty of the Biblical Counseling Department at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS)—Nate Brooks, Tate Cockrell, Brad Hambrick, Kristin Kellen, and Sam Williams. “What Is Redemptive Counseling/Clinically Informed Biblical Counseling?”
Resource #14
Mel Neufeld, “In Biblical Counseling, Breathing Is an Act of Worship.”
Resource #15
David Gunner Gundersen, Jonathan Holmes, and Mike Emlet, CCEF Podcast, “We Are Embodied Souls Shaped by a World of Influences.”
Resource #16
Laura Hendrickson, The Biblical Counseling Coalition, “The Complex Mind/Body Connection,” Chapter 28 in Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling.
Resource #17
Lainey Greer, Embodied Holiness: The Biblical Call to Bodily Care.
Collated Resources
The following resources are collations of other resources. These collations provide readers with the primary source documents—both biblical and extra-biblical—to develop their own theological anthropology of embodied-souls, whole-person-care, and physiological interventions in biblical counseling.
Resource #18
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “560 Biblical Passages on Embodied-Souls.”
Resource #19
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “161 Resources for Counseling the Whole Person: Soul Physicians of Embodied-Souls.”
Resource #20
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “60 Christian Books on the Body and Soul (Embodied-Soul): “Theological Anthropology”—A Biblical View of Humanity.”
Resource #21
Bob Kellemen, RPM Ministries, “32 Resources Addressing: Should Biblical Counselors Counsel About the Body?”
Join the Conversation
What resources would you add to this list on a theological anthropology of embodied-souls, whole-person care, and physiological interventions in biblical counseling?
