2 (Very Different) Reviews of Heath Lambert’s Book, Biblical Counseling and Common Grace

Heath Lambert and Shepherd Press recently released Heath’s booklet, Biblical Counseling and Common Grace.

Already, I’ve seen two very different reviews of Heath’s booklet. His booklet, and the review by Dr. Nate Brooks and the review by Francine Tan, each address a question that is central to biblical counseling:

“What is the relationship between common grace, the noetic effect of sin, scientific research, secular psychology, and the sufficiency of Scripture?” 

Rather than “wade into” this discussion, in today’s brief post I will simply link to each post. Then I’ll share some discussion questions that might create further interaction about this booklet and these two reviews.

Review #1: By Dr. Nate Brooks 

The London Lyceum just published Dr. Nate Brooks’s review of Heath Lambert’s booklet, Biblical Counseling and Common Grace. You can read Dr. Brooks’s full review here:

Biblical Counseling and Common Grace: A Review by Nate Brooks.

Review #2: By Francine Tan 

About a day later, the ACBC released a review of Lambert’s booklet. You can read Tan’s review here:

Heath Lambert’s Biblical Counseling and Common Grace: Book Review.

26 Prompting Discussion Questions (PDQs) 

Whenever I taught in seminary, Bible college, the local church, and at seminars and conferences, I always included PDQs—Prompting Discussion Questions.

I wanted participants to think; to decide on their own what their biblical views were.

So, I offer 26 PDQs about Lambert’s booklet, Dr. Brooks’s review, Tan’s review, and the modern biblical counseling movement. Of course, discussing these questions would be helped greatly by first reading the booklet and the two reviews.

7 PDQs About Dr. Heath Lambert’s Booklet 

After reading Lambert’s Biblical Counseling and Common Grace: 

1. What are some strengths you see in Lambert’s booklet?
2. What are any weakness you might detect in Lambert’s booklet?
3. What resonates with you from Lambert’s booklet?
4. What might you disagree with or say differently from Lambert’s booklet?
5. What are some of the biggest “take-aways” for you from Lambert’s booklet?
6. What are some applications you might make to your biblical counseling reading and research from Lambert’s book?
7. What are some applications you might make to your biblical counseling ministry after reading Lambert’s book?

7 PDQs About Dr. Nate Brooks’s Review 

After reading Dr. Brooks’s review: 

1. What are some of strengths of Brooks’s review?
2. What are any weakness you might detect in Brooks’s review?
3. What resonates with you from Brooks’s review?
4. What might you disagree with or say differently from Brooks’s review?
5. What are some of the biggest “take-aways” for you from Brooks’s review?
6. What are some applications you might make to your biblical counseling reading and research from Brooks’s review?
7. What are some applications you might make to your biblical counseling ministry after reading Brooks’s review?

7 PDQs About Francine Tan’s Review 

After reading Tan’s review: 

1. What are some of strengths of Tan’s review?
2. What are any weakness you might detect in Tan’s review?
3. What resonates with you from Tan’s review?
4. What might you disagree with or say differently from Tan’s review?
5. What are some of the biggest “take-aways” for you from Tan’s review?
6. What are some applications you might make to your biblical counseling reading and research from Tan’s review?
7. What are some applications you might make to your biblical counseling ministry after reading Tan’s review?

5 PDQs About the Modern Biblical Counseling Movement 

These two reviews are very different. One is exclusively positive. The other primarily points out proposed weaknesses. Both reviews are written by biblical counseling leaders. After reading the booklet and the two very different reviews:

1. Why do you think these two reviews are so different?
2. What, if anything, do these two different reviews perhaps suggest about differing perspectives within the modern biblical counseling movement?
3. What might it have been like for each review to spend more time “counterbalancing”? For example, how might Tan’s review been more impactful if she shared any concerns, disagreements, or weaknesses? How might Brooks’s review been more impactful if he shared more strengths?
4. What is your view of the relationship between common grace, the noetic effect of sin, scientific research, secular psychology, and the sufficiency of Scripture?
5. What other resources (articles, books, booklets, blog posts, etc.) do you recommend that people read in order to strengthen their understanding of biblical counseling and common grace?