# Jay Adams



## Preach (May 8, 2004)

What do you all think of the book by Adams entitled, &quot;Competent To Council&quot;? Who has read it. I just heard tapes from a church that actually taught this to their people. Any thoughts.
Thanks,
Bobby


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## fredtgreco (May 8, 2004)

I have read it and it is the best initial book on pastoral counselling to read. Get it, then Christian Counsellor's Manual.


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## Contra_Mundum (May 9, 2004)

*NOUTHETIC all the way*

Of course I'm biased, since I've studied under Jay here in S.C. 
But I must recommend to the inital poster--PLEASE read Jay yourself, don't simply listen to a church seminar and conclude that Jay has been properly represented. He has and will continue to be [i:c9da48779f]mis-[/i:c9da48779f]represented both by those who profess to agree with him and those who disagree with him. 
He was unquestionably positively influenced by his personal acquaintance with Van Til. His writing is lucid and direct. He doesn't pull punches. He steps on toes. He challenges Christians, and especially pastors, to resume the soul-physician's role that has been relinquished meekly and sheepishly to the atheists and pragmatists and compromisers in so many churches.


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## JonathonHunt (May 9, 2004)

Amen, Contra Mundum. I could not recommend the Adams' antidote to today's christian counselling scene highly enough.

[Edited on 5-9-2004 by JonathanHunt]


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## mjbee (May 9, 2004)

Okay, kick my uninformed skull again, but I disagree. Martin and Deidre Bobgan have a really good ministry dedicated to the heresy of integrating psychology and Christianity. They have actually published Adams. www.psychoheresy-aware.org

They have published a new book entitled [i:cbb66d97b2]Christ-Centered Ministry vs. Problem-Centered Counseling.[/i:cbb66d97b2]

&quot;The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him.&quot; Can you give me chapter and verse without a concordance?

Bee


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## KayJay (May 9, 2004)

While I'm definitely not a fan of most Christian counseling at all - the Bobgans are a bit extreme, in my opinion. They seem to think everyone is guilty of what they call &quot;psychoheresy&quot; including RC Sproul. Its like a witch hunt for them.


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## sundoulos (May 9, 2004)

I was introduced to Jay Adam's [i:5d28afa06a]Competent to Counsel[/i:5d28afa06a] back in the early 70's. Because that was my first introduction to pastoral counseling, it has influenced me greatly. Taken alone or taught by the wrong person, the book can be dangerous (which is not to say that there is anything wrong with the book itself).

There are those who use neuthetic counseling that see everything matter-of-factly and have little empathy or sympathy. They say, &quot;Here is what the Bible says. Now you do and do it.&quot;

I know one such Reformed Baptist pastor, who told a suicidal young woman that was doubting her salvation to just sit under sound doctrine and do what the pastor says. When she tried to ask questions he told her that she was unsubmissive and rebellious.

Many psychiatric problems are deep-rooted and not all the result of personal sin. Neuthetic counseling, unless it gets to the root of the problem, may due massive harm. I think of a woman who was sexually abused and repressed her anger, frustration, distrust, etc. and blocked the memories from her mind. An unsympathetic neuthetic counselor told her she was just frigid and unloving toward her husband.


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## king of fools (May 9, 2004)

&quot;Psychoheresy&quot; sounds like a new buddy-cop movie. &quot;Coming this fall, one cop takes a stand against a city...&quot; 

You're right when you say that Jay Adams doesn't pull punches. I've about had it up to / here with all the mamby-pamby liberal hippie self-love psychologists and therapists that never get too the heart of the matter. We're all messed up because of sin and it doesn't really matter if we get better if we don't have the Holy Spirit in our lives and Jesus' blood covering our sins. 

Jay Adams often strikes to the core of the problem, but he does so in a loving and non-critical way. I've gone through a lot of Jay Adams works from Competent to counsel, the Christian counselor's manual, Christian living in the home, etc. Moreover, I had a personal period of anxiety/depression about 5 years ago and the Lord really used the writing of Adams to pull me though that, understand what had happened and move me to a new deeper understanding of things.

I recommend getting your hands on his works and even using them as a reference, especially if you're a layman like me.


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