A Word from Bob: Welcome back. You’re reading Part 2 of a two-part mini-series on biblical counseling and the sufficiency of Scripture. In Part 1, we explored a biblical counseling view of the complex mind/body connection. You can read that post here: What Does Biblical Counseling Believe About Extra-Biblical Information? I’m writing these posts to engage in a blog conversation with David Murray who has posted a series of blog posts in response to Heath Lambert’s book A Theology of Biblical Counseling. In turn, Heath has responded to David’s post here: Biblical Counseling, the Sufficiency of Scripture, and the Use of Extra-Biblical Information.
Research Psychology/Descriptive Research from a Christian Worldview
What does biblical counseling believe about descriptive research or what we might call research psychology? To begin answering that question, let’s consider a working definition of research psychology done under the Creation Mandate (Genesis 1:26-31):
Research psychology is the empirical exploration that describes how people typically tend to respond to life events. It examines how things are, not how things were meant to be. It describes observable trends, categorizes clusters of responses, and organizes clusters of symptoms. It does not interpret reasons or causes. It does not prescribe cure or care. It avoids theoretical models, problem diagnosis, and treatment plans.
How would a Christian research psychologist practice from a Christian worldview?
- Christian research psychologists would explore God’s world with a confidence that though chaos exists, God has given us the tools to discover order and explore disorder in the physical realm.
- Christian research psychologists would humbly and respectfully remain within the expertise of their field.
- Christian research psychologists would practice descriptively, describing what they find.
- Christian research psychologists would not practice interpretatively. Instead, they would turn to the Scriptures when they want to ponder the question of why we are the way we are.
- Christian research psychologists would not practice prescriptively regarding matters of the soul. While they might recommend physical interventions, they would return to the Scriptures to prescribe soul cures.
The Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement provides a helpful summary of the role of descriptive research in a comprehensive biblical approach.
When we say that Scripture is comprehensive in wisdom, we mean that the Bible makes sense of all things, not that it contains all the information people could ever know about all topics. God’s common grace brings many good things to human life. However, common grace cannot save us from our struggles with sin or from the troubles that beset us. Common grace cannot sanctify or cure the soul of all that ails the human condition.
We affirm that numerous sources (such as scientific research, organized observations about human behavior, those we counsel, reflection on our own life experience, literature, film, and history) can contribute to our knowledge of people, and many sources can contribute some relief for the troubles of life. However, none can constitute a comprehensive system of counseling principles and practices. When systems of thought and practice claim to prescribe a cure for the human condition, they compete with Christ (Colossians 2:1-15). Scripture alone teaches a perspective and way of looking at life by which we can think biblically about and critically evaluate information and actions from any source (Colossians 2:2-10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
An Example of a Biblical Counseling Use of Descriptive Research
In my book, God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting, I examined the descriptive research done by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and others on the stages of grief.[i] I saw those five stages as one way of categorizing how people in a fallen world typically journey through their grief process.
However, such descriptive research cannot assess whether that typical journey is a healthy one. Nor can it assess, simply through research, whether these responses correspond to God’s process for hurting (grieving) and hoping (growing).
I used the descriptive pattern as a catalyst to take me back to the Scriptures to explore interpretive and prescriptive issues. Then I developed a biblically-based process for journeying through grief to growth.
But What about “General Revelation”?
Some may raise an additional question. “So, you allow for neurological psychology and research psychology humbly practiced under the Creation Mandate. Then why not allow for theoretical psychology and counseling psychology (understanding people, diagnosing problems, and prescribing solutions for matters of the soul) under the principle of general revelation?”
This is a legitimate question that unfortunately often includes an inaccurate understanding and definition of “general revelation.” In these discussions, people tend to equate human reasoning with general revelation. That’s a category mistake.
Rather than being a sub-set of general revelation, human reasoning is part of our creation in God’s image. Our reasoning has become distorted by our rebellion against God, which is why Paul warns us against blending human reasoning with Christ’s wisdom (Colossians 2:4, 8). For matters of the soul, Paul points us to special revelation which is a term theologians use to describe God’s inspired, inerrant Word authoritatively and sufficiently setting forth God’s standards for human life.[ii]
The purpose of general revelation is to declare the existence of the Creator of the natural order—to know about the Creator (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-20). The purpose of special revelation is to draw us to know the Creator, to reveal how to love like the Creator, and how to live for the Creator (Psalm 19:7-14; Matthew 22:35-40). The purpose of general revelation is not to build a theory/theology of people (Creation), problems (the Fall), and solutions (Redemption).The general revelation that people perceive through creation is cursed and fallen—the data people interpret is not pristine (Romans 8:19-25). Special revelation, on the other hand, is inspired and inerrant—the data we interpret is supernaturally blocked from error (though, of course, our interpretations are not inerrant).
Additionally, special revelation—the Word of God—is living and active, powerfully capable of exposing heart issues, cleansing the heart, and changing the heart (Hebrews 4:12-13). Special revelation—Scripture—“is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Word of God, studied by the people of God, under the guidance of the Spirit of God is authoritative and sufficient for matters of the soul—for building a theory/theology of people, problems, solutions, and the care of souls.
The point of my book, Gospel-Centered Counseling: How Christ Changes Lives is to demonstrate that building a counseling model requires asking and answer theological questions. The following are all theological questions; they are all worldview questions:
- “Who are we?” This is the core question that every counselor asks. It is the core question that psychology explores—what is the nature of human nature? We either derive our answer to this worldview question through secular theoretical psychology (human reasoning) or through biblical theology (Divine revelation).
- “What Went Wrong?” This is the second foundational question that every counselor asks. It is the core question that our world describes as psychopathology—the sickness (sin) of the soul. We either derive our answer to this worldview question through secular theoretical psychology (human reasoning) or through biblical theology (Divine revelation).
- “How Do People Change?” This is the third foundational question that every counselor asks. Our world calls this psychotherapy—the healing of the soul. We either derive our answer to this worldview question through secular theoretical psychology (human reasoning) or through biblical theology (Divine revelation).
Join the Conversation
What is a biblical perspective on descriptive research/research psychology?
What are the various roles of general revelation, special revelation, human reasoning, and biblical theology, and how do they relate to the task of biblical counseling?
[i]Robert Kellemen, God’s Healing for Life’s Losses.
[ii]John Frame, The Doctrine of the Word of God, 331.
