1 PSY634 Psychology in Relation Theology III Reformed Theological Seminary - Orlando Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., February 7 – March 20, 1 credit hour Spring Semester, 2009 Instructors: Scott Coupland, Ph.D. & Josh Leim, M.Div., M.A. Office Hours: By appointment Telephone: (407) 366-9493, ext. 238 (Coupland) E-mail: [email protected] & [email protected] PURPOSE “Life in Christ is by nature communal” J. Knox Chamblin This course is designed to help students integrate their thinking regarding the nature of Christian community. Students will address the unique challenges and possibilities of counseling professionals in a church setting. In doing so, they will be equipped to engage the church with wise and rich involvement. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will: 1. Gain an understanding of nature of biblical community. 2. To prepare students for the challenge of leaving the safety of the RTS counseling community, and re-entering/engaging community in the future. 3. To understand the possibilities of community, what it can look like, etc. 4. Understand the challenges, and possible dangers, in churches. 5. Develop ways of living in, coping with, and prophetically challenging the church and pastors as counselors. 6. To challenge students to engage each other professionally and respectfully in a roundtable dialogue format. COURSE FORMAT Roundtable dialogue. SCHEDULE and REQUIRED READINGS A variety of readings on subjects related to the course. The readings are listed below, and are available at the library reserve shelf. The students are encouraged to add the texts and articles to their personal libraries, but are not required to for this course. Date Topic Readings Feb. 7 Part 1: Life after the MAC program: Opportunities and challenges. Part 2: What is Christian community? Read chapters 1 and 2 Counseling and Community by Rod Wilson; chapter 6 of Reclaiming God’s Original Intent for the Church by W.2 Roberts and G. Marshall, and chapter 5 of How People Change by T. Lane and P. Tripp. Feb. 14 How to present a biblical model of counseling to the Church. Read Dr. Chuck DeGroat’s article, and chapters 1 and 5 of Foundation for Soul Care by Eric Johnson. Feb. 21 Counseling pastors, their spouses, and persons in full-time ministry. Read the Introduction and chapters 1 and 4 of Leading with a Limp by Dan Allender. Feb. 28 Professional counseling, pastoral counseling, discipleship, and spiritual formation: similarities and differences. Read chapters 1 and 2 of The Care of Souls by David Benner, and chapter 4 of Eat this Book by Eugene Peterson. Mar. 6 Spiritual abuse in the church. Read three chapters of your choice from The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by D. Johnson and J. VanVonderen, Mar. 13 Church discipline and counseling. Read chapters 10, 11, and 12 of Bold Love by Dan Allender, and Read chapter 6 of Counseling and Community by Rod Wilson. Mar. 20 Engaging the church as a counselor. Read chapter 5 of Counseling and Community by Rod Wilson, and chapters 1-3 of The Safest Place on Earth by Larry Crabb. COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1. Complete required reading. 2 Attendance and participation in roundtable dialogue. The course format is dialogue-based, and students are to be prepared to discuss the course topic of the day in a way that reflects thoughtful interaction with the readings (not just personal opinion) and their professional experience through their RTS clinical internship. Showing up late and/or missing class will result in significant deductions in the student’s grade. 3. Weekly “Roundtable Questions”: A. Working on his/her own, the student must generate 5 questions based on the week’s readings. The questions will be typed and turned in at the beginning of each class beginning with the first class on February 7. Students must include their name and the date on each question. Select questions will be used for the roundtable dialogue. (Example: Johnson and VanVonderen raise difficult questions regarding spiritual abuse on page 72. But how would I counsel my clients to deal with their spiritually abusive pastor if I was receiving referrals from him, and he was supportive of my counseling practice?) B. The questions will be used by the professors to evaluate the student’s thoughtful interaction with the readings. Questions turned in later than the beginning of each class will result in a one letter grade deduction on the assignment, and subsequent deductions will occur every day until the questions are turned in. 4. Final Exam: The final exam questions will be a take-home due May 16, 2008 by 5:00 p.m. in Dr. Coupland’s mailbox. Question for the exam will be taken from a list of possible questions (below). Five questions will be selected by the professors, and answers to each of questions must be no longer than two pages. Use APA format.3 1. Discuss the use of Frame’s normative-situational-existential construct as it relates to church discipline. Be sure to include the specific role of each one. 2. Delineate between pastoral counseling, clinical counseling, discipleship, and spiritual formation. Briefly describe the unique roles of each in the church. 3. Integrating Scripture, the readings, and your personal thoughts, reflect on the role of biblical humility and wisdom as you prepare to leave the program and interact with those who have not been exposed to the counseling program or have worked deeply on their own issues. 4. Elaborate on three main ideas that you viewed as significant and helpful from the class dialogue regarding counseling pastors and their spouses and/or families. 5. The counselor, whether he/she counsels in the church or outside of it, is ultimately a servant of Christ and the church. Discuss the three most significant concepts you have gained from class as it relates to a counselor’s interaction with the church. 6. Discuss wise ways to engage a narcissistic pastor. Use relevant assigned readings in your answer. 7. Discuss stories, metaphors, examples, or counsel in Scripture on how one ought to interact with unwilling, immature, or resistant people with wisdom, patience, long-suffering, and humility. 8. Discuss strengths and drawbacks between counseling in a clinical setting versus counseling in a church setting. 9. Evaluate Crabb’s basic thesis about