In principle, Christians believe knowing Jesus Christ is the original and abiding "cure of the soul." But in practice, the church's provision of personalized care and counsel has often been unthoughtful and unskillful. During the past 150 years, many other practitioners and theorists have filled the gap.
Psychiatry and psychotherapy (transliterations of two Greek words for "cure of the soul") claim to offer the deep truth that explains a human being and the final word on how we can be cured from the troubles that beset us. Secularized explanations and cures call for no recourse to the Bible or Jesus.
Beginning in the late 1960s, a biblical counseling movement sought to reclaim counseling for the church. It aimed to provide a coherently Christian alternative to mainstream psychiatry and psychotherapy. The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context is an informative and thought-provoking account of that movement.
How did it begin and develop? What were the defining ideas? Where were the tension points and struggles, both internally and with evangelical psychotherapists? David Powlison's historical account combines careful scholarship with unique, eyewitness insight.
This book is an invaluable resource for those who want to understand the biblical counseling movement. The core chapters were originally a PhD dissertation in history of science and medicine (University of Pennsylvania). This new edition adds a lengthy appendix, containing articles by Dr. Powlison.
These extend and deepen the history, giving a fine-grained analysis of developments within the biblical counseling movement and in its relationship to evangelical psychotherapists. The author also freely expresses his point of view and personal convictions regarding the history he has carefully described.
"It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this book. The 'counseling wars' of the past half century have ignited passions often characterized by labels rather than by careful analytic thought. This is the first broadly comprehensive history of these developments. While trying to be open to truth and insight whatever their sources, Powlison faithfully argues that the Christian faith must play a constitutive role in building a robust model of Christian counseling. Amen and Amen."
D. A. Carson, PhD, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; author of The Gagging of God, Christ and Culture Revisited, and An Introduction to the New Testament
"Everyone interested in the modern biblical counseling movement needs to read this well-researched and well-written book. This is a fair and balanced presentation of one of the most important movements in the evangelical church. Readers will be equipped not only with historical insight, but, more importantly, with wisdom for how to speak the truth in love."
Bob Kellemen, PhD, author of Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends, Beyond the Suffering, and Sacred Friendships
"David Powlison has written the definitive account of a biblical counseling movement that arose in the 1960s and continues to influence the field of Christian counseling today. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the rapid and turbulent growth occurring in faith-based counseling in the latter part of the twentieth century."
Ian F. Jones, PhD, Director, Society for Christian Psychology; Lawrence and Charlotte Hoover Professor of Pastoral Care, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; author of The Counsel of Heaven on Earth
"The definitive and reflective examination of biblical counseling's origins in the story and work of its founder, Jay Adams, provides the necessary context to appreciate its important contributions to the Christian counseling world from a second-generation leader in the movement."
Eric L. Johnson, PhD, Director, Society for Christian Psychology; Lawrence and Charlotte Hoover Professor of Pastoral Care, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; author of Foundations for Soul Care
This book, while a deep dive into David's master's thesis, is worth the work to read. I am so thankful for what I've learned about the biblical counseling movements, history, and context. He helpfully traces the development of secular and Christian counseling as well. I had the honor of meeting David in person once and he was a humble, gracious man. He is sorely missed in the biblical counseling world. Everyone who is interested in counseling or helping others should read this book. It gives such a great framework for thinking about the church's role and God's design for believers helping one another from his truth. We have swallowed such a lie in our culture that answers are found outside of God's will and ways. I know so many well-meaning Christians who do not like the idea of biblical counseling. I believe reading this book would change their minds.
David Powlison’s *The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context* offers a thorough and insightful examination of the rise and development of biblical counseling within the evangelical church. As a prominent figure in the biblical counseling movement himself, Powlison brings both academic rigor and personal experience to the topic, providing readers with a historical, theological, and practical overview. One of the book’s primary strengths is its ability to contextualize biblical counseling within the broader history of Christian thought and pastoral care. Powlison traces the roots of biblical counseling back to early church practices, highlighting how biblical counseling emerged as a response to the challenges of modern psychological theories and secular counseling methods. This historical framework is particularly valuable, as it allows readers to understand the movement not as an isolated phenomenon but as part of a larger conversation within Christian theology and pastoral ministry. Powlison also does a commendable job of critically engaging with key figures and milestones in the development of the biblical counseling movement, particularly the influence of Jay Adams and his groundbreaking work in the 1960s and 1970s. The book explores Adams' emphasis on the sufficiency of Scripture for addressing life's problems and the movement's shift toward a more scripturally centered approach to counseling. Powlison is not merely celebratory of this history; he offers a balanced critique, recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of the movement as it grew, and addressing tensions within the broader evangelical community over the relationship between faith and psychology. Theologically, the book delves into the biblical foundation of counseling, focusing on Scripture’s role as the ultimate authority in addressing human suffering, sin, and sanctification. Powlison emphasizes the importance of understanding the human condition in light of biblical doctrine, such as the nature of sin, redemption, and transformation. He provides a compelling case for why biblical counseling should be distinct from secular models, arguing that it offers a more holistic, integrated view of the person—spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. However, the book does not shy away from the controversies surrounding the biblical counseling movement, especially its tension with the broader Christian psychological community. Powlison’s critique of various secular psychological theories—especially those that deny or downplay the role of sin in human behavior—is thoughtful and engaging. He critiques secular counseling for often focusing on symptoms rather than root causes, and he offers a pastoral and theological alternative that takes sin and the need for redemption seriously. That said, *The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context* is not without its challenges. While Powlison provides a deep theological and historical exploration, readers unfamiliar with counseling theory or the specific debates within the biblical counseling movement may find some sections dense or technical. The book assumes a certain level of prior knowledge about both biblical doctrine and psychological concepts, which could be a barrier for lay readers or those new to the field. Overall, David Powlison’s work is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the development of biblical counseling. It offers a nuanced perspective on the movement’s history, theological foundations, and ongoing relevance, providing both a defense of biblical counseling’s approach to human suffering and a critical assessment of its trajectory. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the movement’s methodology, this book is an essential reference for understanding the intersection of faith and counseling in the contemporary Christian context.
Powlison’s ph.d. thesis is this historical overview of Jay Adams and the start of the Biblical Counselling movement. He is fair and balanced and writes in his crisp and fresh English. This also means that much of his own views are kept until appendix 4, which reads as almost a second book. Together they form an impressive read and I would warmly recommend it. Don’t think that Adams’ story is irrelevant for the Biblical counselling movement today. Many of the pressure points are clearly caught by Powlison and knowing the beginning brings a lot of the story into clearer focus.
This is an excellent analysis of the Biblical Counseling movement and its interaction with the secular psychologies and theories over the past several decades. Originally a PhD dissertation, it is very dense and is certainly not for the faint of heart, but for anyone interested in Biblical Counseling or the history of psychology and counseling in the United States it is an extremely helpful resource.
This is a fascinating read. Buckle up and grab some coffee/snacks, it's a long one! I've benefitted so much from Powlison's insights over the years and his careful analysis of Scripture and the human soul is invaluable. This is a converted PHD dissertation, and as that sort of thing goes, it's much more interesting and entertaining than one would think. For those who disciple others and want some of the background and insight into how we've gotten to our current landscape of biblical counseling, this is a good history of the movement and tells you much about many of the key players. That said, it might not be for everyone. But I love this type of work and have enjoyed everything I've read by Powlison.
I needed this book for class. I'm glad my professor required it. I learned so much about the origins and battles of Biblical Counseling. Powlinson did a great job expounding on the Biblical counseling movement.
This is a really good book that helps explain the blessings and the dilemmas of the modern Biblical counseling movement. Counseling from the Bible has gotten a bad rap because counseling in general had always belonged to the church until the mid 1800s when secular society took it out and put it into the 'medical field' and created a new category called 'psychology'. The intent was fine, but, no medicine or therapy could cure a person's soul. Much of our personal problems stem from our broken relationship with God and also from our broken relationships with other people. Medicine can help for a season, and serve much good, but it doesn't touch the soul. Jay Adams saw this dilemma in the mid 1900s and sought to bring counseling back into the church, where it belonged. He fought a good fight and now many have followed in his steps and have paved the way for what we call 'Biblical Counseling'. The church needs to implement discipleship, which is where a person asks, 'How can I be changed?', but Biblical counseling needs to be implemented because it answers the question, 'How do I deal with my suffering?' or, 'How do I help others who are suffering?' The Bible has a lot to say about suffering and it needs to be addressed. If we skip over this part, the church will be weak and ineffective. That's why I think this book is good. It helps us understand what Biblical counseling is, and how it came about, and what happened in the meantime that gave it a bad rap.