Sin and Grace in Christian Counseling - (Christian Association for Psychological Studies Books) by Mark R McMinn (Paperback)

About the Book

Pitfalls in Christian counseling include either emphasizing sin at the expense of grace or grace at the expense of sin. Mark R. McMinn seeks to overcome these exaggerations and enable all those in the helping professions see the proper understanding and place of both sin and God's grace in the Christian counseling process.

Book Synopsis

Sin. Grace. Christian Counseling.How do these fit together?In Christian theology sin and grace are intrinsically interconnected. Teacher and counselor Mark McMinn believes that Christian counseling, then, must also take account of both human sin and God's grace. For both sin and grace are distorted whenever one is emphasized without the other.McMinn, noting his own tendencies and the temptation to stereotype different Christian approaches to counseling along this theological divide, aims to help all those preparing for or currently serving in the helping professions. Expounding the proper relationship of sin and grace, McMinn shows how the full truth of the Christian gospel works itself out in the functional, structural and relational domains of an integrative model of psychotherapy.

Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

Review Quotes

"Christians in counseling tend toward being informed theologically but naive clinically, or informed clinically but naive theologically. McMinn breaks out of this either-or model and instructs us in how to be both theologically learned and clinically sound. Sin and Grace in Christian Counseling brings the depth and breadth of sin/grace theology into the applied world of twenty-first-century counselors."

"For too long Christian psychologists have avoided a detailed study of sin and grace as it pertains to therapeutic practice. I am convinced that this book is long overdue and an important addition to the Christian counseling literature. It is refreshing to see how Mark guides the therapist to bring matters pertaining to sin, deception, grace and repentance into the clinical setting while paying attention to relational and functional aspects of change."

"It is always a pleasure to read what Mark McMinn has recently written. In Sin and Grace in Christian Counseling Mark engages his readers in a conversation about these concepts, as well as the practical applications for clinical practice. He also opens up a dialogue between biblical counselors and integrationists by opening up a dialogue within himself about sin and grace."

"Mark McMinn has done it again: this book is a must-have for people interested in knowing how to integrate faith into practice. For all our desire to do so, far too often Christian mental-health professionals struggle to deeply integrate theological truths with psychological science. Sin and Grace in Christian Counseling is a wonderful example of what must be done if we are to be truly integrative in our clinical work. This work is clear, concise, practical and personal. Whether you are a long-established clinician or a brand new graduate student, you will find something of value here."

McMinn's writing style is clear and easy to digest. Worth owning. I strongly recommend it.

About the Author

Mark R. McMinn (Ph.D., Vanderbilt University) is professor of psychology at George Fox University, where he teaches in the graduate department of clinical psychology. He is a licensed clinical psychologist, board certified with the American Board of Professional Psychology, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. He has written several books, including Making the Best of Stress, Care for the Soul, Why Sin Matters, Finding Our Way Home and Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling.