Human Personality (CC 41) (Welch)
- This course "evaluates the dominant personality theories" of Freud, Jung, Adler, Rogers, etc. Although recognizing that these theories are of "radically unbiblical roots," Welch claims that they nevertheless "work" and "seem plausible." Why? Because "they [the godless atheists who developed the various theories] have borrowed, albeit in distorted form, certain aspects of the truth." This is a typical error of the "integrationist" -- if some secular/extra-biblical theory or method seems to work, then, the integrationist reasons, it must contain certain elements of God's truth, and is, therefore, worthy of our integration of these "truth" elements into our counseling models.
- An even more basic error seems to be the assumption that complex
human behavior can be better understood if people are categorized into
oversimplified and generalized personality typologies. (At any rate, this is our
interpretation of the language in the course description.) This thinking has
more in common with astrology and its horoscopes than with anything found in the
Bible. (See Four
Temperaments, Astrology & Personality Testing, pp. 131-172, for an
excellent analysis of the worthlessness of personality testing.)
Principles of Learning (CC 42)# (Powlison)
- "This course interacts biblically with psychological theories of how people learn and change." (Emphasis added.) This "and change" terminology implies that not only is learning theory a science, but that the counseling psychologies are also science (a position with which eminent scholars disagree), from which we are then able to collect and study its "particular data" and compare with the "data of Scripture." (Since when are the Holy Scriptures to be referred to as a source from which we can collect scientific "data"?) Calling the counseling psychologies science is usually the first step "closet" integrationists take to establish the authenticity and credibility of psychology.
- "This course aims to give students a working 'feel' for how the valid
observations of psychologists relate to the distortions caused by their
secularism." (Emphasis added.) This is, in effect, a declaration that
psychology has valid observations that are problematic only because they
are distorted "by their secularism," and thereby, implies that these
same "valid" observations from psychology could be embraced if
observed by Christians. This faulty thinking again opens the door to so-called
"Christian" psychology as a valid, God-sanctioned discipline, when in
actuality, it is integrationism again.
Theology and Secular Psychology (CC 44)** (Powlison)
- Proposes at least the partial acceptance (claims that the course "avoids their [secular psychotherapies] wholesale acceptance") of the integration of psychology and theology, but renames it a "recycling" model, which is a euphemism for the "integration" model that it actually is. Since CCEF is not into the "wholesale acceptance" of "secular psychotherapies," the implication is that their "recycling model" is perfectly acceptable.
- Powlison makes the claim that the Christian counselor would be robbed "of the stimulus of secular [psychological] insights" if he refused to "recycle" (i.e., integrate) these "secular psychotherapies" with the Bible! Even more incredible is the claim that the godless counseling models of Freud, Skinner, Rogers, Adler, etc., and psychological schools of counseling such as cognitive, behavioral, and family systems, are necessary additions to the biblical counselor's "arsenal of methods to use to enhance biblical change." (Emphasis added.)
- Much in this course effectively denies the Bible's claim to
sufficiency and Christ's adequacy as the Counselor (2 Pe. 1:3; 2 tim.
3:16). One wonders how the Church survived for over 1900 years without the
necessary psychological resources to solve human problems and to live godly
lives.
Counseling Families and Children (CC 46)*** (Black)
- Claims to "examine the fundamentals of child development" relating to "solving behavioral problems in children." The concept of "fundamentals of child development" comes from psychology, not the Bible.
- The course also explores "various methods of family systems
approaches." "Family systems" (e.g., "family
sculpting") is a secular psychological tool based on an underlying
philosophy of change that is without Biblical warrant.
Introduction To Psychological Assessment (CC 47)## (Black & Welch)
- Claims that the course will give the student "the skills to think biblically" when called on to "evaluate psychological research that is of interest to Christian counselors and to develop a scientifically informed and biblical view of psychological tests." (Emphasis added.) How can CCEF teach that the study of psychology and psychological tests can give a Biblical counselor any skill, let alone the skills necessary to "think biblically"?
- Students take or review a number of psychological tests, and are
taught how to use them in so-called Biblical counseling. Yet the tests examined
in this course have been proven to have no adequate statistical validity
in either measuring personality traits, nor in using such results to
successfully predict marriage compatibility, occupational fitness, child success
in school, etc. Moreover, these tests are based upon the theories of godless
atheists; e.g., the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test (one of those taught in
this CCEF-East course) is based upon Jungian psychology! (Jung was an occultist
who thoroughly rejected Christianity and everything it stands for.) (See the
Bobgan's book Four Temperaments, Astrology & Personality Testing, pp.
131-172, for an excellent analysis of the worthlessness of personality testing.)
* Taken from the CCEF Catalog of courses, pp. 26-31.
** Formerly titled Counseling Methodologies. [Back to Text]
*** Formerly titled Counseling and Child Development. [Back to Text]
# Although CC 42 is not currently taught at CCEF-East, we believe that the description of its previous offering is indicative of the psychological leanings of CCEF-East in general, and of David Powlison specifically. Therefore, the analysis above is based upon the course description in the previous Catalog (1987), and is presented here for background information only. [Back to Text]
## This course apparently replaces Scientific Psychology I (CC 43) and Scientific Psychology II (CC 47). The new CC 47 is not listed in the latest CCEF-East Catalog (1991) even though it was scheduled to be taught in the Spring of 1993. Our analysis of the new CC 47 is, therefore, based on the old CC 43 course description in the previous Catalog (1987). [Note: A personal letter from CCEF-East dated 7/8/92 confirmed that CC 47 did indeed replace CC 43, and that it does still teach the use of various psychological tests and personality profiles.] [Back to Text]
