CBT AND CHRISTIANITY “A surprisingly satisfying read that refreshed my perspective on, and deepened my understanding of, two topics that have long seemed overly familiar. This work underscores how much of contemporary thinking has been anticipated by the ancients or just how much ‘new thinking’ is a recapitulation of the old, but does so in a thoroughly original way.”
Murray J. Dyck, PhD, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Griffith University
While cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment, many behavioural and analytical psychotherapists also recognize the healing potential of religious belief. CBT and Christianity offers CBT therapists an authoritative, practical, and comprehensive resource for counselling clients with an allegiance to the Christian faith. This innovative new treatment approach compares the teachings of Jesus to contemporary cognitive and mindfulness-based therapies, describing a variety of successful assessment and treatment approaches with Christian clients by incorporating the teachings of Jesus into logical thinking, schema modification, and committed behaviour change. Clarity is further enhanced through a variety of specific examples, descriptions of generic methods, and supplemental resources provided by the author. By combining effective treatments with sensitivity to religious convictions, CBT and Christianity offers innovative insights into the spiritual and psychological well-being of clients with Christian beliefs.
Table of Contents:
List of Figures xii
List of Boxes xiii
List of Tables xiv
About the Author xvi
Author’s Preface xvii
Part 1 Rationale for the Use of the Teachings of Jesus in CBT 1
1 Introduction 3
Topics in Chapter 1 3
A historical view of spirituality, religion and psychotherapy 3
The development and dominance of cognitive therapy as a psychotherapy 4
The importance of Christianity in the West 6
The appreciation of the role of non]specific factors in psychotherapy 6
Interest in the Buddhist technique of ‘mindfulness’ 7
Findings relating religious adherence to positive mental and physical health 8
The growing respect for cultural and individual differences 9
The decline of logical positivism and the rise of postmodernism and social constructionist theory 9
The question of a logical connection between cognitive therapy and the teachings of Jesus 10
A general outline of the book 11
2 Introduction to Cognitive Therapy 12
Topics in Chapter 2 12
General aspects of psychotherapy 12
The basis of cognitive therapy 13
Beck’s cognitive therapy 14
Rational emotive (behaviour) therapy 16
Schema therapy 21
Similarities amongst the three main schools of cognitive therapy 26
3 The Context of the Teachings of Jesus 27
Topics in Chapter 3 27
Why we should consider the teachings of Jesus 28
The records of Jesus the person 29
The location of the teachings of Jesus 30
The approach taken in this book towards the teachings of Jesus 31
The historical context of the New Testament 32
The social context of the New Testament 40
Stages in the early dissemination of the teachings of Jesus 47
Jesus’ own context 56
The written Gospels 56
Conclusion 59
4 What Did Jesus Teach: A Biblical Scholarship Approach 60
Topics in Chapter 4 60
The purpose of the chapter 60
Problems with direct use of the Gospels 61
Summary of factors influencing the content of the Gospels 65
The historical Jesus and the Jesus of faith (and the inerrancy of scripture) 66
Biblical scholarship: Tracking the words and deeds of Jesus 68
Conclusions about Jesus’ life, circumstances and characteristic behaviour 73
Jesus’ teachings as conveyed in words 75
The proverbial sayings (apophthegms/aphorisms) 79
Other kinds of sayings 82
Conclusion 82
5 Comparison of Jesus’ Teaching with Cognitive Therapy: Part I: Logic 84
Topics in Chapter 5 84
Content and process of thinking 84
The nature of logic 85
Logic in cognitive therapy 88
Logic in the teaching of Jesus 89
A method for comparing cognitive therapy with the teachings of Jesus 89
Jesus’ references to the use of logic 90
Conclusions 124
Comparison of Jesus’ logic with cognitive therapy 125
6 Comparison of Jesus’ Teaching with Cognitive Therapy: Part II: Content 127
Topics in Chapter 6 127
The content of cognitive therapy 127
The content of Jesus’ deeds 132
The content of Jesus’ teachings as reported by experts 135
The implicational content in Jesus’ teachings 147
Relationship of themes identified in the teachings of Jesus to cognitive therapy 169
Part 2 Approach to Using the Teachings of Jesus in CBT with Christians 177
7 A Schema]Centred Model of Psychological Dysfunction 179
Topics in Chapter 7 179
A schema]centred model of psychological dysfunction 179
Assessment 189
Assessment as therapy 194
Choosing the intervention 196
Using the results of assessment in conjunction with the rest of this book 198
8 New Life in Cognitive Therapy 200
Topics in Chapter 8 200
Reasons for seeking therapy 200
Ways of doing therapy 201
The need to address Christian issues in therapy 202
Preliminary considerations for doing cognitive therapy with Christians 203
Use of the scriptures in cognitive therapy 204
Ways of using scripture in cognitive therapy 206
Making choices 207
Commitment 209
Is it appropriate for a Christian to use logic? 212
Using logic like Jesus 216
Jesus’ view of logical errors 218
Values 223
Conclusion 224
9 Introduction to Content Interventions 226
Topics in Chapter 9 226
Overview of content intervention 226
Working with propositional content 227
Working with implicational content 234
Part 3 Resources for Using the Teachings of Jesus in CBT with Christians 239
10 Jesus and the Value of People 241
Topics in Chapter 10 241
Teachings relevant to the value of people 241
Social inclusion 242
Implicational work 247
Interpersonal considerations 250
The value of people 257
Loving 264
Conclusions 270
11 Relationship to God, the World and the Future 271
Topics in Chapter 11 271
God, the world and the future 271
Acceptance and trust versus fear and anxiety 272
Knowing the future 281
Spiritual versus material concerns 283
The relationship of Jesus’ teachings to the Jewish Law: Principle versus literal/old versus new 289
The inconsequential becomes greatly valuable 295
12 The Christian’s Behaviour 297
Topics in Chapter 12 297
The relevance of Jesus’ teaching to the Christian’s behaviour 297
Commitment, allegiance, readiness 298
What is important versus what is not important 304
Assumption of status 311
Asking for desires/praying 312
Prophecy, signs, logic 314
The relationships amongst intention, fantasy, action and responsibility 321
Conclusions 339
13 Following Jesus: The Ongoing Dialectic 341
Topics in Chapter 13 341
Dialectics in clinical psychology 341
Consistency between cognitive therapy and the teaching of Jesus 342
Assessment for treatment 343
Commitment to therapy 344
Using logic like Jesus 345
Values 346
Content interventions 347
Tensions in the content of Jesus’ teaching 350
Resolution 351
Appendix 1: Life History Questionnaire 352
Appendix 2: Christian Values Rating Scale 357
Appendix 3: Some Useful Sets of Commentaries 358
References 360
Index 366
About the Author :
Michael L. Free is a Clinical Psychologist working with adults and adolescents in individual and couples therapy. He is a former lecturer in Clinical Psychology at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. He is the Author of Cognitive Therapy in Groups (Wiley-Blackwell, Second Edition, 2007)
