The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay E. Adams (Baker, 1973, 476 pp.)
The Gift of Inner Healing by Ruth Carter Stapleton (Word, 1976, 115 pp.)
by Dr. Ralph Blair
The scissors-and-paste pseudo counseling of Jay Adams is composed of four “activities”. 1. Judging, i.e., “The biblical Christian has no problem making judgments about this matter [of homosexuality]; the Bible calls homosexuality sin. That settles the question for him”. 2. Convicting the person of his or her sinfulness, i.e., fostering guilt “whenever the counselee is either unaware of his sin or is still unrepentant”. 3. Changing specifics, i.e., “Generalizations are not enough”, e.g. getting the homosexual to stop being homosexual, and 4. Structuring, i.e., Bible study, e.g., Read Leviticus on homosexuality but overlook it on eating rabbit and shrimp. The so-called Nouthetic confrontation of this former public speaking teacher turned self-styled counselor is one of the truly unfortunate offerings to needy pastors today. Adams’ approach cannot be called superficial; it does not even come close. His understanding of homosexuality is laughable but tragic for he does have influence among some Christians, especially those in Reformed circles.
Within the parameters of this brief review, but one example will have to do. And one example is all that is needed. According to Adams: “It is the effeminate-looking person that the practiced homosexual is looking for. The choice of a partner that approximates (as closely as possible) a member of the opposite sex shows that the problem does not exist in a lack of interest in heterosexual characteristics, but just the opposite. Other factors are basic to the perversion. But note, interest in an effeminate person by another male shows his basic need and even desire (though warped) for a female rather than a male”. Nothing more need be cited to show how completely ignorant Adams is of what homosexuality is all about. And, of course, knowledgeable psychotherapists and homosexuals will see this. Unfortunately, Adams is being read and relied upon by many sincere but equally ignorant pastors and family members of Christian men and women who will continue to be misunderstood, misguided and mistreated if Adams’ “counseling” model prevails.
Without her famous brother, it is hard to believe that Ruth Carter Stapleton would ever have seen her book in print. But then, Jay Adams has no famous brother. At least Stapleton does not pass herself off as an “expert” counselor who’s in the position to counsel other counselors. Stapleton’s approach, like Adams’ approach, is simplistic and even silly, but there is at least some warmth very much in evidence in her book, e.g.: “I’m reminded how cruelly, thoughtlessly we treat the sexual deviant. … They need our love, plus more searching self-knowledge, plus the opportunity to meet the Christ who loves homosexuals and who died to give them life and wholeness, just as he did for the ‘less condemned, just-as-guilty, respectable’ people”. Such graciousness toward homosexuals is missing in the Adams approach. Nonetheless, her book is not helpful when it comes to dealing realistically with homosexuality. She thinks that homosexuality in a male is due to his having not identified with a “real man” so she recommends that the homosexual counselee be assisted to “faith-imagine” himself playing baseball with Jesus. This is somehow supposed to turn him into a heterosexual. We need not wait around for more than one strike here.