Solomon Lecture Series, Lecture 7B: Distinctives of Spirituotherapy

The following post contains some highlights from the bonus lecture in the Solomon Lecture Series that I am calling Lecture 7B, presented by Dr. John Woodward. The entire lecture series is available, here, at Grace Fellowship International.

Message: Spirituotherapy has a sanctification perspective, in that it helps people grow spiritually. It focuses on the Keswick model, which applies the Galatians 2:20 message. This is sometimes called “the deeper life” in devotional literature. There is an abiding life (Father’s role), crucified life (work of Jesus), and a spirit-filled life (Holy Spirit’s role) emphasis. There is a perspective of how man is made up, specifically, as spirit, soul, and body.

Methodology: There are five aspects to Spirituotherapy, which we can call the methodology: 1) the presenting problem (the counselee tells why they’ve come), 2) the history (get their background information in the context of their life to see what self they need to deny), 3) the wheel diagram (diagnose the root problem and the ultimate answer), 4) the line diagram (emphasizing their new identity and offering them the new Christ-centered life), and 5) the Selfer’s Prayer (appropriating Christ as Life as their new identity).  There is a role for psychology in Spirituotherapy. For example, valid observations of psychology are helpful because it is descriptive (it is a diagnostic tool, such as the Taylor Johnson Test), but not an answer to the problem. The message of the Christ-centered life is the answer, that is, knowing Christ as Life. 

Materials: The wheel and line diagrams are central tools. They are particularly effective when you draw them out yourself to the client. The client purchases and reads “The Ins and Outs of Rejection” and the first two chapters of “The Handbook to Happiness”. Having the client purchase these books (truly an investment) shows their commitment.

Ministry: It’s called Spirituotherapy because of the centrality of the work of the Holy Spirit as Counselor. The counselor needs to have appropriated the Exchanged Life to be effective. 

Spirituotherapy views the client’s problems as symptoms, where the self-life and strongholds are the root problem. Christ-centered counseling goes beyond pastoral care to cure. Telling someone Bible verses to comfort them is “care”. Cure is transformation. A person with anxiety can read Bible verses to gain comfort but finding out that the anxiety is a symptom of the self-life can result in a transformational change and cure the problem. You can have a Biblical approach that is not grace-oriented. The goal is to know Christ as Life in Spirituotherapy. There must be a “grace awakening” and then application of Scriptural knowledge. The biblical counselor must have a grace orientation and not a works orientation. Gracenotebook.com has useful articles that can reinforce the process. June Hunt’s Hope for the Heart website provides biblical knowledge from a grace perspective (Phase 4).