CBT and Christianity: Strategies and Resources for Reconciling Faith in Therapy

While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is anempirically–supported treatment, many behavioral and analyticalpsychotherapists also recognize the healing potential of religiousbelief. CBT and Christianity offers CBT therapists anauthoritative, practical, and comprehensive resource for counselingclients with an allegiance to the Christian faith. This innovativenew treatment approach compares the teachings of Jesus tocontemporary cognitive and mindfulness–based therapies, describinga variety of successful assessment and treatment approaches withChristian clients by incorporating the teachings of Jesus intological thinking, schema modification, and committed behaviorchange. Clarity is further enhanced through a variety of specificexamples, descriptions of generic methods, and supplementalresources provided by the author. By combining effective treatmentswith sensitivity to religious convictions, CBT andChristianity offers innovative insights into the spiritual andpsychological well–being of clients with Christian beliefs.

List of Figures

List of Boxes

List of Tables

About the Author

Author s Preface

Chapter One: Introduction

Topics in Chapter 1

The development and dominance of Cognitive Therapy as a psychotherapy

The Importance of Christianity in the West

The appreciation of the role of non–specific factors in psychotherapy

Interest in the Buddhist technique of Mindfulness

Findings relating religious adherence to positive mental and physical health

The growing respect for cultural and individual differences

The decline of Logical Positivism and the rise of Postmodernism and Social Constructionist theory

The question of a logical connection between Cognitive therapy and the teachings of Jesus

Chapter Two: Introduction to Cognitive Therapy

Topics in Chapter 2

The Basis of Cognitive Therapy

Beck s Cognitive Therapy

The Cognitive Model

The Premise of Cognitive Therapy

Rational Emotive (Behaviour) Therapy

Schema Therapy

Chapter Three: The Context of the Teachings of Jesus

Topics in Chapter 3

Why we should consider the teachings of Jesus

The records of Jesus the Person

The location of the teachings of Jesus

The approach taken in this book towards the Teachings of Jesus

The historical context of the New Testament

Early History: Invasion and exile

Return to the homeland

Alexander the Great and the influence of Hellenistic culture

Rome and the Herodian dynasty

The context of Jesus birth and life

Events after Jesus death

The Social Context of the New Testament

The economy

The Family

The politics of religion in the time of Jesus

Stages in the early dissemination of the teachings of Jesus

Dissemination during Jesus lifetime

Eyewitnesses and oral tradition

Development of the material

Towards written Gospels

The Transition to written Gospels: Q and other sources

Jesus own context

The Written Gospels

Mark

Matthew

Luke

John

Conclusion

Chapter Four: What Did Jesus Teach: A Biblical Scholarship Approach

Topics in Chapter 4

The Purpose of the Chapter

Problems with direct use of the Gospels

Summary of factors influencing the content of the Gospels

The Historical Jesus and the Jesus of Faith (and the inerrancy of scripture)

Biblical Scholarship: Tracking the words and deeds of Jesus

Conclusions about Jesus life, circumstances and characteristic behaviour

Jesus Teachings as conveyed in words

The forms of Jesus Words

The Parables

The Proverbial Sayings (Apophthegms/Aphorisms)

Most Radical Sayings

The Eschatological Reversal sayings

The Conflict Sayings

The Parenetical sayings

Other Kinds of Sayings

Conclusion

Chapter Five: Comparison of Jesus use of Logic with Cognitive Therapy

Topics in Chapter 5

Content and process of thinking

Logic

Logic in Cognitive Therapy

Logic in the teaching of Jesus

A method for comparing Cognitive Therapy with the teachings of Jesus

Jesus references to the use of logic

Implicit appeals to the use of logic

Reference to specific rules of logic

Individual principles of logic that Jesus is exhorting his hearers to apply

Use of Analogies

Analogies in John

Conclusions

Rules of logic that Jesus applies

Forms of Jesus argument

Comparison of Jesus Logic with Cognitive therapy

Specific consistencies

Chapter Six: Comparison of Jesus Teaching with Cognitive Therapy: Part Two; Content

Topics in Chapter 6

The Content of Cognitive Therapy

The content of Jesus deeds

The content of Jesus Teachings

Norman Perrin and Denis Duling

John P Meier

John Dominic Crossan

Gerd Theissen

Robert W Funk and The Jesus Seminar

Conclusion

Implicational Content of Jesus Teaching

The Parables

Relationship of themes identified in the teachings of Jesus to Cognitive Therapy

Chapter Seven: A Schema–Centred Model of Psychological Dysfunction

Topics in Chapter 7

A Schema–Centred Model of psychological dysfunction

Predisposing Factors

Genetic Predisposition

Developmental experiences

The central role of the Schema

Precipitating Factors

Perpetuating Factors

Assessment

General CBT assessment– Overview

General CBT assessment– Method

CBT Assessment when working with Christian people

Assessment as therapy

Choosing the intervention

Using the results of assessment in conjunction with the rest of this book

Chapter Eight: New Life in Cognitive Therapy

Topics in Chapter 8

Reasons for seeking therapy

Ways of doing therapy

The need to address Christian Issues in therapy

Preliminary Considerations

Doing something about one s emotional state, using the teachings of Jesus

Use of the Scriptures in Therapy

Making choices

Commitment

Is it appropriate for a Christian to use logic?

Did Jesus want his followers to use logic?

Using Logic like Jesus

Jesus view of Logical errors

Values

Conclusion to Chapter

Chapter Nine: Introduction to Content Interventions

Topics in Chapter 9

Working with Propositional content

Identification of content relevant to the particular patient

Dividing the content into relevant domains

Identifying the propositional aspects of thought content

Considering relevant passages for the content domain

Deciding that the propositional content is false

Developing counters

Perceptual shift

Working with Implicational Content

Chapter Ten:  Jesus and the Value of People

Topics in Chapter 10

Teachings relevant to the value of people

Social Inclusion

Implicational work

The Syrio–Phoenician (Canaanite) Woman

Interpersonal considerations

Forgiving, judging, loving

Forgiveness

Judging

Conclusion with respect to Judgement

The value of people

The Beatitudes

The Woes

Parables

Loving

Exercises

Chapter Conclusions

Chapter Eleven: Relationship to God, the World, and the Future

Topics in Chapter 11

God, the world, and the future

Acceptance and Trust, versus Fear

The wider aspect of faith

Knowing the future

Spiritual versus material considerations

Conclusions regarding spiritual versus material concerns

Implicational approaches

The relationship of Jesus teachings to the Jewish Law: Principle versus literal/old versus new;

Propositional approaches

Conclusion for Principled versus Literal interpretation of the law

The inconsequential becomes greatly valuable

Implicational work

Chapter Twelve: The Christian s Behaviour

Topics in Chapter 12

The relevance of Jesus teaching to the Christian s behaviour

Commitment, allegiance, and readiness

Commitment

Watchfulness and readiness

What is important versus what is not important

Assumption of status

Asking for desires/praying

Prophecy, signs, logic

Behaviour derived from this material

The relationships amongst intention, fantasy, action, and responsibility

Forgiveness

Adultery and lust

Conclusions

Chapter Thirteen: Following Jesus: The ongoing dialectic

Topics in Chapter 13

Dialectics in clinical psychology

Consistency between Cognitive Therapy and the teaching of Jesus

Assessment for treatment

Commitment to Therapy

Using Logic like Jesus

Values

Content Interventions

General Method

Value of Persons

God, the world, and the future

The Christian s behaviour

Tensions

Resolution

Appendix One: A Life History Questionnaire

Appendix Two: A Christian values rating scale

Appendix Three: Some useful sets of Commentaries

References

Index

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)