03CO743 Theology & Secular Psychology. Winter 2019 Week of January 28th Monday 1:00-4:30 Tue/Wed/Thu 9:00-4:30 Fri 9:00-12:00

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1 03CO743 Theology & Secular Psychology Winter 2019 Week of January 28th Monday 1:00-4:30 Tue/Wed/Thu 9:00-4:30 Fri 9:00-12:00 Professor Information Heath Lambert, Ph.D. Visiting Professor of Christian Counseling Pastor, First Baptist Church Jacksonville Grader Nate Brooks Coordinator of the Christian Counseling Program, RTS Charlotte COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVE Counseling is ministry in a conversation whose shape is controlled by God s Word in Scripture. In the Bible God calls Christians to engage in this ministry of care, which is explicitly theological in nature. During the last century the Church lost sight of this calling and abandoned counseling ministry to a growing field of secular therapists who reject the theological nature of life and, therefore, counseling. Secular therapy now dominates counseling care in our culture, and within the church. The Church of Jesus Christ must begin to offer the kind of biblical care to troubled people in our churches that Scripture demands. We also must recommit to being salt and light in a culture entirely given over to atheistic counseling. In order to pursue this work with faithfulness we must understand the theological nature of counseling as it is articulated faithfully in Scripture, and as it is articulated faithlessly in secular psychology. The task of this course is to articulate the theological convictions at the heart of counseling ministry, and to expose secular psychology to a theological critique. The goal of this task is to help ministers of the gospel know how to engage the church in more faithful counseling care. COURSE MATERIALS Eggerichs, Emerson. Love and Respect. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, ISBN Frances, Allen. Saving Normal. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN Lambert, Heath. A Theology of Biblical Counseling. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, ISBN Lambert, Heath. The Gospel and Mental Illness. Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, ISBN

2 2 The expectation is that students will read every word of these books to receive full reading credit. Students will be graded based on their self-reporting according to the following rubric: Percentage of the book read the book word-for-word Percentage of the book skimmed ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS This course is entirely electronic in its submitting of assignments. Each assignment will be uploaded to Canvas in the appropriate portal. If you are unfamiliar with this process, make sure you schedule a time in advance with Nate Brooks (program coordinator) to learn how to utilize Canvas. 1. Reading Reports Students are to turn in a report stating the percentage of each book or pamphlet read by the due date. No summaries are required on this page. 2. Evaluation Paper Students will be required to write a paper that investigates a secular therapy, explains how it seeks to solve counseling problems, and exposes it to careful theological critique. Papers should be ten pages long, double spaced, and reference a minimum of ten sources. Papers will be evaluated chiefly on their faithfulness to the text of Scripture. All work should be proofread carefully and be free of errors in spelling, grammar, and style. It is important for students to submit their paper in accordance with the style guide appended to Canvas as a separate document. 3. Final Exam should expect an essay exam that evaluates their comprehension of material discussed in the lectures. See Final Exam instructions appended to the end of the syllabus. 4. Class Attendance and Participation Your presence during all class sessions is critical to mastering the content of the material. Your participation is also important for the structure of the course. Because of this, attendance will be taken each day. Due to the intensive nature of this course, any absences must be cleared with the professor. Late Assignments Assignments are due at the beginning of the class indicated in the Course Schedule. Assignments not submitted at this time are considered late and are penalized one letter grade per week. COURSE GRADING Presence and Participation 25% Reading Completion 25% Examination 25% Evaluation Paper 25%

3 3 NUTS AND BOLTS Special Needs In order to ensure full class participation, any student with a disabling condition requiring special accommodations (e.g., tape recorders, special adaptive equipment, special notetaking or test-taking needs) is strongly encouraged to contact the professor at the beginning of the course. Disclaimer During the course of the semester the professor reserves the right to modify any portion of this syllabus as may appear necessary to the professor because of events and circumstances that occur during the term. Classroom Policies 1. All classroom policies at RTS Charlotte are expected to be followed. 2. Guidelines for papers submitted in this course can be found as a separate document on Canvas. Reading this document and following its instructions is essential for you to pass this course. 3. Students are required to cite all sources consulted for a written assignment. Students who plagiarize or cheat in any other manner are guilty of academic misconduct and will be reported to the Dean of Students. This will result in disciplinary action up to and including failure of the course and academic dismissal. 4. Laptops are welcome in class for note taking only. Only word processing programs may be open during class; no browsers, programs, social media feeds, or any other program is to be used. Please silence cell phones and do not text, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or whatever else desperately beckons for your attention during class. 5. Cell phones should be set to silent notification during class. If it is absolutely necessary to accept an incoming call, students should excuse themselves from class before doing so. 6. No extra credit will be offered in this course.

4 4 SCHEDULE *Please note that schedule is subject to change per the professor s prerogative. Date Topics Assignments Due 01/16 Week of Course Lectures 02/09 Final Exam 03/02 Evaluation Paper (Upload to Canvas) Reading Report (Upload to Canvas)

5 5 Course Objectives Related to MACC Student Learning Outcomes Course: Counseling & Secular Psychology Professor: Dr. Heath Lambert Campus: Charlotte Date: Winter 2019 MACC Student Learning Outcomes Rubric Mini-Justification In order to measure the success of the MACC curriculum, RTS has defined the following Ø as the intended outcomes of the student learning process. Each course contributes to these overall outcomes. This rubric shows the contribution of this course to the MAC outcomes. Ø Moderate COUNSELING KNOWLEDGE Demonstrate knowledge of counseling theories and modern anthropology. COUNSELING SKILL Ability to apply biblical truths and common-grace insights in a variety of counseling settings. SCRIPTURE Significant knowledge of the original meaning of Scripture and ability to apply to modern counseling circumstances. REFORMED THEOLOGY Significant knowledge of Reformed theology and practice and ability to apply to modern counseling circumstances. Ø Ø Minimal None Moderate Secular and Christian counseling theories are extensively illuminated and analyzed from the standpoint of Christian theology. This course places more focus on the fundamental presuppositions of counseling theories, though these theories have direct bearing upon the manner in which counselors counsel. This course heavily emphasizes the sufficiency of Scripture and Scripture s relation to common grace wisdom. The theological distinctives of reformed theology are directly connected to the manner in which a theology of biblical counseling is constructed. SANCTIFICATION Demonstrates a love for the Triune God that aids the student s sanctification. WINSOMELY REFORMED Embraces a winsomely Reformed ethos. Moderate This course places more focus on the fundamental presuppositions of counseling theories, though these theories have direct bearing upon the manner in which sanctification is understood. The theological distinctives of reformed theology are directly connected to the manner in which a theology of biblical counseling is constructed.

6 6 RTS Charlotte Student Instructions for Final Exams for Intensive Classes 1. Install the LockDown Browser application on the computer you intend to use for exams, prior to sitting for the exam, using this link: This link is ONLY for RTS students and covers both Mac and Windows applications. Be sure that you are able to login to your Canvas account from the LockDown Browser before scheduling a time to take your exam. The LockDown Browser application is already installed on the computers in the RTS Charlotte library. (Note that if you elect to use the library computers, your proctor must still be present throughout the duration of the exam.) 2. Make arrangements with a proctor to supervise the exam within the date timeframe set by the professor. The proctor cannot be a family member, current RTS student (current = taken a class within the past year but not yet graduated), or member of the library staff. 3. The proctor must observe student taking exam and ensure that there are no devices or resources available other than the computer being used for the exam. 4. Access the exam during the date window specified for that midterm: a. Start the LockDown Browser application using a wired or known reliable WIFI connection. We do not recommend using restaurant or coffee shop WIFI to take exams. b. Login to your Canvas account using your Self-Service username and password. If you need to reset your Self-Service password, you may do so at c. Navigate to the exam. You will not be able to access the exam with a standard web browser. For additional details on using LockDown Browser, review this Student Quick Start Guide (PDF). d. Time clock will begin once you open the exam. e. Exam must be completed in one sitting. You may not exit and return to exam later. f. The exam will contain questions requiring the proctor contact information, an honor pledge, and certification that your proctor was present during the entire exam period. 5. The proctor must confirm completion at the end of the exam by ing proctor.charlotte@rts.edu, including the Course Name & Student Name in the subject line. There is a question in the exam which will prompt you to ask your proctor to send this Proctors may be contacted to verify information regarding exam administration. 7. In the rare case of a technical issue (for example, if internet service goes out during exam), the proctor should contact the course TA. While the TA s may not be immediately available, the date and time of the will document when the issue was reported. Please have your TA s contact information available for your proctor before opening the exam. Once you open the exam using the LockDown Browser, you will not be able to access other programs on your computers.