Hi everyone,

I've got about 2 years left on my MDiv and I'm considering pursuing a PhD possibly in counseling. I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for a seminary? I know Southern's is pretty good, but we'd like to move back closer to the Midwest (NE, IA, KS, MO area) and I have been unsuccesful in finding good schools in that area. Any recommendations?

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Nathan Taylor
MDiv Student
SBTS - Louisville, KY
Clifton Baptist Church (SBC)

For a PhD in Counseling - I believe Biblical Counseling is what you want, correct? - I think Southern is about as close to the Midwest as you're going to get.

Calvary in Kansas City has an MA in Biblical Counseling, but I don't think they offer PhDs.

Of course there is always Wheaton. They are definitely an integrationist school, but I think you'll be fine if you have a solid master's level understanding of biblical counseling.

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Ben
Sanford, NC
TE Ohio Valley Presbytery, PCA

Whitefield Theological Seminary has a PhD in Biblical Counseling via distance education. I think it's a good program, but a little to pricey for this poor Baptist.

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Ivan Schoen, Pastor * Maranatha Baptist Church, Poplar Grove, IL * http://maranatha-sbc.org/

"I want to assist churches and to assist pastors in training pastors. But, after fourteen years of service in this capacity, I am absolutely certain that the finest theological seminary on earth is absolutely incompetent at replicating the actual life of a Gospel congregation. I want to train a generation of pastors who will train pastors, and I want to help them in that task." --- Dr. R. Albert Mohler, President of THE Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY

I am amazed of all the so-called Christian Psychology courses and degrees that are available in seminaries and colleges. I often wondered how we can derive the specifics of how to think and act from non-Christian philosophies. Sure, God puts His laws into every one's heart, but without special revelation, one can only be aware of negative sanctions regarding the law. Behavior modification and many counseling theories contradict Scriptures. Due to a sinful heart, man cannot be changed by external controls and techniques. That is, one cannot develope godly lifestyles with their minds and hearts due to a sin nature. How can theories derived from Freud, Skinner, et al, have any specifics for our thinking and behavior? One must presuppose a certain action or thinking pattern apriori as their goal. These goals may or may not be Biblical and the means to achieve them are contrary to sanctification in most cases. These lost men do not have this knowledge of the means of grace; i.e., worship, the Word, prayer, etc. They merely observe human behavior and create standards of how one must live from these general observations. An "is" never equals an "ought".

Given those thoughts, I can't see why one would pursue a degree in that field. I believe that Elders should be equiped with enough Theology to answer any problems of a general nature. One can deduce from these general categories to particular problems. 1 Tim. 3:16,17; 1 Pet. 1:3

CharlesG

[Edited on 10-15-2006 by CharlesG]

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CharlesG
My Church home is a PCA church in Cordova, TN named, 'ST. Andrews PCA'.
Regarding confessions that I hold to: I hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith, The Belgic Confession and The Heidelberg Confession.

Here are some interesting articles regarding the field of christian couseling or christian psychology:

http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/critbcm.html

Best Regards,

Charles Gillihan

As far as I know, there are no true Ph.D. programs in Biblical Counseling. Whitefield Seminary has a Ph.D. in Biblical Counseling, but the seminary is not accredited. Doctoral programs in Biblical Counseling are D.Min. degrees, not Ph.D. degrees. A D.Min. is a professional degree, and a Ph.D. is a research degree. D.Min. programs will require at least three years of full-time ministry before entering.

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