Bachelor of Arts, Biblical Counseling

This course introduces the student to the necessary skills and techniques that promote educational success in the online environment. Academic writing and research techniques promoting information literacy are examined and applied. This course is also undergirded by an essential focus on spiritual formation foundational to healthy ministry, personal as well as corporate, within the life of the church. Guiding principles for biblical ministry are established within the curriculum.

An analysis of how to study and understand Scripture. Emphasis will be placed on the vital methods used to apply a passage and the specific rules used to interpret biblical narratives, poetry, parables, and prophecy.

A general introduction to basic concepts and distinctive features of biblical counseling. Students will discuss what biblical counseling is and what it involves, the role of the counselor in biblical counseling, the different kinds of counseling that are needed, the place of counseling in the ministry of the church, and how biblical counseling theory and practice relate to and differ from some of the more common secular models and theories. Part of the course will involve a personal improvement project in which the student will evaluate his/her own counseling qualifications, design a plan for improving some area of his/her life, put that plan into action, and then evaluate his/her progress as the course draws to a close.

An overview of the counseling process presenting a comprehensive methodological model for promoting biblical change in people. The goal is to encourage biblical thinking and procedures in the process of helping people.

Prerequisites: B101, B102, B201, B202, B340, BC300, BC310, BTH321, and BTH322.

A general introduction to the basic concepts of psychology, with emphasis given to the various theories of psychology along with a thorough biblical analysis and critique.

Designed for beginners in Greek. Includes a thorough study of the pronunciation and acquisition of a working vocabulary, exercises in translation from Greek to English as well as from English to Greek, and translation of selected passages of the Greek New Testament. Prerequisites: B340 and BC310/B310.

This course is designed to help the student think biblically about conflict and how to respond to life’s conflicts in a way that glorifies the Lord (1 Cor. 10:31). In particular, the student will be taught a model and a plan for how to think about struggles in relationships and evaluate their own typical patterns of response. These principles apply to business and the church, but there will be a special focus on handling marriage difficulties. Prerequisites: B101, B102, B201, B202, B340, BC300, BC310, BTH321, and BTH322.

Marriage and family problems are present in the majority of counseling cases. This course will give an overview of general marriage and family counseling issues relating to the content and process of counseling. It will then proceed to specifically deal (from a biblical perspective) with the major difficulties that troubled marriages and families experience. Included in the course are discussions of the biblical basis and purposes of marriage, family stages, in-law problems, developing unity, husband/wife roles and responsibilities, correcting communication problems, why conflicts arise, and how to resolve them. Prerequisites: B101, B102, B201, B202, B340, BC300, BC310, BTH321, and BTH322.

A consideration of the theological realities that form the basis of a proper approach to counseling. Special emphasis is given to the nature of God and of man (unfallen and fallen), a biblical definition of the image of God, the nature of sin, the realities of regeneration and progressive sanctification, the concept of “the flesh” (old man/new man), an understanding of the heart/mind as used in Scripture, and the place of the local church in the ministry of counseling. Prerequisites: B101, B102, B201, B202, B340, BC300, BC310, BTH321, and BTH322.

This course is designed to consider the practical application of the principles of biblical counseling and the various methodological aspects of the counseling process. These courses will include student participation in counseling as counselors, counselees, and observers. These activities will form the basis of seminar discussions where counseling will be analyzed from a biblical perspective. The goal of these courses is to help the student learn, evaluate, and sharpen practical counseling. Prerequisites: B101, B102, B201, B202, B340, BC300, BC310, BC311, BC330, BTH321, and BTH322

These courses are designed to apply the biblical principles taught in BC330 Methods of Biblical Change to a range of specific counseling problems. Topics discussed include anger, fear, depression, sexual deviancy, anxiety, eating disorders, decision making, one’s past, self-concept, various syndromes, ADHD, and crisis counseling. During the second semester of this course, each student will be part of a team that will develop and present to the class a detailed biblical counseling outline for a teacher-approved counseling problem. Prerequisites: B101, B102, B201, B202, B340, BC300, BC310, BC311, BC330, BTH321, and BTH322.

This course provides the student with the opportunity to complete in-depth review and analysis of a range of biblical counseling cases and issues and is taken in the place of BC451 in the event that the student’s application for that course is not accepted. The student will be required to view recorded biblical counseling sessions and complete an ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) case report for each session. The student’s case reports for each session will be assessed and feedback from an experienced biblical counselor will be provided. BC452 must be taken as a culminating course for the degree (except for BC400 Senior Integration Seminar) and could be taken simultaneously with BC400 and BC422 Problems & Procedures II. All other core Biblical Counseling classes are prerequisites.

A senior integrative seminar covering such topics as the credentialing process, seminary and graduate school, transitional issues, career placement, and the senior competency examination. (Must be taken last in major course sequence.)