"[C]hallenging the Christian psychologist to be cognizant not only of the client's political and cultural narrative, but also the role of her or his own Christian story in the therapeutic dialogue," Alvin Dueck and Kevin Reimer in A Peaceable Psychology: Christian Therapy in a World of Many Cultures sound a clarion call to Christian clinicians to practice a very sensitive form of treatment. Duack, and Reimer believe that clinicians who do not recognize the power their own cultures, religion, and perspectives have on the way they approach clients, are running roughshod over their patients cultural sensibilities and may be causing their patients to "pick-up" western culture in order to find healing.

They suggest that many of the connotations words have in the west are not shared by those from other cultures. As such what "healing" is in a Judeo-Christian construction of reality, is not what it is to a Muslim or Hindu. As such, they believe that these traditions must eb understood and that they should be used to find healing on their patient's cultural terms, not those of the care provider.

Insightful, lucid, and innovative this book will make an excellent addition to fast growing theoretic understanding of psychology from a Christian perspective. It will make an excellent reading edition to any college course in multi-cultural counseling, or for any course on pastoral counseling.

In the past century psychology has been practiced in the manner of medical science, working from the assumption that therapy can transcend particular ethnic and religious traditions. Seeking to move the conversation forward, this book argues for a theologically, culturally, and politically sensitive psychotherapy whereby the Christian psychologist treats the patient according to the particulars of the patient's political situation and ethnic and religious tradition, while acknowledging the role of his or her own Christian story in therapeutic dialogue. The authors point to the life of Jesus as the foundation on which to build a therapeutic ethic, appropriating the story of his life to bring healing.

Alvin Dueck (PhD, Stanford University), a licensed psychologist, is the Evelyn and Frank Freed Professor of the Integration of Psychology and Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is coauthor of The Living God and Our Living Psyche. Kevin Reimer (PhD, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology) is professor of psychology at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.

http://www.christianbook.com/peaceable-psychology-christian-therapy-world-cultures/alvin-dueck/9781587431050/pd/431050

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product_review

__USERID__

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/ask_and_answer

• Academic >> Theology
• Books >> Personal Growth >> Counseling/Psychology >> Professional
• Books >> Theology
• Education >> Psychology
• Start A New Christianbook.com Search

I'm the author/artist and I want to review A Peaceable Psychology: Christian Therapy in a World of Many Cultures.