A lack of understanding
The attack on Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's change to nouthetic counseling grieves me. Some of the article [March 3 issue] seems to be rooted in a lack of firsthand knowledge of nouthetic counseling.
Nouthetic comes from the Greek word “noutheteo” which literally means “place in mind,” which is a word linked with bringing specific truth (biblical truth) to bear on details of an individual's life. Nouthetic counseling relies upon the Bible as being totally sufficient in areas of counseling. This requires a high view of the Bible as well as a belief in the perspicuity of Scripture.
Other schools of thought believe that Scripture is not sufficient or relevant in addressing the problems of people today but needs help from psychology. Yet the move by Southern Seminary needs to be commended to all people as being well thought-out, focused on the Bible and relying totally upon the time-tested special revelation of the Bible instead of the insights of fallen man.
Some wish to place psychology equal or oftentimes above that of the Bible, yet nouthetic counseling seeks to make the Bible the final and sole authority, not the counselor or counselee (which is often done in modern psychology). The Bible alone is both reliable and clear as well as perfect in thoroughly equipping the man of God for all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Nouthetic counseling does not seek to answer physical problems like brain surgery, as one editorial seems to state. Yet the Bible does address issues of depression, sexuality and most other modern counseling issues.
Albert Mohler should be applauded for evaluating Southern Seminary's direction. The obvious conclusion of nouthetic counseling is that a proper understanding of the Bible is all a person needs to properly counsel.
The other counseling methods simply deny the priesthood of the believer by making counseling totally dependent upon professionals and not upon a Christian well entrenched in the Word of God. I am proud of the stand by Dr. Mohler in upholding the traditional Baptist view.
Derick Dickens, Partlow
Misleading headline
I thought the title “Seeking an identity” and the subtitle “Moderate Baptists looking for something to get excited about” regarding the recent Mainstream Baptist convocation, “A New Day for Baptists,” gave misleading connotations to the substance of the meeting.
I came away from the convocation believing that we mainstream Baptists are truly the “free and faithful” Baptists of the present and of the future. We are faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and faithful to the traditional Baptist principles that have guided our people for four centuries. We are loyal to the work of the Baptist World Alliance, which represents and helps some of the poorest people in the world.
We are a free people who refuse to be subservient to the fundamentalist dictates that have changed the Southern Baptist Convention so radically during the past 25 years. We do not mourn the past but look forward to a future bright as the “New Jerusalem.” We are energized and excited by the goal of carrying Jesus' vision and gospel to a world still lost in darkness.
Hugh W. Olds Jr., Alexandria