Counsel of Heaven: Foundations for Biblical Christian Counseling

by Ian F. Jones

The Counsel of Heaven on Earth  provides a helpful introductory look at the principles of biblical Christian counseling based on models found in the books of Genesis and Isaiah. It also includes extensive survey research plus insight from personal counseling experiences that author Ian F. Jones encountered at Wedgewood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, where a gunman killed seven people and wounded many others in September 1999. Broadening his audience, Jones also addresses the debate between biblical/nouthetic counselors and Christian/integrationist counselors, inviting all professionals to consider his fresh biblical Christian counseling approach.

Genres: Counselling, Christianity, Christian, Theology, Psychology

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Justin Sassard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off really strong in the first few chapters but the rest of the book wasn’t as helpful. I wish there would have been more actual counseling approaches evaluated through the biblical foundations that Jones was writing about. This book wasn’t bad, like I said the first few chapters were really great. I just feel like there are more helpful counseling books out there like Instruments in the hands of the redeemer by Paul David Tripp.

[Peyton Mansfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Brief: The book has some helpful nuggets for counseling, but it was largely surface level and had trouble staying on topic.

The goal of this book was to lay foundations for counseling from the Bible, rather than focus on comprehensive strategies and theories. In practice, that meant chapters had varying degrees of relevancy and helpfulness, and I was left feeling the need to read more to be prepared for a real counseling situation.

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The first chapter makes clear the source of authority for a Christian counselor must be the Bible, but the second chapter of the book uses as its basis a lengthy paraphrase of Genesis 2-3, with questionable exegesis and opinions about free will added in. Then the next chapter ditches the biblical motif to pull principles from a 6-page summary of a man's biography, then analyze the childhoods of psychologists Freud and Rogers in order to critique their theories.

Many chapters did stick close to biblical principles, but much of this material was general spiritual advice (e.g., growing the fruit of the Spirit) with "and this is important for counseling" tacked on the end. The 230-page book probably only has ~150 pages of advice explicitly for handling counseling situations.

In Jones defense, the couple chapters that truly analyzed examples of counseling in Scripture were helpful. His explanation of why God approached Adam, Cain, and others with questions, despite His omniscience, was illuminating to His strategy of reconciliation. And his discussion of Jesus' use of silence to was instructive and heartwarming.

•••

Overall, the book had some helpful principles, and you're not going to read anything destructive in it, but I feel like I would have been better off reading something else — especially in order to feel more confident in counseling situations. To that end, the book would have been helped by having a more well-defined purpose and structure. 2/5 stars.

[Warren Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is not well-verses in the realm of counseling (much less “Christian Counseling”), this book did an excellent job of laying the foundations and basic principles for the practice. I really enjoyed the way that Jones carefully connected God, creation, the Gospel, and especially the Holy Spirit to the act of counseling. His emphasis on the Holy Spirit, particularly on allowing Him to guide and mold the counselor, was perhaps some of Jones’ best work.

The work could have been shortened a bit, as many areas felt repetitive. But otherwise, a fantastic introduction and foundation to the field of Christian Counseling.

[Evan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. Lots of biblical references throughout. Scripturally based and focused in parts, sort of rambling in others. Lots to learn here, but could have been organized and conveyed in a clearer manner

[Holland Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re interested in Christian Counseling, this is a phenomenal introduction into it. It’s a relatively easy read that doesn’t require much thought in order to understand it. It really gave me a good luck into how I can at the very least be better in relationships with other people.

[C.J. Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty much done with it half-way through. Some parts are helpful, but Jones could've shortened this one up. There is a good message of reconciliation as the focal point of counseling.

[William Marr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accomplishes the goal of laying a foundation, although this meant his approach did not have much depth. I did enjoyed the first couple chapters and final chapter the most.

[Twila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book on Christian counseling takes a unique perspective, starting in Eden rather than after the Cross. The premise is that God created humanity with a desire for perfect relationships with each other and with Him. The Fall removed that possibility, but the Cross restored the hope of returning to that perfection. From there, Jones deals with how the Christian counselor can help a counselee get on track with that hope while not pushing spiritual matters before the counselee is ready for them.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is great, easy read with some very practical advice for biblical counseling. I recommend it to anyone who does any counseling. While there is nothing revolutionary about it, it does provide some very practical advice that will prove beneficial.

[John Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read for the counselor who is a Christian. Fodder for the formulation of Christian philosophy in a profession that many times ascribes mental illness to spiritual involvement.