Confession: A Spiritual Analysis
Then, McMinn (2007) acknowledges the Spirituality perspective on sin. According to the author (2007), spirituality role in sin requires one to enter deeply into their spiritual life, which will require one to abandon sin management and to seek inner transformation through the work of the Holy Spirit (p 165). This means for sin to be appropriately managed it involves one to exceed willpower and seek God, which allows for the spiritual disciplines to become essential tools for holiness (McMinn, 2007, p 166). McMinn (2007) explains that the spiritual disciplines are not what are causing one’s holiness, but that it allows for the door to one’s soul to be opened, which allows God’s grace and truth to become a part of them (p. 166). According
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to McMinn (2007), Christian counselors should use more of a confronting approach when dealing with their clients’ sin (p 165-167). McMinn (2007) provided four approaches to confronting sin of the following: silence, pondering, questioning, and direct censure (p 167-170). McMinn (2007) also provide the option of not confronting sin with our clients by using either the outside-in approach or the inside-out approach (p 170-175). The author also expresses that each approach has to be carefully selected with regard to the following: to the certain client, the situation regarding the client, and the nature of the therapeutic relationship (p 167). McMinn (2007) also states that it is very important to maintain empathy toward our clients when confronting sin, which can be done by empathic confrontation (p 179-180).
Confession.
In chapter six, McMinn’s main emphasis is on the concept of confession within the counseling session. The author discusses prayer by explaining the psychological perspective of confession, theology perspective of prayer, and spirituality perspective of confession. McMinn (2007) acknowledges that certain empirical research regarding Confession in counseling has psychological benefits, such as people who naturally reveal more in counseling will be less prone to psychosomatic ailments verse the people who are naturally more guarded; people who expressed grief after losing a spouse also show fewer physical ailment verse the people who tried to privately deal with their grief (p204-205). McMinn (2007) focuses on the confessional nature of psychotherapy. According to the author (2007), “confession is a natural, automatic part of counseling,” (p 206). Confessions that are herd by counselors and priest both replicate the rhythm McMinn described in his foundations chapters of the following: “an individual recognizes and admits need and is then drawn into a healing relationship through the understanding or absolving words of a priest or counselor,” (McMinn, 2007, p 206). McMinn (2007) points out that despite the fact the confessional nature of counseling there are differences amongst religious confession and counseling confession (p 206). According to McMinn (2007), the difference amongst religious confession and counseling confession is the follow: Religious confessions undertake moral error on the part of the confessor, whereas counseling typically assumes a bigger problem that is unconsciously driven (McMinn, 2007, p 206). Meaning that the priest focus is on the immediate moral problem, whereas the counselor focus is on the psychological context that will help explain why the behavior has occurred, therefore confession accepts moral violation, and counseling accepts moral neutrality (McMinn, 2007, p 206). McMinn (2007) also points out that there might be a
distinction amongst the methods of confession and counseling, but it is recognizable that it is not a completely sufficient distinction, because it returns us to the sin-versus-sickness dichotomy of the following: priests attribute problems to sin, whereas counselors attribute problems to sickness (p 206-207). McMinn (2007) second emphasis is on the concept of confession of guilt. The author (2007) acknowledges that guilt has previously been associated to psychological disturbance and that the associations between religion, guilt, and disturbance have been deliberated (p 209). According to the author (2007), guilt has been perceived as the following two ways: sometimes guilt is perceived as a harmful and self-defeating emotion accompanying religious faith; other times guilt is perceived as a sentiment that reflects empathy for others and leads to beneficial reparative actions (p 209). McMinn (2007) acknowledges that empirical research has suggested that there might be a place for healthy guilt (p 209). According to McMinn (2007), there has been numerous psychologists have recognized that there is a positive role for certain forms of guilt (p 210). McMinn (2007) proclaims that guilt does not always a negative phenomenon, instead it assistances in understanding along with abiding by to moral principles, supports one’s sense of order in the world, and encourages one to reconcile with one another ( p 210). Guilt can also at times prevent one from placing blame on others and having resentment and anger toward others, but also can lead to a grander understanding of God’s grace (p 210). McMinn’s (2007) strongest point on the concept of guilt dealing with counseling is the following: “when we deny or disqualify guilt from counseling, we rob our clients of opportunities for godly sorrow, repentance, and restoration,” (p 211).
to McMinn (2007), Christian counselors should use more of a confronting approach when dealing with their clients’ sin (p 165-167). McMinn (2007) provided four approaches to confronting sin of the following: silence, pondering, questioning, and direct censure (p 167-170). McMinn (2007) also provide the option of not confronting sin with our clients by using either the outside-in approach or the inside-out approach (p 170-175). The author also expresses that each approach has to be carefully selected with regard to the following: to the certain client, the situation regarding the client, and the nature of the therapeutic relationship (p 167). McMinn (2007) also states that it is very important to maintain empathy toward our clients when confronting sin, which can be done by empathic confrontation (p 179-180).
Confession.
In chapter six, McMinn’s main emphasis is on the concept of confession within the counseling session. The author discusses prayer by explaining the psychological perspective of confession, theology perspective of prayer, and spirituality perspective of confession. McMinn (2007) acknowledges that certain empirical research regarding Confession in counseling has psychological benefits, such as people who naturally reveal more in counseling will be less prone to psychosomatic ailments verse the people who are naturally more guarded; people who expressed grief after losing a spouse also show fewer physical ailment verse the people who tried to privately deal with their grief (p204-205). McMinn (2007) focuses on the confessional nature of psychotherapy. According to the author (2007), “confession is a natural, automatic part of counseling,” (p 206). Confessions that are herd by counselors and priest both replicate the rhythm McMinn described in his foundations chapters of the following: “an individual recognizes and admits need and is then drawn into a healing relationship through the understanding or absolving words of a priest or counselor,” (McMinn, 2007, p 206). McMinn (2007) points out that despite the fact the confessional nature of counseling there are differences amongst religious confession and counseling confession (p 206). According to McMinn (2007), the difference amongst religious confession and counseling confession is the follow: Religious confessions undertake moral error on the part of the confessor, whereas counseling typically assumes a bigger problem that is unconsciously driven (McMinn, 2007, p 206). Meaning that the priest focus is on the immediate moral problem, whereas the counselor focus is on the psychological context that will help explain why the behavior has occurred, therefore confession accepts moral violation, and counseling accepts moral neutrality (McMinn, 2007, p 206). McMinn (2007) also points out that there might be a
distinction amongst the methods of confession and counseling, but it is recognizable that it is not a completely sufficient distinction, because it returns us to the sin-versus-sickness dichotomy of the following: priests attribute problems to sin, whereas counselors attribute problems to sickness (p 206-207). McMinn (2007) second emphasis is on the concept of confession of guilt. The author (2007) acknowledges that guilt has previously been associated to psychological disturbance and that the associations between religion, guilt, and disturbance have been deliberated (p 209). According to the author (2007), guilt has been perceived as the following two ways: sometimes guilt is perceived as a harmful and self-defeating emotion accompanying religious faith; other times guilt is perceived as a sentiment that reflects empathy for others and leads to beneficial reparative actions (p 209). McMinn (2007) acknowledges that empirical research has suggested that there might be a place for healthy guilt (p 209). According to McMinn (2007), there has been numerous psychologists have recognized that there is a positive role for certain forms of guilt (p 210). McMinn (2007) proclaims that guilt does not always a negative phenomenon, instead it assistances in understanding along with abiding by to moral principles, supports one’s sense of order in the world, and encourages one to reconcile with one another ( p 210). Guilt can also at times prevent one from placing blame on others and having resentment and anger toward others, but also can lead to a grander understanding of God’s grace (p 210). McMinn’s (2007) strongest point on the concept of guilt dealing with counseling is the following: “when we deny or disqualify guilt from counseling, we rob our clients of opportunities for godly sorrow, repentance, and restoration,” (p 211).