Seeing with New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture (Resources for Changing Lives) Paperback – November 10, 2003

This is the first book I have read from David Powlison and I will be reading more! He is very straight forward, values the Scripture above all other sources and has very good insights!

Having read many books from the usual secular self-help and Christian counseling scene this book really shattered most of their half-truths and revealed the wonder of the cross in a totally different light.I don't think I've ever felt as challenged about my views and motives nor as in absolute awe of what Christ's death on the cross as was revealed by this book. Unlike many books this is not one big idea padded out, this is real meat as each chapter addresses different aspects of our psychology with the sharp blade of scripture.I just hate it when you're taught things at church and by well meaning Christian friends that are actually so against the beauty of the cross and our ongoing sanctification. I loved that Powlison addressed much of the popular advice and how their small presuppositions lead people off track on big matters. If there's anything this book will do it won't let you finish it with your pride intact.I would say if you want to know what counseling that is empowered by understanding the bible, God's character and our place in his scheme then this book is my suggested starting point.For the sake of your ministry, even if you're just a member of a church, please read this book!

This is my first book by this author; I thought it was excellent and bought a copy for a friend.

The Good: As a pastor I have read a number of books on Pastoral counseling or Biblical counseling. This one certainly ranks up their near the top. I found this book to actually be Biblical (sadly other pastoral counseling books are not) and helpful and practical (again sadly other pastoral counseling books are not). It is divided into two parts: Part 1: Scripture Opens Blinds Eyes- which looks at how God uses His Word to help us see. Found chapter 4-6 to be especially helpful in looking at what Scripture has to say about Peached, Comfort, and Worry. Appreciated the author focusing in one one passage of Scripture with some depth verses referencing a variety of passages with little depth.Part 2: Reinterpreting Life provided a different (meaning Biblical) lens to look through in many common areas of struggle that people have today. Chapter 7-8 I believe will benefit me the most in my ongoing work as a pastor in counseling those in my congregation. Chapter 8 alone is worth the cost of the book. The second part of this book deals with motivation, love, human defensiveness, feelings, and Biological Psychiatry.The Bad: I struggled with the introduction and chapters 1-2 of this book. Not sure why, but glad that I kept reading. There were also times when it seemed to me that the author came across at times arrogant in his writing. A few other times I felt the author seemed dismissive (almost mockingly) of legitimate struggles that people faced.Recommendation: I would recommend this book to all pastors who are seeking to grow in their pastoral counseling. Also, would recommend this book to those who are counselors. While the target audience is certainly not lay members of a church- I do believe much in this book would be of great benefit to them so would recommend it to them as well. There are takeaways in this book that I trust will be helpful and put into practice as I continue to seek to counsel and shepherd people well using the Word of God to do that.

"Seeing with New Eyes" is the first volume in Powlison's proposed three-volume set on Christian counseling. This first volume he sees as providing the theological foundation for understanding psychological issues from a spiritual, biblical perspective.The "new eyes" are the eyes enlightened by faith in Christ and restored to sight by confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture to explain life and relationships. "Seeing with New Eyes" offers a theological-intellectual defense of "Nouthetic Counseling" as a biblical counseling model seeking to understand truth about God and humanity through God's eyes as revealed in Scripture.It is an excellent introduction by perhaps the leading theologian in the Nouthetic Counseling movement. However, the book is also a compilation of many previous articles by the author. Thus at times it reads more as a string of excellent artilces than a tightly woven and thematically consistent book. That aside, Powlison is to be commended for his articulate explanation of the human condition through the lens of Scripture.Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Beyond the Suffering: The Story of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

In one of the early chapters there is a quiz to do. DO IT It helped me a lot. The rest of the book, was a hard read, If you purchase, just do the quiz.

So far in my life, this is the most helpful book I've read, and I count it as my favorite. Powlison is relatable and so still as he writes, and the words really go deep. They sit on truths in meditation that are impacting to core of who we are. Powlison exposes where profession denies true belief, and he gives clear, scripture-breathed meditation to the deepest struggles we have. The topics can seem so intimidating at first glance, raising current culturally approved psychoanalytic and therapeutic theories. Yet, when you get into how Powlison addresses these, it returns to sounding like the scripture we're so familiar with, and we can fall in line his thinking easily and be refreshed. This book hits the mark, and it lands squarely on God Himself as our rescue, our means, our hope, and our reward. If you want to counsel, this book is not a bad starting place.

A tougher read but the material was what I needed.