1. HOW TO HELP PEOPLE (Biblical Anthropology in Education and Pastoral Counselling) Dana & Pavel Hanes, Slovakia

3.  Where we are today (problems described)  Biblical anthropology in Christian practice (suggested solution)

4. May 2010ELF2010 EGER

5. Serious Problems in Contemporary Approaches to Education and Counselling – 1  The surrounding Zeitgeist in Christian theory and practice  Undercurrent assumptions: monism, scientism, subjectivism (selfism) smuggled into the Christian work as a contraband through attitudes, methods and aims of education/counselling

6. Serious Problems in Contemporary Approaches to Education and Counselling – 2  Monism – reality is a seamless fabric  ‘Monism’ – doctrine that either that there is ultimately only one thing, or only one kind of thing; There is no gulf dividing reality (created/uncreated; spiritual/physical  )  Key-word: knowability  Consequences: loss of worship; critique of God ▪ Fact/Value dichotomy  values chosen arbitrarily (voluntarism) ▪ Psycho-theology (Jung)  “God” is product of human consciousness

7. Serious Problems in Contemporary Approaches to Education and Counselling – 3  Scientism – “inordinate trust in scientific methods”  determinism (Laplace)  All you need is to discover the right method. (  “How to  ” Christian literature)  key-word: control  consequences: depersonalization; manipulation  ▪ no responsibility for one’s problems (blaming society, parents  ) ▪ belief in fate

8.  Subjectivism – Setting goals according to individual desires  “selfism”: metaphysical rebellion (Camus); self-determination ideal (“define or be defined” – Szasz); absolute autonomy (Lipovetsky)  key-word: image (visual culture Life the Movie Gabler)  consequences: identity loss; god-complex ▪ no sense of belonging (everyone is in a class of his own) ▪ loss of significance/meaning in proportion to self-evaluation Serious Problems in Contemporary Approaches to Education and Counselling – 4

11.  The emphasis not on the development of the learning subject, but on the relationship of the learning subject as a member of a bigger „unit“, getting free from the dichotomy between object and subject: the aim is to reach this „unity“  Transcendence of the subject, relationship to mystical reality, intuitive experience of this unity („pure subjectivity“) – with the centre in cosmic conscience (New Age)

12.  Robert Coles: The Spiritual Life of children (1990)  in conversation with Anna Freud: “Each child becomes an authority, and all the meetings become occassions for a teacher–the child – to offer, gradually, a lesson.”

13. humanism: C. Rogers (Self Concept Theory) client-student - centred (‘turn to human being’ – a new person who would not want to control the whole world, but to improve oneself and one’s own relationships toward other people (values of the whole humanhood), managing own life, individualized approach, self-development, development of the child personality, verbal assessment... constructivism: freedom, critical thinking

14.  “  includes the description of man, in his original condition before the fall, in his fall, and as fallen.  It begins with the creation of man, discusses his essential parts, his fall, and especially treats of the doctrines of sin and free will.  Christian anthropology shows that human beings are both: part of creation (eg. we are largely – not entirely – determined by nature) and: image of God (eg. we are largely – not entirely – free to choose our worldview)

15. 1. Biblical view of man (human being) takes into account  Biblical ontology (Eternal Spirit ↔ creation) → worship  Biblical cosmology (spiritual and physical reality) → J 4; 1Cor 2  Biblical anthropology (imago dei; man&woman; dicho-trichotomy)

16. BIBLICAL ANTHROPOLOGY - HOW TO USE IT 1. Christian (ontological) dualism  an existence in “two worlds”  binding time and eternity  separation means death  the unity of being – always deal with the whole person  values derived from ontology

17. Matthias Bel (1684 – 1749) “You, Jesus, are the source of my teaching.”

18.  Larry Crabb The Pressure is Off! The new way!  The Bible calls it the new way of the Spirit. In the New Way, the pressure’s off.