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NEFF & MCMINN REVIEW: PART B
Neff & McMinn Review: Part B
Shimya Smith
Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies, Liberty University
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NEFF & MCMINN REVIEW: PART B
Abstract
This paper will portray the concepts and thoughts of Neff and McMinn. The authors talk about
concepts that will be beneficial to counselors to integrate into counseling sessions. During these
sessions counselors can work in power of the story and the models of atonement. Counseling
sessions are built around the client’s story. There is power in a client’s story and the different
variations in the story. Atonement speaks to the client’s ability to merge and ask for forgiveness
with God. To conclude there is an application to my spiritual formation opportunities and
potential short comings.
Keywords: atonement, mission, integration
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NEFF & MCMINN REVIEW: PART B
Neff and McMinn Review: Part B
The book (2020) is written by Megan Anna Neff and Mark Embodying Integration
McMinn, a father-daughter duo. Mark McMinn is a well-known writer and educator. He is a
pivotal person to the faculty that helped with the process of integrating psychology and
Christianity at both Wheaton College and George Fox University. Mark is a graduate of
Vanderbilt, receiving his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. McMinn is a licensed psychologist at
Oregon, fellow and former president of APA’s Division 36, and society for the psychology of
religion and spirituality (Tyndale House Publisher, 2022). Megan Anna Neff graduated from
Princeton Theological Seminary, which helped shape her theological approach to psychology.
She also attended George Fox University, which has molded her as a teacher, mentor, and
psychotherapist. Both father and daughter are thankful for the support and encouragement as
they receive a team of peer reviewers and editors to guide them through expressing the
importance of integrating psychology and Christianity (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
Summary: Chapter 4-6
Chapter four of discusses the importance of a person’s story. A Embodying Integration
story can be shaped by spiritual and religious beliefs, whether shaped of the client or the
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counselor. Neff and McMinn (2020) state that to understand any human, one must come to know
their story. Stories can be told and perceived how the person lived through them, making
everyone’s story different. When going through the counseling program, many counselors are
taught to listen and share immediacy with their clients. Active listening is a skill counselors
practice to listen to their client’s stories to assist them with their needs. Empathic listening and
helping clients openly express how they perceive their stories links to positive therapy outcomes
(Altabef et al., 2017; Neff & McMinn, 2020).
Neff and McMinn (2020) explain atonement as a way for counselors to have purposeful
conversation and transformation from personal stories told by the clients. Atonement is sensing
he relationship with God is fractured, and one is now eager to make the relationship right. It is
the development of reconciling with God and living a life of truth. Atonement allows an
individual to have a deeper conversation with God. The perspective of atonement can change the
outlook and exchange between counselor and client. Clients view atonement as an outlook to
express their stories, and as counselors, one must be flexible in how the client views atonement
(Neff & McMinn, 2020).
There are various perspectives of atonement. The first is Christus Victor/ransom theory
which views sin as detachment from God. Suppressing the powers of sin and death is Christ’s
victory, in which the death of Jesus served as a ransom price paid to Satan. The second is the
moralistic theory, which emphasizes the personal experiences of reflecting God’s love. The
emphasis of reflecting God’s love hints to a change in one’s spiritual life. This metaphor ensures
that people repent to God and make ethical changes, considered a subjective model. The third is
the satisfaction/penal substitution which has remained the dominant model for the last five
hundred years. However, this is the most popular model. It is influenced by bias and
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misinterpretations. The irony of this model is that it provokes the most considerable amount of
feedback. The central criticism of this model is that the heart of God is pleased with violence
(Neff & McMinn, 2020).
According to Neff and McMinn, satisfaction/penal substitution is the satisfaction by
offering something greater in kind to the insult, or punishment. Atonement was viewed as
satisfaction throughout this model. One weakness of the satisfaction/penal substitution model is
the inconsistency of a loving God. This model shows that God is ungenerous and sees no wrong
in punishing for wrongdoings. Amongst this downfall of this model, it also produces strength.
First, Jesus’s apologetic passing leads to awareness of the forgiveness of God. Secondly, God’s
essential attention shines a light on greater self-acceptance and being forgiving to others. Third,
the problem of human sin is serious. When sin is taken seriously, humans can recognize the harm
done, which is essential to healing a broken relationship. Lastly, God’s holiness and love meet at
a crossroads. This theory protects us from the risk of overemphasizing love at the cost of
underemphasizing righteousness and justice (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
The view of atonement can determine how the therapist views the client. One way a
therapist views a client is through their soul and spirit while despising the sin of the client. A
therapist can neatly analyze and love the essence of a person without considering the
complicated compound of a person’s actions, values, and character. As counselors, it is essential
to be themselves. Personal experiences of sin and shame and self-awareness of their thoughts and
opinions should reflect how their ideas and belief relate to God (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
Neff and McMinn (2020) start chapter five by discussing how counselors share their faith
in counseling sessions. When counselors have a deep relationship with God, they see that Jesus
saves them from self-focusing and offers a more abundant life. Therefore, understanding the
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complexity of one’s livelihood, counselors can share this in counseling sessions. Neff and
McMinn (2020) emphasize that the most important way Christians can share their faith is to go
out into the world to save lost souls. As stated in Luke 15:4, “what man of you, having hundred
sheep, if he has lost one of them, he does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go
after the ones that are lost, until he finds it (English Standard Version, 2001/2016, Luke 15:4).
God have given counselor the knowledge, humility, and integrity to save and help people who
come in their presence. God uses many people to spread His word through prayer to help protect
them (Liberty University, 2021). McMinn and Neff (2020) address understanding of mission
from an action that should be done by humans to help others versus doing the counselor’s work
to be more effective in fulfilling the mission called by God (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
Another way counselors can share their faith in a counseling session is through
ecclesiology, the study of the church. Neff and McMinn (2020) express that experiencing the
presence of God, hearing God preaching, and growing in numbers under the same place of
worship brings an ecclesiological view. The mission with ecclesiology hints at the church’s
support and growth. The essence of the church is the relationship, whereas the essentials of
growth of the church is development and support. Practices such as baptisms, scriptures, and
holy communion are important to the church growth (Dunlop, 2018). The counselor being
knowledgeable of the Word of God and the heart of Jesus is beneficial to a hurting world. The
mission in soteriology and ecclesiology is the central organizing and motivating factor (Neff &
McMinn, 2020).
Neff and McMinn (2020) address the importance of reflecting on how understanding
God’s nature impacts Christian communities. The world is made up of different cultures,
religions, and people. There is no rule book provided to say how the world would evolve. In the
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Bible, Matthew 28:19 states, “go therefore and make disciplines of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit” (English Standard Version, 2001/2016,
Matthew 28:19). Jews and gentiles lived separately, but knowing this, Jesus, on his mission,
continued with his way of thinking, knowing that Christianity embraces cultural diversity. There
was no distinction as every culture lived life differently (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
In the concluding chapter, Neff and McMinn (2020) mentioned that integration implies
wholeness. Neff and McMinn pose the question of where God is during life uncertainties.
Throughout this chapter, they offer a glimpse of what was analyzed in the previous chapter to
help understand God’s whereabouts in lament, atonement, and the image of God. Looking back
on the chapters shows unity between counselors and clients showing that one is not alone in
questioning God, life struggles, and crying out for help. Neff and McMinn (2020) mentioned he
had students eager to know how to do “integration.” As humble as McMinn was during lectures
and even supervision, he chose not to answer because there is no correct way on how to do this
thing called “integration.” Integration can look different based on the counselor and counseling
session. According to Neff and McMinn, “choosing to use an explicit spiritual intervention can
be useful, incredibly harmful, or anywhere in between depending on the situation and
circumstances” (Neff & McMinn, 2020, p. 210). Something as praying for clients outside of
counseling sessions is a form of integration. Praying may not be viewed as a form of integration
but praying for clients who come into a session is a part of the mission of a counselor (Neff &
McMinn, 2020).
As we go back to the question above, “where is God in deep uncertainties and suffering?”
The spirit is more than be present amidst adversity and encouragement. When we think about
healing before receiving counseling, the Holy Spirit could provide courage for client to discuss
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issues with close family and friends before going to counseling. To answer the question of where
God is during uncertainties Neff and McMinn (2020) believe that God is where offering a client
a view into a better life, a connected and interpersonal life where they can dream and be
optimistic. Additionally, basic skills such as goal setting allow the client to desire and remain
hopeful during trying times (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
Reflection
After reading the last three chapters in I have noticed my lack of Embodying Integration,
knowledge of theology and spiritual integration. McMinn discussed the power of the story. A
person’s story holds many things that can be close to a person’s heart. To get to know someone,
one must know their story and be willing to understand from the person’s point of view. Their
story and vulnerability define who they are. The way a person analyzes their story is essential to
them as it is from their perspective. A Christian narrative is an individual’s stories of self and
Christian faith. For instance, the Bible is made up of stories from individual biblical characters
and Christian faith. The story of an individual is a larger picture of the culture that stems from
years ago. I agree with McMinn on the power of the story and as a counselor gets to know a
person, it is essential to understand their story. The choices made by an individual can sometimes
alter their story and outcomes. Their way of life is defined by what they have gone through (Neff
& McMinn, 2020).
The possibilities of a person’s story differentiating resonates deep as my story is different
from others. I feel that my story of religion has a variance from others because at a young age, I
would attend church, but it was never an interest of mine as I felt I had to be there. Furthermore,
I enjoyed attending church as a young adult but the stories in the Bible never related to my
reality. Therefore, my lack of relatability in the Bible has affected my story as a Christian.
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Throughout my life, I struggled to integrate Christianity into myself and my story. When a
counselor can understand a client’s story, it can protect against anxiety, depression, and suicide
attempts (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
Mission
Mission was another topic introduced to me in chapter five. Jesus’s mission is to teach his
disciples to pray and save the souls of people who have lost their way. Neff and McMinn (2020)
state that we try to live our great commission, to save lost souls and help them follow the
practices and teaching of Jesus. Theology is written to focus on motivating circumstances and
recognizing the community’s religious commitments to strengthen, evaluate, and challenge the
religious obligations (Hay, 2018). I believe if a person is not ready or prepared to receive
deliverance, it can be difficult for them to accept the mission of soteriology delivered by anyone.
When given this mission, one must remember that everyone has a different walk of life.
Therefore, it is essential to understand someone’s story. I agree with McMinn about his beliefs in
mission. Jesus gave everyone on this earth a mission, whether it is to save a person or have a
good understanding of the church to spread the word. Everyone has a purpose in life, and it
should be taken as their duty to fulfill this obligation.
Neff and McMinn (2020) mentioned that Jesus ensured he spoke to those who would
establish a church and not just individual followers. A conversation between the leaders of the
church and those that study the inner workings of the Bible have a different conversation than
other individuals. Many see these conversations as God calling them to the pulpit or the life. It
was God’s vision to have individuals that would spread the word of the people, they would serve
as leaders. Church leaders are essential to deliver the word of God’s following help spread the
word of the Bible to those who are trying to build a relationship with God. Over the past couple
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of years, I have witnessed my mother have conversations with God and being called to the pulpit
for her mission of ecclesiology. She has slowly started integrated herself and to grew within the
church, such as being a part of different ministries and learning how each ministry is essential to
the church’s growth. The mission to study the church comes from the teaching of Jesus and
saving souls. I believe a counselor fulfills these tasks from building a deep relationship with
God.
Knowing and understanding theology is important before contributing thoughts as a
psychotherapist. The moral and principles are prioritized in theology. Therefore, in contributing
to theology, counselors must understand the importance of the values and beliefs of all
individuals. Neff and McMinn (2020) mentioned that theology is often considered to overstep
culture and history, and now modern-day theology has been used to break down some of the
truth of the Bible. When psychotherapists recognize a client going through situations, they will
assist their client in gathering emotions and openly expressing how they are feeling.
Psychotherapists speak to theology through hope and the meaning of life. Some clients use their
sessions as an outlet to talk about difficult situations. Therefore, their sessions give them hope
that they can fix their situations. I understand how McMinn believed recognizing theology as a
psychotherapist is important. I view it as essential because it contributes how modern-day
theology have evolved understanding and shed light on the Bible.
Spiritual Formation
The concluded chapters showed me that as counselors, it is crucial to see where the client
is in life and the situation that has altered their life choices. We as counselor must listen and
understand the client’s story. To build my spiritual formation and spiritual integration, I think I
need to dig deeper into the topic of how Jesus interacted with his disciples to grow spiritually. I
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think I will start by listening to Christian counselors and reading biblical scriptures pertained to
integration teachings. I believe starting here will help me to understand the role that I can play in
helping clients and to integrate Christianity into counseling. My role can be like the disciples as
they were tasked to help individuals walk in God’s word and faith. To build a therapeutic
relationship, the client must be viewed in a way Jesus explains as moral. As a counselor I will be
tasked to help save those who may be suffering; therefore, getting deeper in conversation with a
client is considered a mission throughout the session. According to 1 Corinthian 11:1-2
articulates, be imitators of me, as I am Christ, now I commend you because you remember me in
everything and maintain the tradition even as I delivered them to you (English Standard Version,
2001/2016, 1 Corinthian 11:1-2). Jesus ensured that he saved the souls of people with different
teaching. I need to go into a counseling session with an open heart to present theology from the
perspective of the client’s needs. In doing so I must remember the modern-day theology and the
advances it has made in religion. From the modern -day theology it will help me to understand
the truths that have been brought to light. To do this, I must be comfortable with the Bible and
find a church to grow in the word of God. A major challenge to counseling and spiritual
formation will be understanding stories from the Bible and incorporating them into counseling. I
grasp the concepts from the book related to counseling but struggle with the application of
spiritual formation. As I grow into my Christianity and age, I have grown and want to continue to
understand biblical concepts and teachings and apply them to my reality. In understanding my
walk with Christ, I will be able to relate to clients that will struggle with spiritual formation as I
have also. Although personal stories will vary, I think my story and struggle with religion will
help me to integrate Christianity in to counseling sessions.
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References
Altabef, D., Meier, S., Reynolds, A., Delucia, J., & Friedling, L. (2017). Therapist response to a
distressed client: Differences in active listening and changes in negative affect.
Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 17(3), 234-239.
https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12124
Dunlop, A. (2018). Church in life: Innovation, mission and ecclesiology, written by Michael
Moynagh. (1), 107-110. Ecclesial Practices, 5 https://doi.org/10.1163/22144471-
00402007
English Standard Version. (2016). English Standard Version Online. (Original work published
2001)
Hay, A. (2018). Soteriology and ecclesiology in the majority world. Ecclesiology, 14(2), 212-
219. https://doi.org/10.1163/17455316-01402008
Neff, M. A., & McMinn, M. R. (2020). : Embodying integration A fresh look at Christianity in
the therapy room. IVP Academic, an imprint of InterVarsity Press.
Liberty University. (2021). Prayer and Christian Counseling [Lecture Video]. Department of
Counselor Education and Family Studies, Liberty University.
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/304442/pages/watch-prayer-and-christian-counseling?
module_item_id=30299677
Tyndale House Publishers. (2022). . Tyndale. Mark R. McMinn
https://www.tyndale.com/authors/mark-r-mcminn/420
