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Paper: Neff and McMinn Review: Part B Assignment
Benjamin M Kennedy
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
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Abstract
This paper will address the concepts of atonement from multiple viewpoints and the power of
story, as well as why God used so many metaphors to describe it. It will discuss the mission of
God and whether it should be something we do as Christians or whether God laid out a template
in exuding mission from Himself natively. And it will look at how integration is evolving to
include being more present with clients in their experience because that is how God chooses to
relate to us. The main topics will be discussed along with implications for the issues raised, how
they can be applied in a Christian counselor’s therapy room, and the personal impact it has on me
as a clinician, both spiritually and practically. Included will be other sources that speak into the
issues raised in the primary text. The transition from modernity to post-modernity in Christianity
will be evaluated in clinical and theological viewpoints.
Keywords: atonement, narrative, mission, integration
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Summary
This paper discusses chapters four to six of Embodying integration: A fresh look at Christianity
in the therapy room by Megan Anna Neff & her father, Mark R. McMinn (2020). This book is
written from the perspective of counselors practicing in different waves of psychotherapy, yet
through their relationship, they have come together to answer one key question. As the landscape
of religion and counseling shifts under the weight of cultural transformation, how will the
integration of theology and psychology work? Megan Anna is a clinical psychology doctorate
student who grew up in a loving home that highly valued integration and encouraged her to
pursue her dreams. Mark is a cognitive-behavioral therapist and college professor who has
researched and written about integration from a modern point of view for decades. The authors
stress that integration is most effective when presented as a conversation (Neff & McMinn,
2020), and it is through the lens of many such conversations that this work is presented.
Chapter four considers the concept of atonement and fresh thoughts on God’s saving
work. What is important is understanding the role between our view of our story, our view of
God’s story, and how they are intrinsically linked. In many ways, theology is a parable of this
story, finding its analogies rooted in culture, and creating a “shifting, multidimensional, and
contextually informed narrative of atonement” (Neff & McMinn, 2020, p. 180). There are three
primary metaphors for atonement that theologians have used throughout history to make sense of
an extremely complex issue central to our understanding of who God is. These are the ransom
theory, the moralistic theory, and the penal substitution theory (Neff & McMinn, 2020). The
penal substitution model of understanding atonement has been the dominant one over the prior
500 years or so and is prevalent in the theological consciousness of Christianity in Western
churches. The vantage point to address is whether we view atonement as God doing something to
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Jesus or Jesus doing something for us (Crisp, 2020; Green, 2006; Sanders, 2007). I favor the
Kaleidoscopic view that allows for any metaphor that can convey to people the love and passion
Jesus showed through his death and resurrection. How we tell this story is tied to the narrative of
individuals. “People who are blind need illumination. Slaves need liberation. The lost need to be
found” (Green, 2006, p. 167). There is also a version of atonement rooted in nonviolence where
Jesus combats violence with active nonviolence, with the cross standing for the ultimate symbol
of nonviolence (Wink, 1992, p. 141). The American Counseling Association (ACA, 2014)
promotes the professional value of autonomy, and an ethical therapist needs to provide a client
the liberty and lane to decide for themselves if, how, and when a specific metaphor might apply
to their journey.
The rest of the chapter deals with how individuals view sin, how God views an
individual’s sin, and how therapists can apply the atonement metaphors to set people free from
the pangs of guilt, shame, and sin. Many people believe that God hates sin but loves sinners. But
an alternate, potentially more powerful and gospel-centered view is that God loves the person
and understands how a world subject to the laws of sin and death wreak havoc. “Holding a view
that places faith that God understands the darkness with us, once having entered it, creates the
possibility that darkness is redeemable” (Neff & McMinn, 2020, p. 196). Thus, a counselor need
not try to correct theology in the therapy room but seek to extend the miraculous grace and
identity of a forgiven and freed son or daughter to those who are searching.
Chapter five discusses how the mission of God has historically been understood from the
perspective of the Great Commission. One perspective on fulfilling this is where Christians take
the Gospel to the world, bestowing it on the lost and then expecting them to carry it to others.
This might fall under the category of soteriology, and it is not wrong to believe that Jesus really
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does save people and that the call in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all people is legitimate
(New American Standard Bible, 2020, Matthew 28:19-20). In the counseling room, there is
always a lingering question about whether to share the message of a saving relationship with
Jesus with those who are searching. Another way to look at mission is through the lens of
ecclesiology (Neff & McMinn, 2020). If the church is the thing that must be exemplified and
grown, this view makes sense. Our authors posit that mission comes before the great commission
and is located within the very entity of the Trinity (Neff & McMinn, 2020). “If mission is core to
the being of God, it tells us something about how God is oriented toward the world (Bosch,
1991). Which perspective you take depends on your perspective on the missio Dei. Is mission a
thing the church does, is it solely wrapped in the concept of salvation, or does it face outward
towards humanity within a world that God deeply loves (Bosch, 1991)? It is possible that God
intended mission to be much more than something the church does but a primary embodiment of
who He really is. In this way, Jesus’ coming to earth was a lesson in redemption’s purpose and
how it is proclaimed (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
Chapter six speaks about the truth that we are truly and deeply seen, known, and loved. A
primary work of counselors is to understand this personally so that from that we may extend this
truth to our clients. It is not in the absence of pain and struggle and sin that we are loved, but in it
and through it and all around it. “Put simply, integration is love” (Neff & McMinn, 2020, p.
252). Within the concept of God as the Creator, we see that God’s love for both the world He
created and his sons and daughters have been linked (Brueggemann, 1982, p. 23-24). He has
been marching beside both of us the entire time, patiently awaiting redemption but loving us
regardless. If we read his Word and his story through the eyes of blessing instead of sin, we
come to see grace as a phenomenological gift that reveals his very nature (Barclay, 2015). God
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goes even further in that while He is in the midst of continual and contiguous attachment injury,
He chooses love, friendship, and fellowship with us (Neff & McMinn, 2020). In today’s cultural
context, people are taking a bottom-up approach to the concept of beliefs and truths, choosing to
let beliefs migrate into alignment with experiences and actions. This can be quite difficult for
those of us rooted in objective truth who strive to shape our actions to match our values (Hilberg,
2017). In the past, conclusions could become binary and either dismiss suffering or dismiss the
goodness of God. But what is we hold fast to the dissonance, believing that “faith is more a
mystery to behold than a logic problem to be solved” (Neff & McMinn, 2020, p. 265).
Philippians 2 becomes then a proof-text of a divine commitment to sending suffering,
surrendering to suffering, and triumph over suffering, to stand with those who are suffering. The
chapter concludes with a look at pneumatology and the Hebrew word ruach to describe the Holy
Spirit’s desire to be in the therapy room with us, bringing movement, life, and healing power.
Reflection
In chapter four, the authors lay out the positives of Westerners taking on the penal system
view of atonement, and I would like to reflect on that. While adopting the penal system metaphor
can and should lead to understanding radical forgiveness, I feel that it has led to Christians still
not feeling all the way forgiven. For most, confession isn’t full of joy, connection, and
redemption, but a stay of execution (Hurd, 2019). Catholics have this down better than
Protestants, possibly because they engage in confession more regularly and naturally and have a
priest verbally extend God’s forgiveness to them. This spiritual struggle can heighten the risk
factors for a lower quality of mental health (Koenig, 2018). How we imagine God forgiving us
has a lot to do with how we imagine God sees us and informs how we imagine his character and
personality (Neff & McMinn, 2020). Flowing out of this metaphor comes Christ who takes on
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the risk of assuming the wrong we have done, which should give us more empathy for healing
our own broken relationships (Sanders, 2007).
As I have mentioned, I work in the addiction recovery field, which introduces additional
difficulties for the metaphor of atonement. “Penal substitutionary atonement is a profoundly
harmful theology for those suffering from addiction because it exacerbates the sufferer’s sense of
shame and thus keeps them trapped in the very shame-driven addiction cycle from which they
need redemption” (Carlier, 2023). Frequently, those in recovery have made a terrible mess of
their lives. They alienate their friends and family, make decisions that put them in hazardous
situations, and often run into significant legal trouble. I am constantly counseling them to link
forgiveness and the release of internal shame. But I think it highlights the bigger problem of the
penal system metaphor, which is the image of a disapproving Father. Luke 15 tells the story of
the prodigal son making terrible decisions and fearing rejection. “But while he was still a long
way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his
arms around him and kissed him” (New International Version [NIV], 1978/2011, Luke 15:20). It
is specifically because Jesus took on humanity that we know He understands, and as part of the
God-head longs to connect with us in the midst of our brokenness and complexity (Neff &
McMinn, 2020).
The negatives of assuming the penal substitutionary model of atonement include seeing
God who aligns with violence in contrast to his heart of love (Crisp, 2020). Another critique is
that it focuses on individual sin while potentially losing perspective of larger sin in the world as a
condition of fallenness (Neff & McMinn, 2020). One additional criticism is that the model does
not address the injustices that occur historically when regarding salvation (Brock, 1988). This
could lead to further disenfranchisement of the poor and marginalized.
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One question that arose for me as an outflow of reading this work was, “What should I be
doing?” In the book of Luke, it says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”
(New International Version [NIV], 1978/2011, Luke 19:10). If therapists align themselves with
the mission Dei, then I believe that we take on the perspective of Jesus. I believe that He walked
around asking what God is blessing. Jesus then simply applies flesh to something divine. In the
counseling office, this might not look like solving every problem. Rather, it might be expressed
by listening well to our clients and the Holy Spirit and then responding to the heart of the Father
accordingly (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
I also believe in a Kingdom-focused eschatology, meaning that I believe that the power
of the “Kingdom come” can break into our here and now. Mark McMinn wrestles with the idea
of whether to pray with his clients in the therapy room and share his faith (Neff & McMinn,
2020). While I absolutely believe that we should be therapeutically sensitive, I believe that
verbally inviting God to be with us can be a powerful and normal experience for clients. In my
work, I am required to ask clients frequently if they have had thoughts or intentions regarding
suicide. When I began in this field, I would preface these questions with many qualifiers. But all
that really did was give clients permission to put their defenses up. Instead, I now simply ask
clients to reveal as much information as they are comfortable sharing. I take a similar approach
with prayer, asking clients if they would mind me asking God to help guide our conversation,
and I rarely get a no.
A part of the book that challenged my theological focus and my practical attention was
about liberal Protestant theologies that focus on the middle of Jesus’ life instead of the beginning
or the end. The beginning of Jesus’ life is undeniably miraculous – the virgin birth, God in flesh,
born in a manger, Emmanuel. And the end is magnanimously wonderful – the resurrection, the
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great commission, the ascension, the sending of the Holy Spirit. What if I began to focus my
attention on the middle of Jesus’ life where he challenged the status quo to create more social
equity and allowed his moral actions to define his witness (Bosch, 1991)? This view of the life
and character of Jesus brings restoration to shalom: wholeness in the here and now (Neff &
McMinn, 2020). “Rather than calling for apologetics and argumentative practices, this places
emphasis on internal processes such as sanctification and moral development as we grow in our
ability to bear witness to God through how we are in the world” (Guder, 2000).
If the early church was fixated on Christ’s birth, Western culture has been focused on his
death and resurrection, and the exemplarist view of Jesus after Enlightenment focused primarily
on his life, then where are we to look (Neff & McMinn, 2020)? This theological question became
inescapably poignant as I am deciding how I want to be as a counselor. Perhaps we need to
create some spiritual disciplines for ourselves that keep us engaged with every part of Jesus’ life.
How we see Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection, and mission have serious implications when
it comes to our counseling techniques and theories.
One disagreement I had was regarding theology from below instead of from above. It felt
reductionist to me to say that theology from above highlights ideas and principles while focusing
less on living it out (Neff & McMinn, 2020). While I agree that absolute truth transcends culture,
how it is applied should be contextual. I disagree with the terminology of concrete experience as
it denotes objectivity to a subjective process. Billman & Migliore (1999) explain that contextual
theology is derived through social sciences. “This theology is a doing sort of theology, focusing
as much on orthopraxy (right living) as orthodoxy (right belief)” (Neff & McMinn, 2020, p.
246). 1 John 2 says that we will know if we are followers of Jesus if we do what He did (New
International Version [NIV], 1978/2011, 1 John 2:3-6). Describing and desiring a theology taken
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from the middle of Jesus’ life, where his orthopraxy and orthodoxy met, should be our focus.
One way to look at is would be a “theology of knowledge shot through with the savored
experience first of God but then also of the people and culture to which we belong” (Gutierrez,
20)
Spiritual Formation
As I have read through the chapters of Embodying integration: A fresh look at
Christianity in the therapy room (Neff & McMinn, 2020), I have certainly felt my perspective on
God and counseling evolving. On the topic of incarnation, I can now see how accepting the penal
system metaphor has locked me into a “am I good enough now” mentality. I have also been
strongly influenced by the belief that God hates the sin but loves the sinner. I am seeing the way
that God loves in a new light. It is one where He accepts me as I am, and while I believe He
hopes that I make decisions that bring me into closer intimacy with him, He is not standing in
heaven as a disapproving Father. He is right here with me, fully loving me in the midst. This is
having such an impact on my ability to live in the moment, which I have struggled with my
entire life, and it helps me focus on my relationship with God. My own trauma response has a
role to play as well. I experienced two separate sexual traumas between the ages of 10 to 14 that
still cause me to be highly anxious about responding to new emotions in the moment. That not
only causes me to obfuscate my most immediate emotional responses, but it also invites
questions about where God is in the midst of suffering. There is a verse in 1 Peter 2:9 that has
helped me throughout my life root my identity in God. “KBut you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who
called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (New International Version [NIV],
1978/2011, 1 Peter 2:9). The fact that God sees my brokenness and has Himself entered the
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brokenness of the world to redeem it, creates the hope and believe that He can redeem my
brokenness as well (Neff & McMinn, 2020). I believe that I am reforming a secure attachment to
God as He exists within this identity, and it is reshaping my concept of his love of me. It’s in this
way that I feel that I am becoming more like Christ. Megan Anna noted that she realized that her
clientele was asking for and reaching out for the same thing she had been searching for, which
was to be in an authentic relationship with God where empathy and compassion were not
transactional (Neff & McMinn, 2020).
When it comes to embodying mission in the counseling office, I feel very secure. Maybe
that is because I feel the gifting within me to be an evangelist. It might be because I have
mentored other Christians for so long. But when I changed professions to an addiction counselor,
it became more of a therapeutic tool I love to employ. The program of Alcoholics Anonymous
prominently features a connection with God as the power source for change. And it is natural to
bring up the topic as individuals struggle to find meaning on the other side of addiction. And yet,
I am convinced after reading that mission existed before the Great Commission within the very
heart of a trinitarian God (Neff & McMinn, 2020). I believe more deeply that mission doesn’t
demand that we evangelize people into a building. It reflects a God of love moving into the
world with that love to show who He truly is. As a counselor, it is, therefore, my duty to bear
witness to this love. I have always believed that the Holy Spirit’s job is to convict people of sin,
as we see in John 16:8 (New International Version [NIV], 1978/2011). But now I am seeing that
verse in a new way in the it is also the Holy Spirit’s work to be the Counselor. I see my role is
one to convey God’s radical togetherness, ask theologically and therapeutically informed
questions, and celebrate and lament with clients that actually belong to God. “If we enter in
humbly, as fellow pilgrims who understand complexity and suffering and pain, then we are more
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likely to make genuine, healing connections with those who seek our help” (Neff & McMinn,
2020, p. 269).
Final Conversation
Our authors give us some final thoughts about increasing the value for and function of
listening in today’s culture (Neff & McMinn, 2020). I. found it compelling that two individuals
from two different perspectives could listen and respond with so little conflict. One thing that
stood out was from John Ruskin who said that how we go about creating forms us more that
what we literally create (Neff & McMinn, 2020). As a lyrical songwriter, I took this particular
challenge to heart, but I also asked myself how it might factor into the goal of my therapy work.
“Dialog is a posture toward the other, a turning toward and opening of oneself to the other”
(Friedman, 2002). I now imagine that my counseling style will be a “meaningful and informed
walking with.” This posture has certainly been molded by the ideas presented and the reshaping
of how I see God and mission.
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