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Running Head: SUMMARY
Comparison Paper: Benner Assignment
Harold Hanson
Liberty University
PACO 507
Dr. Marcus Tanner
December 15,2021
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SUMMARY
Primary Goal
Surrender to Love, authored by Dr. David Benner, is a book whose core theme is the
unconditional love that God has for humankind. It is a book that every Christian or person
willing to embrace the faith must read once in a lifetime. The two main themes that the author
has chosen to focus on are complete submission and absolute love. It is important to
understand that only when we truly know that we are deeply loved by God, we will be able to
show genuine love towards God as well as other fellow humans. In the self-reliant world of
today, most people forget the concept and importance of surrendering to the supreme power
(Benner, 2015).3 According to the author, absolute submission is the sole response for the
perfect love shown by God. He goes on to state that “Love inspires surrender, and submission
is at the heart of Spirituality.”3
The Bible also sheds light on the powerful love of God that can transform a human.
Love is much more than just an idea or an attitude. It is not possible to sustain without the
love of God. The primary goal of the method is to make the counsellors capable of assisting
the counselee in order to move out of hopelessness and step into a new life of hope and God’s
love. The counselee must learn to build their lives around the love of God.3
Development of Problems and Personal Need
In the book, the problem that the author tries to address is the tendency of humans to
lead a life of self-reliance. According to Benner, one of the biggest voids in the lives of
people is the lack of genuine love (Benner, 2015). We, as humans, always try to win the love
of God by doing something for Him. However, God’s love is not dependent on what humans
do for Him. He has loved humanity without any conditions. As the Bible says, “God so loved
the world that He sent His only begotten Son.” God has constantly shown His love to humans
and comforted them. The biggest proof is the manifestation of His son in person. Because
humans have received the love of God, they are capable of loving others. People who are
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satisfied with God’s love tend to give credit to God for all their happiness. After God, they
may give credits to their family members and friends. People who completely surrender to
the love of God can truly experience love within as well as around people.
Biblical Integration
The method of Benner focuses on the truths written in the Bible. According to 1 John
4: 18, it is written that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear
hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” In addition to this, there are a
number of references in the scriptures that talk about the abundance of God’s love for His
people. When discussing about the need for complete surrendering to God’s love instead of
trying to win his favor, there are various scripture references and spiritual issues. God is
capable of transforming the hearts of people who seek God’s approval through personal
experience with Him. All that is said by the author can be found in the scriptures.
Formula for Change
The formula for change, according to Benner, is the one that he himself has
experienced and has been benefitted from (Benner, 2015). His formula for change is very
simple. The formula is to completely surrender to the love of God by obeying the word of
God. In the book, Benner shares his own experience. His personal experience clearly shows
how the power of God’s divine love can completely transform a person. When a person is
able to develop a close relationship with God, the person can truly understand himself or
herself. In order to completely surrender to God’s love, we have to give up following our own
will and show a desire to fulfil the will of God. Only when we surrender ourselves, we are
able to see the real transformation and get introduced to a completely new version of
ourselves. Everyone can be a part of the change. God knows the truth of every individual, and
He is willing to accept everyone. When a person is able to deeply immerse in God’s love, the
transformation will be very evident.
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Balance of Theology and Spirituality
The author has been able to ensure a perfect balance between theology and
spirituality. The theology of the book is that God is a loving God who loves all His children
unconditionally despite all their flaws in life. Having an understanding and knowledge of this
enables the counselee to experience spiritual transformation. It transforms a person from an
individual seeking favor to one acting in a completely different way because the favor has
already been granted.
Human Personality
Humans are broken and in dire need of forgiveness. The souls of humans long for a
sense of interaction and belongingness. One of the important characteristics of human
personality is self-dependence and self-reliance. In order to gain acceptance, they tend to do
something good. However, as that is not possible to have that on our own, it is important to
turn to the love of God for all our needs. Love can provide our souls with a sense of
belongingness and assure us that we will return to our real home one day.
Counsellor’s Function and Role
Pastoral counselling is a kind of structured partnership that aims at providing comfort
to the individuals who are in need of it. The role of the counsellors is to encourage the clients
to shift focus from themselves and start focusing on God and His love. It will enable the
counselee to see what God has done in order to prove His love for mankind. The realization
will allow the counselee to lead a happier life and increase his or her awareness of the grace
and faithfulness of God. It is the role of the counsellor to interpret the truth or meaning of
God’s word and show the counselee that God is indeed a loving father who patiently waits to
transform His children.
Major Contributions to Counselling
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Benner has written a number of articles relating to his own perceptions relating to
psychotherapy, spirituality, as well as nature of spirituality. The articles have clearly
demonstrated that humans cannot achieve anything through self-dependence and reliance.
This is a method of psychological and spiritual development on the basis of multidisciplinary
analysis included in anthropology, psychology, and theology. Spiritual awareness helps in
bringing about a psychological shift in the personality of an individual.3
Limitation of this Counselling Theory
Despite so many advantages, the theory of Benner has a number of flaws. Not all
people seek validation from others or try to please others throughout their lives. The theory of
Benner may prove to be ineffective or uninteresting for the people who are not performance-
driven and struggle in life. Moreover, unbelievers may not be able to accept the theory. They
cannot buy into the idea of the unconditional love of God. It would be quite challenging in
order to convince a person who never had a relationship with God. Moreover, people who are
badly hurt due to difficulties in life may blame God for all the suffering in their lives. It might
be difficult for them to believe and accept that God is loving towards mankind.3
Classification
I would characterize the technique of Benner as integrational. It is mainly because it
depends on the testimony of the Bible relating to the love of God. Benner is a proponent of
change and leading a life that clearly shows the change. In the theory of Benner, spirituality,
as well as theology, has a major role to play.
Practical Application
The author has done a great job in convincing the readers to accept, see, as well as
surrender to the love of God. We need to completely surrender to God. Without the will of
God, we cannot obey His words. The book provides the readers with guidance to discover
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and develop a personal relationship with God. This book will help the believers to increase
their faith through their spiritual journey.
An example of a counselling moment when the theory had an impact is a woman was
dealing with very low self-esteem due to her past failures and mistakes. She was feeling
abandoned and rejected. According to the theory of Benner, the woman can confess all that is
in her heart to God and completely surrender herself to Him. It will enable the women to
experience the love of God and feel His comfort (Benner, 2015).3
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References
Benner, D. G. (2015).3Surrender to love: Discovering the heart of Christian spirituality.
InterVarsity Press.
