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Abilene Christian University
College of Biblical Studies
May 14-18, M-F 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Maymester 2012
BMFT/BIBM 696
3 Credit Hours
BSB 103
BMFT/BIBM 696: THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Professors:
Office:
Office Phone:
Cell Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Victor McCracken, Ph.D.
BSB 237
325-674-3718
325-674-3776
Victor.McCracken@acu.edu
Jaime D. Goff, Ph.D.
BSB 268
325-674-3778
325-864-1209
325-674-3749
Jaime.Goff@acu.edu
Mission of the University & the Departments
The mission of Abilene Christian University is to educate our students for Christian service and
leadership throughout the world.
The mission of the Department of Marriage and Family Studies is to equip students to strengthen
family relationships and solve personal and relational problems through family life education and
therapeutic intervention with an emphasis on producing Christian leadership and character. The
graduate program in Marriage and Family Therapy accomplishes this mission through:
 Emphasizing a Christocentric view of human nature and personal/relational problems
within a context of diversity;
 Providing a diverse clinical training experience;
 Encouraging development of a professional identity by fostering involvement in the
profession of marriage and family therapy; and
 Creating a culture of research.
The mission of the Graduate School of Theology is to equip men and women for effective
missional leadership for ministry in all its forms, and to provide strong academic foundations for
theological inquiry. By equipping students with the requisite skills, knowledge, and experience,
the Graduate School of Theology aspires to produce graduates with trained minds and
transformed hearts.
Course Description
A study of the interrelationship between theological and systemic explanations of human
behavior and how they may be integrated in psychotherapeutic practice and/or ministry settings
while maintaining the integrity of both.
Student Learning Objectives & Outcomes
The faculty of the MFT program have identified Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) that will be
accomplished by graduates of the program. In addition to the SLOs identified by the department,
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the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) has
identified six content areas to be included in graduate MFT study. The content of this course
addresses Area VI. The SLOs that are addressed by this course, along with the corresponding
outcome measures are listed in the table below. The group competency target for each outcome
is a mean of 83%, and the individual competency target is a score of 83%. The group ideal target
for each outcome is a mean of 92%, and the individual ideal target is a score of 92%.
Student Learning Outcomes
AMFTB Domain
Outcome Measures
1.3 Recognize contextual & systemic
dynamics
2.1 Understand principles of human
development; human sexuality; gender
development; psychopathology;
couple processes; and family
processes
7.1 Understand the ethical issues
regarding the integration of faith,
clinical practice, and Christian
ministry
7.2: Articulate a personal
spiritual/religious perspective on the
discipline of marriage and family
therapy and Christian ministry
7.3: Demonstrate ethical practice
regarding the integration of
spirituality, clinical practice, and
Christian ministry
Domains 01, 02, 03
Integration paper
Group presentation
Integration paper
Domains 01, 02, 03
Domain 05
Group presentation
Blog posts
Integration paper
Domain 01 & 05
Blog posts
Domain 05
Group Presentation
Required Texts
Entwistle, D.N. (2004). Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: An introduction
to Worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of integration. Eugene, OR:
Wipf and Stock.
Johnson, E.L. (ed.). (2010). Psychology and Christianity: Five views, Downers Grove, IL:
Intervarsity Press.
May, G.G. (1992). Care of Mind, Care of Spirit: A Psychiatrist explores Spiritual Direction.
New York: HarperCollins.
Niebuhr, R. (1964). The Nature and Destiny of Man: Human Nature (Volume 1). New York:
Scribners.
Additional readings may be assigned during the course. If so, they will be posted to the course
blog.
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Course Requirements
Attendance
Due to the condensed nature of the course, it is not possible to get credit for the course if
absences are necessary.
Readings
Students should be prepared for each class meeting by reading the assigned material. A reading
sheet will be sent around at the beginning of each class period for students to identify the amount
of reading they have completed. It is assumed that students will be honest in their responses. If
the level of class participation indicates that students are not reading the material prior to class,
the professors reserve the right to utilize reading quizzes. Reading the assigned material will
enable students to more effectively participate in class discussions.
Class Participation
The success of this course depends heavily on class discussion, and students will be expected to
contribute to class discussion on a regular basis. The professors will record both the quantity and
quality of your contributions.
Group Presentation
Groups of 3-4 students will be assigned a model of integration as discussed in Psychology and
Christianity: Five Views. The presentation should be 60 minutes in length and should include a
brief summary of the model as presented in the book, a role play demonstrating what that model
might look like in therapy/pastoral counseling, a discussion of what your group identifies as the
strengths and weaknesses of the model, and a discussion of potential ethical issues presented by
the model. The professors will provide the groups with a case vignette to be used in the
preparation of the role play to facilitate comparisons. Groups will be given the opportunity to
work on their projects during class time on May 16, and the group presentations will be given
during class on May 17. See Appendix A for group and model assignments. The case study to be
utilized in the presentation is posted on the course blog.
Personal Model of Integration Paper
Students will write a 10-page paper outlining their personal integration of theological and
psychological perspectives into the practice of therapy and ministry. The paper should include a
discussion of the following: (1) your view of human nature as informed by theological and
philosophical perspectives; (2) your view of sin and/or psychological and relational dysfunction;
and (3) a discussion of your integration of MFT, pastoral counseling, and/or psychological
theory (choose your preferred concepts/models) with your theological/philosophical
perspectives. This paper is due on Friday, May 25 by 12:00 pm.
Blog Posts
Prior to class each day, the professors will post 1-2 discussion questions on the course blog.
During the first 30 minutes of class each day, students will be asked to write their own response
to the discussion question in order to prime our thinking for that day’s class discussion.
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Course Policies
Use of Technology/E-Communication
Students are encouraged to use their laptops and/or iPhones to take notes and to complete class
assignments. It is disrespectful, however, to check email, chat, and send text messages during
class lectures and discussions. If you consistently engage in these activities, your class
participation grade will be reflective of your choice. It is also expected that the ringers on cell
phones, iPhones, and other mobile devices will be turned off/silenced during class time.
The professors welcome e-communications from students regarding questions about class
assignments, scheduling meetings, etc. It is important to note, however, that this does not mean
the professors are available 24 hours per day. Please be advised that if you email the professors
over the weekend, it is likely that they will not read it until the following week.
Paper Specifics
Page number guidelines specified for papers are the requirement for the body of the paper. The
title page, reference pages, and appendices are not to be counted. Papers should remain within
the page guidelines specified in the syllabus. Papers that are too long or too short will be docked
points. Do not put your papers in a special folder. Staple your pages together with a single staple
in the upper left hand corner. Use only your Banner ID Number on the paper to identify yourself.
For MFT and psychology students, formatting and referencing should follow The Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition. For theology students,
formatting should follow the Turabian style. All papers should be neat, contain no misspellings,
contain no typing errors or penciled-in corrections, and employ proper grammar and syntax. In
short, the final paper is expected to be professional in appearance. Papers should include an
introduction, a body, and a conclusion. A general guide to determine the number of
references you should use is to use the same number of references as there are pages in the
paper. So, for a 10 page paper, you should have a minimum of 10 references.
Late Assignments & Extra Credit
Penalty for late assignments is 10% per each day late. Assignments are considered 1 day late 15
minutes after the beginning of class on the day that the assignment is due. Assignments will not
be accepted after the third late day. For example, if an assignment is due on Monday at 8:00 am,
it is considered 1 day late on Monday at 8:15 am; two days late on Tuesday at 8:00 am; and three
days late on Wednesday at 8:00 am. Extra credit will not be available in this course. The variety
of assessment procedures are designed to take different learning styles into account. If your
grade is not at the level which you would like, please talk with the professors as soon as possible
to discuss ways in which you may improve your performance in the course.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty (i.e., plagiarism, receiving help on exams, etc.) will not be tolerated. This
action will result in loss in credit for the assignment in question or failure of the course. If the
student has questions regarding academic dishonesty, it is vital to ask.
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Students with Disabilities
If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please feel
free to contact me. The ACU Student Disability Services Office (a part of Alpha Academic
Services) facilitates disability accommodations in cooperation with instructors. In order to
receive accommodations, you must be registered with Disability Services, and you must
complete a specific request for each class in which you need accommodations. Call extension
2667 for an appointment with the Director of Disability Services.
Grading
Grades are awarded based on point accumulation. Each assignment has a maximum number of
points that can be earned by successfully completing the assignment. Partial points will be
awarded for meeting some but not all of the standards identified for each project or assignment.
Points Earned
92-100 points
83-91 points
74-82 points
63-73 points
62 and fewer points
Course Requirement
Course Readings
Class Participation
Blog Postings
Group Presentation
Integration Paper
TOTAL
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Points Possible
15
15
25 (5 posts at 5 points each)
20
25
100
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Course Outline and Schedule
(Schedule Subject to Change)
Date
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 17
May 18
May 25
Topic
Readings/Assignments
Due
First Half
Course introduction
Guest Speaker Richard Beck
Faith vs. science – the
case of sexual
orientation & gender
identity
Christ & culture
Models of integration
Group presentations
Therapy vs. spiritual
direction – Randy
Harris
N/A
Second Half
Theology & human nature
Sin & the human condition
Neibuhr
Scientific, moral, &
philosophical epistemology
Entwistle, 1-8
Group work – final preparation
of presentations
Group presentations
Wrap-up
Entwistle, 9-11
N/A
Integration Paper Due
Johnson, 2-6
May
APPENDIX A: GROUP PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENTS
Group Members
Priscilla Griffin, Kelsey
Smith, Austin Brown, Karlyn
Holt, Francisco Villajuana
James Swinney, Ally Craigie,
Wesley Dingman, Nicole
Moon
Emi Yamada, Ashley
Martindale, Gerina Davis,
Brittany Brumit
Sibi Lawson, Lacey
Heinzelman, Ben Bader, Ivan
Karadza
Julie Caudle, Dwayne Lee,
Blake Miller, Jennifer Butler
Model of Integration
Levels of Explanation
Presentation Date/Time
May 17, 8:30-9:30
Integration
May 17, 10:00-11:00
Christian Psychology
May 17, 12:30-1:30
Transformational Psychology
May 17, 1:50-2:50
Biblical Counseling
May 17, 3:30-4:30
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