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Abstract

Long before psychology was a distinct profession, Christian pastors and spiritual advisors were engaged daily in activities that required what is viewed today as psychological expertise or wisdom. Many essential elements of therapeutic care were well understood before the modem period. The purpose of this paper is to furnish the reader with a small window upon a vast arena of classical Christian therapeutic wisdom. The first focus is upon the textual evidence of the tradition's understanding of the centrality of empathy, congruence, and unconditional accepting love as conditions of constructive behavioral change. The second focus is upon the awareness of classical writers of the situation specificity of therapeutic wisdom, thus showing their awareness of the complexity of the therapeutic enterprise and the subtlety of human character.

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The Historic Pastoral Care Tradition: A Resource for Christian Psychologists

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References