I had to do some reading and still have only scratched the surface. In my opinion it seems to have some good points and some bad. Views on it seem to vary wildly amongst different groups. Do not consider this to be a condemantion nor an endorsement of Theophastic counseling.
From Wikipedia:
Theophostic Counseling was developed in the United States during the mid-1990s by Dr. Ed Smith, a Baptist Minister. After concerns about legal liabilities associated with offering counseling services, he later changed the name to
Theophostic Prayer Ministry.
Its name comes from the Greek
theo (God) and
phostic (light), and it is often associated with the Christian
Inner Healing Movement. Quite specific claims are made for the approach, and Smith says people are being delivered from phobias, depressions, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, dissociative personality disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, sexual addictions, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, and homosexuality through Theophostic principles.
Some points of contention seem to be these:
From the Grace Church web site-
At its core, the difference between Theophostic Theology and Evangelical Theology is the view of sin. In basic terms Theophostic Theology sees sin as the result of lies that have been believed leading to defective thinking and ultimately manifesting as sin. Evangelical Theology sees sin as the product of our fallen natures and corrupt flesh. Clearly these two views are polar opposites and as always we must search the Scriptures for the truth.
On pages 224-225 of his book “Beyond Tolerable Recovery”, Dr. Ed Smith says that “I have come to believe that there is a fundamental misconception about the root of sinful behavior (in the true Christian) and the reasons that many people struggle with sin throughout their Christian lives. The fundamental misconception I am describing is what I call sin-based theology. Sin based theology believes that the root of my problem is sin. It says, ‘Because I have sinned I suffer and am in pain. To be free of my pain I must repent of my sin, confess it to God, and choose to obey and apply the truth of God’s Word. By this I can walk in victory.”
------------------------------------------------------------------
This does seem to fly in the face of scripture:
Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
From the journeytowholeness web site:
1. There are three risks of making woundedness the root of sinfulness: ...
1) minimizes the seriousness of sin, ...
2) minimizes the glory of forgiveness and repentance, ...
3) minimizes the power of spiritual disciplines
God’s Truth:
Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.”
Mark 1:14-15 “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching that
gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is
at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Luke 5:31-32 “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance.”
2.Ed Smith says his technique is new.
This technique has been around for centuries by the New
Age Healers called Theta healers and other types of inner healers. The lie-based theology has
striking similarities to Gnostic beliefs about the cause of sin in a person’s life. Gnostics and
New Agers do not look to salvation or repentance but lie-based belief to your problem. Theta
Healers and do the same type of practice to get in touch with lie-based memories by calling in
the person’s spirit guides or angels into their memory to bring healing and if you are a Christian,
they will call your Jesus into your memory.
3. What is Theta Brain Waves?
Theta (4 to 8 cycles per second) the slowest brain cycle.
Deep meditation of emptying the mind does this. This is associated with life-like
imagination. This is best for suggestibility and inspiration. This brain wave is dominant in
children of age 2 to 5. Theta waves appear before sleep. At first your mind goes empty, and
then the feeling is replaced by creative imagination or day dreaming. Example: have you
ever been not quite a wake and not asleep and can hear everything going on around you but
you are still dreaming? That is Theta Brain Waves.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the SO4J website-
Principle 1 - The Primary Source Of Our Present Emotional Pain Is Rarely Caused By Our Present Situation
Principle 2 - Everything We Presently Know, Feel, or are Mentally Aware of has its Roots in a First-Time Experience
Principle 3 - If We Try To Resolve Our Present Conflicts Without Resolving Our Historical Lie-Based Woundedness, We Will at Best Find Only Temporary Relief. However, If We Find Healing For Our Past We Can Redeem Our Present
Principle 4 - The Negative Emotions We Currently Feel Are ‘Echoes’ Of The Past; They Provide Opportunities For The Wounds Of Our Lives To Be Exposed
My claim is that TPM is neither prayer nor ministry as defined in the Bible. The first four key principles described by its founder show themselves to be speculative theories that have no relationship to anything taught in the Bible. There are 12 all together and the last eight take their meaning from the key ideas of the first four. If the key premises are false, the whole process is false. Must we believe that our personal interpretations of first memory events are the key to happiness and well-being? There is no ground to do so.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
