Counseling Addictive Behavior Syllabus
MARANATHA BAPTIST SEMINARY
Spring, 2017
COURSE INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Bruce Meyer B.A., M.A., M.Div., D.Min.
Office: 920-206-2335
[email protected]
Office: OM 228
Office Hours: 4th hour daily
Class times: T/Th 2nd hour
COURSE DESCRIPTION – GBC 540
This course provides a survey of various chemical and behavioral addictions, including, but not
limited to, alcohol, illicit drugs, eating disorders, and sexual addictions. Students will participate
in the evaluation of various causal and treatment models, focusing upon paradigms for biblical
restoration. The course includes theological and theoretical analysis of various addictive
constructs.
MBU INSTITUTIONAL OUTCOMES SUPPORTED BY THIS COURSE
1. Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate competence in written, oral, and
aesthetic communication.
2. Critical Thinking: Students will apply a framework for logical decision-making in
various contexts.
3. Biblical Knowledge: Students will acquire skills related to biblical study methods,
interpretation, and doctrine.
4. Biblical World View: Students will articulate a world view that will tie all fields of study
to the Scriptures “to the Praise of His Glory.”
5. Biblical Application: Students will use discernment in moral situations by applying
Biblical precepts and principles to contemporary issues and lifestyle choices.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. The student should be able to define biblically the types of addictive behavior (s)he may
encounter in the counseling setting.
2. The student shall be able to describe the various causal explanations for addictive behavior
and the models of recovery.
3. The student shall summarize the counseling model described in class.
Counseling Addictive Behavior
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4. The student shall research and design a counseling plan for a particular addiction.
5. The student shall identify the way in which addictions progress in their enslavement and the
physical, emotional, and spiritual pathology associated with addiction.
6. The student shall demonstrate the exegetical skill to apply Scripture to individual cases for
confrontation, interdiction, and biblical restoration, acquiring the skill to assist counselees in
biblical renewal.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Research Paper: Write a 10-15 page (excluding bibliography) research paper on a
particular area of addiction (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.). The paper should be exegetical,
theological, and practical in nature, following the Turabian/Vyhmeister writing style and the
Bible Department style guide available on the Internet. A list of possible topics is provided
for you below, but you may pursue a topic of your own with prior approval.
Objectives

Students should acquire and enhance their skills for researching a particular
counseling problem.

Students should learn to assemble and articulate an exegetical and biblical theology
for a specific counseling problem that both accurately reflects the text and speaks to
the contemporary counseling problem authoritatively.

Students should be able to synthesize the theology with the presenting addictive
problem that yields an effective model (methodology) for counseling.
Formatting

All papers should include a bibliography of at least 10 sources, with at least 4 coming
from journal articles or essays. Sources must appear in a citation within a footnote to
be counted as a source. Research should come from competent journals and scholarly
works. The bibliography should also include scholarly exegetical and theological
works in articulating your theological foundation and exegetical instructions for the
counselee.

Students should demonstrate a proficiency in research strategies through careful
analysis, organization, and communication of data, arguments, and concepts.

You must have a clearly stated thesis statement in the introduction and a good thesis
restatement and summary in the conclusion. The paper should prove the thesis
through sound biblical interpretation and careful argumentation including a survey of
the different views.
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
Students should use footnotes following Turabian style guidelines. Your paper
should include the following elements: bibliography, title page, and headings for
main points. A Bible department style guide is available on the M drive for
reference.

You should type your paper using twelve point Times New Roman or Courier.
Content

Suggested structure: Your research project should include the following elements:
(1) Description of the problem, including taxonomy, etiology, and pathology; (2)
Theological foundations of the problem including solid exegetical analysis and
theological methodology (including exegesis); (3) Survey of the prescriptive
theoretical models to the problem, including secular, integrationist, and biblical,
identifying the biblical methodology through careful analysis and argumentation; (4)
using the model presented in class, provide an overview of the counsel you would
give for an enslaved person at each level of the model including biblical exegesis that
you would use in providing instruction to the counselee.

Students should synthesize the theory and theology from your textbook reading
(Welch’s book) into the paper. This inclusion should be evident in the footnote
entries.

Your research should reflect usage of the exegetical method, following the
grammatical-historical, contextual hermeneutic. Students who are trained in the
biblical languages must include the biblical languages (not transliterations) in your
explanations, including word studies and grammatical/syntactical features. For those
who are not proficient in the original languages, you must use technical exegetical
commentaries (you may transliterate).

The paper must be completed in order to receive a grade higher than an F in the
course. Your research and writing must be completely original. You may not turn in
a reworked paper from another scholarly endeavor.

All research papers must be submitted through the LMS dropbox. After I have
graded your papers, they will be returned to you through the drop box with
comments. Please download them for your improvement.
2. Reading: Course texts: Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave, by Edward Welch and
Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse, by Diane Langberg. You should complete an
additional number of pages of reading from the bibliography on addictions to total 950 pages
(1000 maximum) including the texts. Pages completed above the maximum cannot be
counted for credit. The student is encouraged to read widely on many behavioral and
chemical addictions. Submit reading report using the standardized form attached to your
syllabus or the Excel worksheet available in our course content tab. You may include
reading for your research paper in your report.
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Class Reading Assignments: We will have occasional cases studies and/or articles for
classroom preparation. Students are expected to read and interact with the studies for
classroom discussion. The reading may be counted for outside reading. Be aware that I may
assign a discussion forum in addition to the reading.
3. Reading Summary: Compose a 500 word summary on Diane Langberg’s, Counseling
Survivors of Sexual Abuse. Provide an overview of her methodology. Include elements that
you found helpful as well as questions you have. Are there areas of disagreement with her
book? Interact with the author’s strengths and weaknesses. Then post your essay in the
Reading Summary Discussion Forum. Interact with two other students within 48 hours after
the initial post.
4. Final exam: Students will take a final exam sometime during the week of exams. A study
guide is posted on the LMS; students will take the exam on the LMS. The exam will be
objective but may include a short essay.
5. Counseling MP3s (optional but encouraged): Audio recordings from the CCEF
conference, “The Addict in Us All” are available in our course content tab. You may choose
what sessions you listen to and substitute up to two sessions for reading (35 pages of reading
= one session; record these pages on your reading report also). You are welcome to listen to
more sessions for personal enrichment, but only two may be used for reading credit.
COURSE GRADING SYSTEM
Research Paper 45%
Exam 35%
Reading 15%
Reading Summary 5%
A
AB+
B
B-
Grading Scale
100-93%
C+ 82%
92%
C 81-75%
91%
C- 74%
90-84%
D 73-65%
83%
F
64% & below
A – exceptional, superior work, consistently exceeding course expectations
B – good, above average work, occasionally exceeding course expectations
C – average work, barely meeting course expectations
D – below average work, rarely meeting course expectations
F – failing work, not meeting course expectations
SUGGESTED PAPER TOPICS
Understanding Anorexia
Understanding Alcoholism
Understanding Bulimia
Understanding Over Eating
Understanding Homosexuality
Counseling Addictive Behavior
Understanding Compulsive Shopping
Understanding Drug Addiction
Understanding Romance Addiction
Understanding Compulsive Disorders
Understanding Hoarding
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Understanding Extreme Couponing
Understanding Chap Stick Addiction
Understanding Risky Behavior
Understanding Work-oholism
Understanding Sadomasochism
Understanding Video Games
Understanding Carrot Addiction
Understanding Self-injury
Understanding Sexual Addiction
Understanding Nicotine Addiction
COURSE POLICIES
1. Course Information: Additional information, including announcements, is available on
My.MBU (LMS). Students are strongly encouraged to check the system regularly for
updates and announcements. Additionally, all course materials are available for student use,
including class notes, either for electronic or written use.
2. Late work: Any written work not turned in on time (midnight the day it is due) will be
penalized a third of a letter grade per day. Please submit all work via the dropboxes in the
LMS.
3. Academic Dishonesty. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense, and it can exist in many
forms. For example, the following would be considered a sample of academically dishonest
activities that might occur in this class:
 Sharing advance information regarding the content or answers for a test or quiz.
 Receiving advance information regarding the content or answers for a test or quiz.
 Using a previous student’s old tests or quizzes as a study guide for this semester’s tests
and quizzes.
 Handing in the same paper or substituting a similar paper in more than one class without
permission.
 Plagiarism. Representing the words or unique thoughts of another as your own.
 Submitting as your own, materials that have been enhanced by another.
Academic penalties for academic dishonesty range from an F grade on the particular
evaluation to an F grade in the course. Also, a range of serious disciplinary penalties may
apply.
4. ADA Policy: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination
statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities.
Among other things, the law requires that all students with disabilities be given a learning
environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe
you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Academic Success
Program Director, in the Library, (ph. 920/206-2340) or email [email protected].
5. Academic Success Center. Once source for academic help in any course is the Academic
Success Center. If you require specific targeted academic help for any reason, contact the
Student Success Center located in the Cedarholm Library. If you would like more
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information regarding targeted academic help, please contact the Student Success Center
director at [email protected].
COURSE BIBLIOGRAPHY
Addictions
C = Chemical; S = Sex; ED = Eating Disorders; AB = Abuse; G = Gambling; I = Internet; IM = Image; SI =
Self-Injury
Allender, Dan. The Healing Path: How the Hurts in Your Past Can Lead You to a More
Abundant Life. [companion study guide available] [AB]
Allender, Dan. The Wounded Heart. [companion workbook available] [AB]
Anderson, Neil. Freedom from Addiction. [General]
Arterburn. Stephen. Addicted to Love. [S and romance]
Arterburn, Stephen and Fred Stoeker. Everyman’s Battle. [companion workbook available] [S]
Balswick, Judith. Authentic Human Sexuality.
__________. Families in Pain.
Blight, Wendy. Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner. [AB]
Blume, E. Sue. Secret Survivors: Uncovering Incest and its Aftereffects in Women. [AB]
This book is thoroughly secular. She is great with descriptions, but poor on prescriptions.
Bromley, Nicole. Hush: Moving from Silence to Healing after Childhood Sexual Abuse. [AB]
Buhler, Rich. Pain and Pretending. [AB]
Carder, Dave and Duncan Jaenicke. Torn Asunber: Recovering from an Extramarital Affair.
Carnes, Patrick. Don’t Call it Love. [S]
Careaga, Andrew. Hooked on the Net. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2002. [I]
Chester, Tim. Closing the Window: Steps to Living Porn Free. [S]
Clark, Jerusha and Earl Henslin. Inside a Cutter’s Mind: Understanding and Helping Those
Who Self-Injure. [SI]
Clinebell, Howard. Understanding and Counseling Persons with Alcohol, Drug, and Behavioral
Addictions. [General]
Counseling Addictive Behavior
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Cole, Sherwood O. “Biology, Homosexuality, and the Biblical Doctrine of Sin.” Bibliotheca
Sacra 157 (July 2000), 348-61. [General, S]
Daniels, Robert. The War Within. [S]
Davis, Heather. “Chasing Beauty.” Journal of Biblical Counseling 24:1 (Winter 2006), 58. [IM]
Dobson, James. Pornography: Addictive, Progressive, & Deadly. [video] [S]
Eades, John. Gambling Addiction. [G]
Eagleton, Henry. “Counseling and conceptualizing the Bulimic from a Biblical Perspective.”
D.Min. Dissertation, Westminster Theological Seminary.
Earle, Ralph. The Pornography Trap. [S]
Eckman, David. Sex, Food, and God: Breaking Free from Temptations, Compulsion, and
Addictions.
Emlet, Michael. “Obsessions and Compulsions: Breaking Free of Tyranny.” Journal of Biblical
Counseling 22:2 (Winter 2004), 15.
__________. “Understanding the Influences of the Heart.” Journal of Biblical Counseling 20:2
(Winter 2002), 47.
Ferree, Marnie. No Stones: Women Redeemed from Sexual Addiction. [S]
Fields, Richard. Drugs and Alcohol in Perspective. Bellevue, WA.: Wm. Brown Publishers,
1992. [the standard text for certification]
Frank, Jan. Door of Hope. [AB]
Freeman, Penny. “An Abuse Survivor Learns to Show Mercy to Her Abuser.” Journal of
Biblical Counseling 21:3 (Spring 2003), 42.
Gallagher, Steve. At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry. [S]
__________. Counseling the Sexual Addict. [S]
Going, Lou. “Modern Idolatry: Understanding and Overcoming the Attraction of Your Broken
Cisterns.” Journal of Biblical Counseling 20:3 (Spring 2002), 46.
Griffith, Carol. Alcoholic by Choice. [C]
Hart, Archibald. The Sexual Man. [S]
Counseling Addictive Behavior
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Harris, Joshua. Sex is not the Problem (Lust is). Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2003. [S]
Heitritter, Lynn and Jeanette Vought. Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse. Minneapolis: Bethany
House, 2006. [AB: integrationist but good otherwise]
Hersh, Sharon. The Last Addiction: Why Self-Help is Not Enough.
Holcomb, Justin and Lindsey. Rid of My Disgrace. [AB]
Hurst, Kenneth. “Feeding on Ashes: A Biblical Model for Counseling Addictive Behaviors.”
D.Min. Dissertation. Westminster Theological Seminary.
Jones, Robert D. “How Good Desires Go Bad.” Journal of Biblical Counseling 24:2 (Spring
2006), 42.
Kearn, Jan. Scars that Wound, Scars that Heal. [SI]
Kearney, Timothy. Caring For Sexually Abused Children.[AB]
Kroeger, Catherine Clark and Nancy Nason-Clark. No Place for Abuse. [AB]
Kubetin, Cynthia and James Mallory. Beyond the Darkness: Healing for Victims of Sexual
Abuse. [AB]
Laaser, Mark. Before the Fall. [preventing pastoral sexual abuse]
__________. Faithful and True. [S]
Langberg, Diane. Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse. [AB] (for counselors)
__________. On the Threshold of Hope. [AB] (for counselees)
Lutzer, Erwin. Living with your Passions. [S]
Mack, Wayne. Counseling Incest Victims. [video] [AB]
May, Gerald. Addiction and Grace. [Integrationist]
McClure, Cynthia. The Monster Within: Facing an Eating Disorder.
McDowell, Josh and Edward Stewart. My Friend is Struggling with Past Sexual Abuse. [AB]
McKeever, Bridget. Hidden Addictions: A Pastoral Response to the Abuse of Legal Drugs. [C]
Means, Patrick. Men’s Secret Wars. [S]
Counseling Addictive Behavior
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Meyer, Bruce. “Developing a Biblical Seminar for the Prevention and Intervention of Sexual
Impurity and Addiction Among Christian Men.” D.Min. Dissertation. Calvary Baptist
Theological Seminary. Spring, 2003. [S] (chapters 2-3)
__________. “Shattered by Betrayal: Restoring Trust in Survivors of Abuse.” Research Paper.
Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary. April, 1997. [AB]
Murphey, Cecil. When a Man You Love was Abused: A Woman’s Guide to Helping Him
Overcome Childhood Sexual Molestation. [AB]
Osborn, Susan; Karen Kosman; Jeenie Gordon. Wounded by Words: Healing the Invisible Scars
of Emotional Abuse. [AB]
Partain, Melissa. “Sex and Cyberspace.” Journal of Biblical Counseling 22:1 (Fall 2003), 70.
Pettit, Christie. Starving: A personal Journey Through Anorexia. [ED]
Playfair, William. The Useful Lie: How the Recovery Industry has Entrapped America in a
Disease Model of Addiction.
Powlison, David. “Innocent Pleasures.” Journal of Biblical Counseling 23:4 (Fall 2005), 21.
__________. Pornography: Slaying the Dragon. [pamphlet] [S]
__________. “Sexual Sin and the Wider, Deeper Battles.” Journal of Biblical Counseling 24:2
(Spring 2006), 30. [S]
__________. Why Me? Comfort for the Victimized. [AB]
Roberts, Ted. Pure Desire. [S]
Rogers, Henry. The Silent War: Ministering to those Trapped in the Deception of Pornography.
[S]
Ryan, T.C. Ashamed No More: A Pastor’s Journey Through Sex Addiction [S]
Saia, Mike. Counseling the Homosexual. [S]
Schaef, Anne Wilson. Escape from Intimacy. [S]
Schaumburg, Harry. False Intimacy. [S]
Shaw, Mark. The Heart of Addiction.
Shick, Denise and Jerry Gramckow. My Daddy’s Secret. [S]
Counseling Addictive Behavior
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Tripp, Paul. “Appearance is Everything: Reclaiming God’s Image in an Image-Obsessed
Culture.” Journal of Biblical Counseling 23:4 (Fall 2005), 35.
VanCleave, Stephen, Walter Byrd, Kathy Revell. Counseling for Substance Abuse and
Addiction. [out of print but used copies are available] [C]
VanVonderen, Jeff. Good News for the Chemically Dependent and Those Who Love Them. [C]
Vath, Raymond E. Counseling Those with Eating Disorders. Waco: Word Books, 1986. [ED]
Volf, Miroslav. The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2006. [AB]
Vredevelt, Pam, Deborah Newman, Harry Beverly, and Frank Minirth. The Thin Disguise.
[ED]
Warren, Shellie. Pure Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Sexual Integrity.
Wilson, Sandra. Released from Shame: Moving Beyond the Pain of the Past. [AB]
Wilkinson, Bruce, ed. Victory over Temptation.
Willingham, Russell. Breaking Free. [S]
Wilson, Kathryn. Stone Cold in a Warm Bed. [S]
Welch, Edward. Blame It on the Brain.
__________. Crossroads: A Step by Step Guide Away from Addiction.
__________. “Eating Disorders.” Journal of Biblical Counseling. 24:2 (Spring 2006), 9. [ED]
__________. Homosexuality. [Pamphlet] [S]
__________. Just One More. [Pamphlet] [C]
__________. “Self-Injury: When Pain Feels Good.” Journal of Biblical Counseling 22:2
(Winter 2004), 31. [SI]
Welch, Edward T. and Gary Shogren. Addictive Behavior.
____________. Running in Circles.
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MP3s from “The Addict in us All,” 2008 CCEF conference on addiction are available in the
library. You may substitute two sessions for reading. Use the typical number of pages you read
in 50 minutes for each session; record the sessions to which you listen and then record the
equivalent pages in the page column.
Exegesis, Hermeneutics, and Research
McKnight, Scot. Introducing New Testament Interpretation. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1989.
Osborne, Grant R. The Hermeneutical Spiral. Downers Grove: InerVarsity Press, 1991.
Vyhmeister, Nancy Jean. Your Indispensable Guide to Writing Quality Research Papers. Grand
Rapids: Baker Books, 2001.
There are additional resources available on the LMS
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TENTATIVE COURSE AGENDA
Day
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
T
TH
Date
1/10
1/12
1/17
1/19
1/24
1/26
1/31
2/2
2/7
2/9
2/14
2/16
2/21
2/23
2/28
3/2
3/7
3/9
3/14
3/16
3/21
3/23
3/28
3/30
4/4
4/6
4/11
4/13
4/18
4/20
4/25
4/27
15
Class Discussion
Introduction to the course – syllabus
A Biblical Theology of Addiction
Assignments
Addiction Models
Inductive Study of Addiction
Idols of the Heart
A Comprehensive Approach
Chambers Tour
Midterm grades due 3/3
Biblical Theology of Change
Madrigal Tour
SPRING BREAK
Interdiction, Confrontation, Counseling
Reading Summary forum post due
Research paper due
Biblical Counseling
Features of various addictions
Project Due Date (4/27): Reading Report Due
Primer on Abuse
Final Exam
Counseling Addictive Behavior
Complete during exam week on the LMS
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READING REPORT
Dr. Bruce Meyer
Student name ______________________
Counseling Addictive Behavior
Title of Book/Journal Article
Author
Date
Read
Example: Christian Theology
Erickson
1/11
Addiction: A Banquet in the Grave
Welch
Term
Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Langberg
Term
Pages
Read
97-123
Total
Pages
27
TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES READ __________
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