S#9, "Soul Care", (Benner & Moon text, pp. 137-186)

Contrast and compare the role of a spiritual director in the Social Justice Tradition and the Pentecostal/Charismatic Tradition. Consider their goals, procedure, and resources.

Spiritual director in the Social Justice tradition has a focus that is quite different from that of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Tradition. The two approach spiritual direction from opposite ends of the spectrum. The first tradition might ask how the church and the teachings of Christ, might impact and move people to the point of taking a stance against those who commit social injustices upon the less unfortunate?

The focus is about developing healthy and wholesome relationships both vertically with God and horizontally with men. It’s goal is to experience the Divine Presence which leads to liberation and freedom from the oppressor. Spiritual direction seeks to bring people together in mutual love and respect for all people irregardless of their financial stability, educational level attained, gender, or sexual preference. It is a place where people who have been marginalized by society can be cured. This is accomplished through individual or group counseling, prayer, confession, bible study, and spiritual friendships, and worship services.

The Pentecostal tradition however would ask, how might this same faith impact and change lives in such a way that people become holy and so spiritually filled with the Spirit that lives are changed and made fit for the kingdom of God? The answer, by first being baptized with the Holy Spirit. That spiritual baptism is evidenced by speaking in tongues, and the demonstrating the “fruit of the Spirit.

Spirituality is achieved as seekers follow the spiritual directors of the denomination who are seldom if ever is referred to as such. Spiritual directors are those people who carry such titles as bishop, pastor, evangelist, elder and mother. Benner included father in his list of spiritual directors. If the term father is used it is a rarity in most mainline Pentecostal/Charismatic denomination. Also, not mention in his list are apostles and the head of the organization, the “chief” or “founding apostle” who are usually the folk who are looked upon as father but seldom referred to as such.

Holiness is achieved through worship, prayer, being filled with the Spirit, evident by the frequency of speaking in tongues, laying on of hands, confession, living the Word, studying scripture. The resources being the Holy Spirit, prayer, discernment, testimonies which include giving verbal witness about God’s saving grace and telling how one got through a crisis.


2) Discuss your response to Gerald May's caution with the "Integration Movement" in Christian Counseling to include spiritual direction in the therapeutic process p. 182-185).

I would tend to agree with May’s caution and his support of the negative perspective in regards to mixing the processes of spiritual direction and therapeutic. The spiritual director takes the journey with the “directee” helping him/her to discover God through prayer, scriptures while the therapist’s focus is on the patient’s/clients problems and personality change. May suggests that it is possible only when there is clear discernment. He suggests that the director must be a “gifted spiritual director” and only if discernment of the right relationship is known, and only on a temporary basis. Two questions that I would raise at this point is, who determines whether or not a spiritual director is gifted, and if it is acceptable when doing therapeutic counseling to convert to spiritual direction temporarily, can the reverse work as well? If doing spiritual direction, can we also convert temporarily to therapeutic counseling. I would argue that while the director may be gifted, the directee may not be. The directee may inadvertently miss a critical piece of the formation process. For example, concentration on the problem and trying to find solutions could suggest to the client that his problem is the problem and self is responsible for the healing. While this may be one way of approaching the problem, it does become problematic when the client must shift the focus towards God and scripture as being the source of solution. What you have here are two different means for achieving wellness and becoming whole. I think that what might work however is concluding all sessions with prayer and Word. There should always be some spiritual connection discerned by the director that might make this possible when feasible.