#ps511

[wutbju]

This is from Pat Berg's PS511 Counseling class from 2005.

There is nothing wholesome or correct or biblical or ethical or kind about this. It is painful.

Pat Berg, in her infinite wisdom, states:

Possible unexpected outcomes after an unwise marriage: * Miscarriage, still birth, or death of the baby later * Birth defects that would cause great pressure on the young parents * Continued fleshly living by the baby's parents.

She might be trying to say, "don't get married just because you're pregnant because if you lose the baby, that really stinks."

But that's not what she said.

Let me tell you, Pat, losing a baby always stinks.

Shame on you, Pat Berg.

[wutbju]

At the beginning of the semester, Berg hands out a list of verses that apply to each chapter the students will read. The handouts are lengthy, so I’m only providing a few pages here. 

A Senior at Bob Jones University should be able to find such verses on her own. She should have taken enough Bible and heard enough chapel sermons and read the Bible herself and be familiar with a commentary to know how to provide these references. That Berg simply provides the verses is a clear clue as to her expectations for her students: sit and absorb; do not evaluate.

But go back and look at the singular statement Berg provides with each verse. 

The Bible is superior to all other sources of counsel because it never changes.

The Bible is superior to all other sources of counsel because it is empowered by God and will accomplish His purposes.

The Bible is superior to all other sources of counsel because it is true.

Scripture contains all that is needed to equip man for every good work.

These self-assured declarative statements which reduce books of Poetry, Prophecy, Gospel, and an Epistle should invite critique for Senior-level students. That’s expected in a 400-level course (which it is now currently) and required in a 500-level course (which it was in this iteration).

[wutbju]

Pat Berg’s PS511 syllabus has the usual course schedule and policies. I include them here just for thoroughness. As a comparison, however, consider the Liberty University’s Counseling Women course schedule:

[wutbju]

When Bob Jones University applied for TRACS accreditation, the administration told us faculty that a “Course Objectives” section had to be added to each syllabus. Look at Berg’s objectives. By the end of the semester, the student should be able to:

Explain the distinctions of a thoroughly biblical philosophy of counseling.

Clearly explain how Jesus’ roles as Savior, Lord, and Example are the answers to life’s problems.

Understand and discuss underlying causes of problems common to women and suggest biblical solutions.

Apply biblical solutions to their own problems.

Analyze a case study and suggest an initial counseling strategy.

Now consider Liberty University’s equivalent course’s learning outcomes:

Identify theoretical, sociological, and biological considerations in counseling women. 

Evaluate concepts related to the developmental issues women face throughout their lifetimes and how they impact the counseling process. 

Evaluate his/her own assumptions about gender and gender roles. 

Analyze the tension women experience, especially Christian women, in light of the feminist movement. 

Distinguish the DSM-V disorders that are most common in women. 

Analyze the best treatment for the DSM-V disorders that are most common in women. 

Construct a biblical worldview in counseling women which includes synthesizing professional knowledge and biblical concepts.

The two sets of objectives do not compare. BJU’s course barely gets to the middle of Bloom’s taxonomy -- problem-solving. Berg hovers around knowledge acquisition and understanding. This is 100-level higher education. The Liberty University class pushes the student toward Bloom’s highest levels of evaluation. 

Berg’s own goals for the class continue to demonstrate the lack of academic rigor. Just look at the action verbs in the statements:

To review

To present

To develop

To encourage

To help

To provide

Berg’s approach is top-down and presentational. She provides the students with the facts without encouraging their own critique of the method. This is not appropriate for a 400-level course where the instructor should be beginning to encourage evaluation and critique. 

This class, along with Mazak’s, falls short of the standard for academic rigor. How many other classes at Bob Jones University miss the mark?

[wutbju]

Berg’s PS511 syllabus continues. Look at the textbooks she has chosen. Nancy DeMoss’s Lies Women Believe is a devotional book written by a radio personality with a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance who has only been married one year. DeMoss writes about marriage and birth control -- subjects outside her experience and professional expertise. This book might be appropriate for a Sunday School class, but an academic textbook it is not. 

Fitzpatrick and Cornish’s Women Helping Women is a Biblical Counseling standard, such as it is. The reviews on the book are mixed, and the second edition has eliminated the most obvious victim-blaming. Harvest House is not an academic press. It’s a Christian self-help publisher, proving again that Berg’s class is appropriate for Sunday School, not for academic rigor.