Page 189 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 8

Book...

Gladys Mwiti & Al Dueck
Christian Counselling.

An African Indigenous Perspective

2006, Passadena: Fuller Seminary Press, 309 pages

Agnes May, Germany
Training in religious education and
adult education. Since 1998 at the
IGNIS Institute as editor, writer and
adult educator for the correspon-
dence course Foundations of Chri-
stian Psychology, since 2004 as per-
son in charge of this course.
agnes.may@ignis.de
Articles by Agnes:
http://emcapp.ignis.de/2/#/48
http://emcapp.ignis.de/5/#/112

This book is worth reading not only for those, Review by Agnes May (Germany)
who have to do with African counselees, but for
all, who want to reflect on the interrelationship In the first three chapters, you learn about basics
of counselling, world-view, culture, faith, ideas of a specific African and Christian approach to
of self, others and God, for all, who want to re- counselling.
flect on their own understanding of counselling
and Christian counselling. Chapter 1 “Dis-membered and Re-membered”
describes the situation of the African people
It is written in an understandable way as a who have been separated from their past, cultu-
handbook for the training courses in “Christian re, identity… by western colonialism, especially
Counselling: An African Indigenous Perspec- been “dis-membered” by the ideals of western
tive” that have been developed by Fuller (since individualism, and who have to be re-mem-
2004) in order to provide a counselling training bered to their fundamental resources. “Our
for evangelists, counsellors, church planters, pa- greatest challenge is that Africans walk around
stors, and leaders in the two-thirds world. You like paupers and beggars when in fact they are
also get DVDs and a comprehensive instructio- rich and blessed… The Christian counsellor can
nal manual that supports those lessons (milli- become the connection between vacuums and
kan@fuller.edu). vitalities… Christ is essential to any reconstruc-
tion and re-membering of Africa. He opens
The authors are Dr. Gladys Mwiti and Al Dueck. our eyes to see the many resources that can be
Mwiti is a clinical psychologist and, together used to rebuild and reclaim – resources such as
with her husband Gershon, founder of Oasis meaningful symbols, proverbs, rituals, and folk
Africa (a pan-African professional counselling tales. With these resources, Christian counsel-
and behavioral healthcare organization http:// ling becomes not merely another rescue opera-
www.oasisafrica.co.ke). Al Dueck is professor tion, but the opportunity to rebuild the broken
of Integration of Psychology and Theology at in partnership with the Master Architect.” (p.
Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Psycho- 19-20)
logy.

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