Beyond Prescriptivism

Reimagining Scripture’s Role in Christian Counselling for Transformation

Abstract

Christian counselling invites a hermeneutical approach that is not only faithful to Scripture but theologically sound and psychologically safe. This study is situated within evangelical Christian counselling in South Africa and focuses specifically on how Scripture is interpreted and integrated in counselling practice. Responding to this invitation offers Christian counselling participation in theological discourse that questions whether Christian counselling aligns with sound biblical hermeneutics. This paper argues that misalignment often takes place when counsellors view the Bible as a prescriptive counselling manual, overlooking its deeper message. Further to this, misalignment transpires when Scripture is omitted entirely from counselling sessions.. To avoid both, evangelical Christian counselling must align with hermeneutical training for ethical practice. By centring the Bible as an authority alongside ethically and psychologically safe integrated praxis, Christian counselling can facilitate transformative sessions. The paper conducts a qualitative study using literature analysis, interviews and thematic analysis. The study aims to offer insights into the faithful integration of Scripture in counselling that is both theologically rigorous and supportive of the client’s psychological needs. The primary research questions asks: How might Christian counsellors more faithfully integrate Scripture in transformative Christian counselling praxis? Supporting questions consider prescriptivism, dismissivism, hermeneutics, and the redemptive use of Scripture. The study contributes a practical-theological framework for faithful, contextually sensitive, and ethically responsible scriptural integration.