Caleb Goodson

Care of Souls
Rich Faille
05/09/2018

What is Soul Care? (1 Page)

The first chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled What is Soul Care? The book

defines soul care as the nurturing, support, healing, and

restoration of the total person, mind and body, with a special

focus on the inner world of thinking, feeling, and willing. This

is done by fostering the psychospiritual growth and health of

the inner self.

The book describes the pre-Christian ideas and attitudes

towards soul care. This starts with the Greek attitude towards

soul care, in particular Socrates. (This makes sense, given that

his influence can still be felt in Western society and

philosophical thought to this day.) The Greek idea of soul can

be defined as the sustaining and curative treatment of persons

in those matters that reach beyond animal life. After the Greek

application towards soul care is discussed, the author presents

the Jewish form of soul car, which is influenced by the ancient

Jewish law. One was to apply the law and its teaching to

everyday life, making a stronger, better person as a result. The

Jewish idea of soul care is compared to a shepherd caring for a

flock of sheep.

This idea carried over into Christianity with Christ as the

model shepherd. However, unlike the Jewish emphasis on law and

behavior, Christ’s approach to soul care was based upon the

worth of persons in the eyes of God. This transitions into the

Christian approach to Soul Care, the redemption of the soul and

elimination of harmful sin. This is done through healing,

sustaining, reconciling, and guiding. Also, unlike before, all

Christians, rather than just priests or teachers, are called to

the task of caring for the souls of others.

The first chapter did an excellent job of preparing the

reader for the ideas presented later in the book. I think even

the layperson would be able to grasp the concepts laid out in

the first chapter. The author does well in using language that

is universal, rather than technical.

 Caleb Goodson
Care of Souls
Rich Faille
05/09/2018

The Rise of Therapeutic Soul Care

The second chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled The Rise of Therapeutic Soul

Care. The chapter describes the rise of modern psychology and

psychotherapy, and its influence on the church and its approach

towards soul care.

The main change seems to be an increased emphasis on

educational and technical background within the individual

providing soul care, as opposed to personal character. (To me, I

think this is a great loss. Both should have equal importance)

This would make sense, given psychology’s tendency to be hostile

towards any genuine spiritual or supernatural concepts. (This is

another mistake, as both the physical and the spiritual are not

separate things, but work in tandem.)

Overall, I found this chapter to be very frustrating. I

think modern psychology has been, in many ways, damaging to

Western society and to the church. It makes us engage in naval

gazing, looking inward, rather than looking outward to the One

who can heal our minds and spirits.

 Caleb Goodson
Care of Souls
Rich Faille
05/09/2018

The Boundaries of the Soul Summary

The third chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled The Boundaries of the Soul. This

chapter describes the relationship between the body and the

psychospiritual inner world. It starts by making the reader

aware of the great debate about the soul and it nature, and how

the author believes there are no simple answers to what the

relationship between soul and body is. (Nonsense. That question

is answered in the example of Christ. We are currently an uneasy

mixture of flesh and spirit, with the two struggling against

each other for supremacy. Only God can bring balance to this

struggle, lest we become slaves to either the material or the

spiritual.)

The author goes on to explain that we are embodied spirits,

containing attributes of both expressed as a whole person. He

goes on to explain, after briefly discussing early psychological

thought on this tope, that the spiritual well-being of a person

can and will affect the body’s health. (This is true in my

experience, as well.)
 The chapter ends with a long series of arguments designed

to show that focusing merely on the physical ignores an

important part of soul care, the spiritual self. (I agree.)

Without a healthy mind, the body cannot be truly healthy. (I

also agree.)
 Caleb Goodson
Care of Souls
Rich Faille
05/09/2018

Psychology and Spirituality Summary

The fourth chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled Psychology and Spirituality. The

author writes about the relationship between psychology and

religion. He briefly discusses the conflict between religion and

psychology, characterizing it as a misunderstanding between the

two, who both have unique perspectives that are useful to

understanding the concept of soul care. (No. The modern practice

of psychology was born from atheistic thinkers. That very

foundation makes it hostile to religion. Always look at ideas

generated by atheists with suspicion.)

The author goes on to defend psychology and explain away

its very atheistic and agnostic tendencies. He makes a valiant

attempt to do so, but in the end does what most psychologists

do. They emphasize looking inward for solutions, rather than

outward to the Father. Without Him, we are doing nothing more

than futile self-examination.

 Caleb Goodson
Care of Souls
Rich Faille
05/09/2018

Christian Spirituality Summary

The fifth chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled Christian Spirituality. The

author defines spirituality as the human quest for and

experience of meaning, God, and the other. (This works fine.) It

is a need to belong to something greater and better than

oneself, to fit into a larger whole. The author makes the claim

that spirituality if foundational to humanity. (I really hate

this term. It is often used by kooks who take up pagan

practices, claiming to be superior to those of us who follow

Christ.)

The author then tries to show the relationship between

Christian spirituality, religious spirituality, and nonreligious

spirituality, and how all three have a similar goal, a

connection to the divine. The author then explains how

Christians experience this divine connection. He takes far too

much time in making something that should be very simple

(worship and pray, connect to God), by giving long, complicated

explanations to everything.
 This approach does most Christians little good. Connecting

to God is very easy, as expressed by Michelangelo’s painting on

the roof of the Sistine Chapel. God reaches out for us

constantly, aching to touch our hands. His face is concerned and

desperate, as angels trumpet and sing, trying to get our

attention. While man is reclining, unconcerned and lazy,

reaching out leisurely to touch God’s hand.

 Caleb Goodson
Care of Souls
Rich Faille
05/09/2018

The Psychospiritual Focus of Soul Care Summary

The sixth chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled The Psychospiritual Focus of Soul

Care. Psychospiritual refers to the idea that the inner world

has no separate spiritual and psychological compartments. Mind

and soul are one concept, instead of two. (I do not agree with

this entirely. There is just too much conflict between the good

and evil in my own spirit for me to believe that they do not

exist, on some level, independently. We have the Trinity as our

model for this. God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit. Man

with Body, Man with Mind, Man with Soul. All in tandem, all in

harmony with God. All in conflict, all out of balance with Man.)

The author then talks about quests that all people engage

in as part of their psychospiritual development. These are the

quest for identity, the quest for relatedness, the quest for

relatedness, the quest for happiness, the quest for success, the

quest for perfection, the quest for truth and justice, the quest

for beauty, and the quest for mystery. (Having engaged in all of
these quests, I agree with the author’s ideas here, even though

his original premise if flawed.)

The chapter ends with an emphasis on growing in a

psychospiritual way in order to increase the health of the soul.

However, he again emphasizes looking within, rather than looking

towards God.
 Caleb Goodson

Care of Souls

Rich Faille

05/09/2018

Dialogue in Soul Care Summary

The seventh chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled Dialogue in Soul Care. Dialogue

is defined as deep or significant conversation. Dialogue demands

reciprocity and synergy. For true dialogue to occur, people must

truly give and truly take in a conversation.

The author then moves on to discuss forms of verbal

interaction. Specifically, the author looks at debate,

discussion, conversation, and dialogue. Conversation, of course,

is used to transfer ideas and thoughts to one another. This is

essential in soul care, because one cannot get another person to

change or improve without transmitting ideas.

The author suggests listening with compassion and respect,

sharing experiences, and gentle guidance. (I agree.) However, he

again fails to emphasize the need to guide a soul closer to God.

I strongly suspect that this author has fallen victim to his own
knowledge and forgotten about the most basic mission of any

Christian, bring souls to Christ.

 Caleb Goodson

Care of Souls

Rich Faille

05/09/2018

Dreams, the Unconscious, and the Language of the Soul Summary

The eighth chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled Dreams, the Unconscious, and the

Language of the Soul. Dreams are explained by the author as a

way of knowing the unconscious, and one’s innermost thoughts. (I

agree.)

The author speaks to the usual Christian suspicion of the

unconscious as being a produce o the Age of Enlightenment, due

to its emphasis on rationality. (I agree, I think throwing away

spiritual guidance was a mistake. We need both reason and faith

in order to truly survive as both individuals and as a society.

The death of faith in the West has had catastrophic results.

Collectively, our souls are in terrible pain, and so many of us

do not understand why. Cold reason alone cannot sustain us. We

must have faith as well.)

 I disagree strongly with the author’s idea of using

techniques or practice to interpret dreams. Only through prayer

and connection to God can we understand what our dreams mean.

Any other approach can and will lead to error, and there is no

room for error in interpreting the subconscious.

I do like his approach to dream work. Seeing dreams as

gifts from God, deciding which ones should be marked for

examination, and understanding that dreams are usually a

reflection of the self are excellent tools in interpreting

dreams. Undertaking dream interpretation within the context of

Christian disciplines is most important, as the chance for self-

deception is high.
 Caleb Goodson

Care of Souls

Rich Faille

05/09/2018

Forms of Christian Soul Care Summary

The ninth chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled Forms of Christian Care. The

author starts by cautioning that soul care must be a call from

God, and God alone, independent of training or resources. (This

is the best idea the author has put forward in the book. God’s

call must be upon your life in order to do His work.) The author

then identifies nine forms of soul care. They are family soul

care, mutual soul care, pastoral care, lay counseling, Christian

counseling, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, Christian

psychotherapy, and intensive soul care.

The author then goes into detail about each form of soul

care, it strengths and weaknesses, and its effectiveness. He

goes the farthest and deepest into what he believes is the most

effective, intensive soul care.

 The author identifies four stages of what he calls

Christotherapy. They are reforming, conforming, confirming, and

transforming. These steps correspond exactly to what should

happen when a sinner gives his soul to Christ and becomes part

of the Faith.

The author suggests that none of the forms of soul care

should compete, and that each should compliment the other. (This

is correct. Every soul has a different need, and God uses

multiple tools in His kit to help that soul heal.)

 Caleb Goodson

Care of Souls

Rich Faille

05/09/2018

Challenges of Soul Care Summary

The tenth chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian

Nurture and Counsel, is titled Challenges of Soul Care. The

author first speaks of the importance of soul restoration, and

how God mandates it. (This is correct. God commands us to be

salt and light. Salt is essential for health, and without light,

all life would die). After establishing the importance of soul

care, the author speaks about qualifications.

There are some important qualifications for soul care a

person should have. The first is a possession of a deep and

genuine love for people. The second is trustworthiness and the

ability to trust others. The third is spiritual and

psychological maturity. The fourth is a characterization of

genuineness, honesty, accessibility, internal congruence, and

candor. The fifth is a deep knowing of God’s grace. The sixth is

a deep faith that light will overcome darkness. The final

characteristic is wisdom and humility.

 The author then goes into the challenges of soul care. This

includes keeping things in a Christian perspective, maintaining

compassion, and staying humble. The chapter ends with a reminder

that the goal of Soul Care is to bring a person closer to

Christ, and the healing they need in doing so.

 Caleb Goodson

Care of Souls

Rich Faille

05/09/2018

Receiving Soul Care Summary

The eleventh chapter of Care of Souls: Revisioning

Christian Nurture and Counsel, is titled Receiving Soul Care.

This is the last chapter, and it focuses on who needs soul care

and when to give it. This is important information, as sick

people need a cure, but healthy people do not.

The author categorizes those who need soul care into four

groups. They are those who seek to provide sol care themselves,

those who seek freedom from bondage, those who seek grater

depths of psychospiritual maturity and vitality, and those who

seek assistance in developing a moral perspective on their life.

The author shares the attributes of each type, and the type of

soul care he or she should seek to fulfill their goals.

The author then goes into the type of person who should be

a soul guide, and how to prepare for guiding souls. The book

then ends with a challenge to the reader to talk to one’s closes

family and friends about any issues to which he or should

attend. The author expresses the idea of getting one’s own house

in order before trying to help another person with their own.

(This is very good advice. No one wants help from a person who

is falling apart.)

Overall, this was an interesting and well-written book. I

would recommend it to anyone who wants to examine the concept of

caring for another person’s soul. However, I would also warn the

person who is reading this book to remember ultimately that it

is never us who does any healing. All of that comes from the

Great Physician. We are, and only ever will be tools and weapons

in the hands of the Father. If we keep that in mind, and stay

humble, we will be very effective in helping other people heal.

 Caleb Goodson

Care of Souls

Rich Faille

05/09/2018

Final Paper: Dreams and the Soul (5 Pages)

The topic that intrigued me the most was dreams, the

unconscious, and the language of souls. The reason for this is

because ever since the age of twelve, I have had recurring night

terrors of bloodsoaked battle. I have died more times in my

dreams, and in so many different ways, than I can even count or

remember. Twenty years of dream warfare has caused me to be very

interested in this topic, and it is one I often discuss with my

fellow believers.

I believe firmly that we need to examine how and why we

dream, especially artistic souls like myself. I believe it is

the subconscious attempting to solve problems that the conscious

is failing to do so. I think God gave us this ability as a back-

up system to help us solve problems. With this in mind, we have

to ask God to help us understand what the dream means, and how

it can help guide us to a better understanding. Always look

without for guidance, to God, rather than spend too much looking

within.

I will give an example of one of my many, many dreams. Then

I will explain its relevance, and what I learned from it.

I was outside of my body, looking down onto a rocky cliff,

with scrubby bushes, hard red dirt, and dusty stones covering

the area. The sky was clear and blue, and I saw myself and my

ex-wife, back to back, with sword and shield in hand.

I heard a voice speak to me with authority and power, “This

is how you thought things were.”

I saw my ex-wife and I standing against a horde of black

shadows with eyes that glowed a sinister red. They were things

of tooth and claw, of bladed tongues and sharp edges. They were

the demons in the dark, the shadow soldiers of Hell, and they

were hungry for our souls.

The demons charged us in waves, and my ex-wife and I fought

back to back, killing the foul creatures left and right. They

could not touch us as we defended each other with sword and

shield, moving in a constant circle. When we had killed twenty

or so demons, the vision faded, and I was in my own body.

I heard the voice again, “This is how things really were.”

 I had no shield, only a sword, and my other hand was

gripping my ex-wife’s shoulder tightly. She was struggling

against me, trying constantly to run into the waiting arms of

the demon horde. As they approached, I would pull her back and

kill them one by one, but it was difficult. I had no way to

defend myself as I was fighting both the horde, and her attempts

to go to them.

Without any means to defend myself, the claws of the demons

started to score wounds. A scratch on my leg here, a gash on my

arm there, and I started to bleed and grow weaker. I felt my

clothing soak with my blood, and my hands became slick with it.

Still, I somehow held onto my ex-wife, refusing to let the horde

take her.

Eventually, it was too much to bear, and in my weakness, I

fell to my knees. I felt my vision fading, only to be shocked

back into wakefulness by stabbing pain in my shoulder. I looked

up in surprise and betrayal to see my ex-wife, an expression of

hatred and triumph on her face. Her hand was on the handle of a

wave-bladed dagger that had been plunged into my shoulder. I

could feel the blade scraping against my heart. The demons

laughed at my pain, and I could feel their triumphant hatred in

the air.
 I found the strength, fueled by anger, to stand. I grabbed

my ex-wife’s arms as she screamed and clawed at me, howling like

an animal. With no other thought than my own survival, I kicked

her solidly in the chest, pushing her with my foot. She

staggered backwards, right into the arms of the demon horde.

I watched in horror as they started to consume her. Inky

tendrils of darkness traveled up her body, devouring her from

within and without. Her flesh sizzled and popped, and I could

smell her burning. She threw back her head and cackled with

delight, screaming that she was free now, deceived and tricked

even in the end. Then she was gone, and the demons turned

towards me.

I picked up my fallen sword, and with a cry, I wrenched the

dagger free from my shoulder. I was weak and dying, covered in

open wounds and my own blood. It was agony to stand or speak, my

body numb with physical and mental pain. The demons cavorted and

laughed, moving closer, savoring my suffering.

I could not stand. I fell into a kneeling position.

Everything had failed me. All that was left was courage and

faith in the face of annihilation. I prayed to God.

“God, don’t let me die like this. Not like this, surrounded

by the dark. If I have to die today, let me die fighting. Let me

die knowing that you were with me, in the end.”

 A pillar of fire came screaming from the sky. It struck me

with immeasurable heat, and the demons were driven back. I felt

incredible, searing pain in body and soul. My wounds sealed, and

the blood soaking me burned away, along with doubt and despair.

Steam rose from my body as I stood to my feet with a grunt.

The sword and dagger were still in my hands, gleaming brightly

in the sun. The shadowy demon army was still there, but their

confidence had been shaken. They started to take a step back.

I reversed my weapons, holding them blade down, and charged

into their midst, howling with righteous fury. I felt the

weapons connect with something solid, felt the arterial spray of

demon ichor on my face, and jolted upright as I woke up.

I prayed for understanding, and it came almost immediately.

When I married my wife, I had deceived myself into thinking I

was marrying a true believer in Christ. I had lied to myself

about her and her true nature, and it cost me dearly, nearly

leading to my own destruction in the process. Her refusal to do

the right thing, and her insistence on inflicting pain upon me

caused me to cut her off and throw her to the darkness to ensure

my own survival. In my pain, I turned to God for healing, and He

answered, making me stronger than ever before.

I learned from this to choose my next mate very carefully,

and to never ignore red flags again. I shared this wisdom with
others, helping them learn from my mistakes. The dream turned

out to be a good experience, a true gift from God.