David Wells - Prophet??

David Wells, Professor of Systematic Theology at Gordon-Conwell Seminary has written a series of five (5) titles. The time line for this was 1993-2008. He rightly challenged the approach to ministry that is more marketing than theology. He repeatedly challenged the corruption of the Gospel. His thesis was and is - the Gospel is not Therapy.

Fast forward from 1993 to April 13, 2013. A NY Times article by T. M. Luhrmann titled When God Is Your Therapist. She is writing from the perspective of one who has spent 10 years inside an evangelical church in Chicago. Her observation:

One way to see this is that the books teaching someone how to pray read a lot like cognitive behavior therapy manuals. For instance, the Rev. Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life,” one of the best-selling books of all time, teaches you to identify your self-critical, self-demeaning thoughts, to interrupt them and recognize them as mistaken, and to replace them with different thoughts. Cognitive-behavioral therapists often ask their patients to write down the critical, debilitating thoughts that make their lives so difficult, and to practice using different ones. That is more or less what Warren invites readers to do. He spells out thoughts he thinks his readers have but don’t want, and then asks them to consider themselves from God’s point of view: not as the inadequate people they feel themselves to be, but as loved, as relevant and as having purpose.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/opinion/sunday/luhrmann-when-god-is-your-therapist.html?_r=1&

Here is a listing in chronological order of publication of David Wells titles. They are a treasure of sound doctrine and historic evangelical orthodoxy. He writes with passion and exegetical precision. Any Leader who reads this series will be well equipped to accurately analyze the contemporary theological landscape.

                                                                                   
    

 Thank YOU Dr. Wells for this labor of love for the Truth once delivered to the saints. May we hold fast and stand on this foundation. (contend for the faith once delivered to the saints - Jude 3).