John Street, chair of the graduate program in biblical counseling at the Master’s College, is the general editor of Men Counseling Men. Twenty-two authors contributed a chapter each on various subjects pertinent to Christian men. Most, if not all, of the contributors have or are pursuing a master’s degree in biblical counseling (MABC) from Master’s College. As might be expected there is a unified understanding among the authors that men’s real problems stem from sin which must be dealt with forcefully through the appropriate use of the all-sufficient Word of God. Most chapters apply the normal methodology found within the biblical counseling movement, which is the put off/put on/renewal-of-the-mind principle. This approach, drawn from the epistles, especially Ephesians and Colossians, teaches one to put off sinful habits, replace them with biblical habits and virtues, and renew the way one thinks through careful study and application of Scripture. This volume is directed toward the biblical counselor who is counseling in a somewhat formal setting, although what is taught is applicable to any Christian man and would be helpful in more informal settings. The book will find its greatest value as counselors assign homework, having their counselee read appropriate chapters according to his need.
As in any multi-authored book, the chapters are somewhat uneven in quality. Depending on the need of the reader and his familiarity with biblical counseling literature, some chapters will stand out as more helpful than others. I found the first two chapters, which lay out the foundation for biblical counseling, chapter five on discernment, chapter seven dealing with anger, chapter 14 on parenting adult children, chapter 18 and 19 concerning counseling homosexuals and chapter 21 on rebuilding a marriage after adultery as the most helpful. I was surprised that more text was not devoted to sexual sins, especially pornography. Wayne Mack’s contribution (chapter 21) touched on this subject but given the magnitude of pornography today a full chapter would have been valuable.
Overall Men Counseling Men is a quality work that should be most useful to the biblical counselor as he seeks to help men with their problems. The chapters do not exhaust their subjects but each chapter ends with recommended resources for more in-depth study.
Reviewed by Gary E. Gilley, Pastor, Southern View Chapel.