R. Paul Olson

The Reconciled Life: a Critical Theory of Counseling R. Paul Olson

"The Reconciled Life" seeks to join the dialogue between Christian theology and clinical psychology. R. Paul Olson aims not to "Christianize" psychology or "psychologize" Christianity, but he intends to use the spiritual wisdom of Jesus as a theoretical framework for a practical approach to counseling. As he writes: "I want to construct a theory of counseling grounded in the teachings of Jesus and relevant to clinical practice." In a time when the winds of spirituality are blowing from every direction, Olson thinks it legitimate to look to Jesus and to the wisdom of the Judeo-Christian tradition for informing his theory of clinical counseling. Such a bold integration of faith and analytical psychotherapy will find critics among those who wish to keep the notion of God on the sidelines when it comes to understanding the human condition, but for those who see the reconciling work of God as a basis for understanding the human condition, "The Reconciled Life" will prove both stimulating and provocative.