In Van Til’s Counseling Movement: A Critical Analysis of Jay Adams and Biblical Counseling, Jared S. Poulton uncovers the often-overlooked intellectual roots of the modern biblical counseling movement. When Jay Adams launched his reformation of pastoral care with Competent to Counsel in 1970, he did so at a Westminster Theological Seminary shaped by the presuppositional apologetics of Cornelius Van Til. Poulton argues that three central Van Tilian concepts—the covenantal nature of knowledge, presuppositional analysis, and the antithesis—sit at the foundation of biblical counseling. Yet Adams adapted and modified each of these ideas, diverging from Van Til on general revelation, the transcendental character of presuppositions, and the role of common grace. The result is a pair of related but distinct systems. Essential reading for pastors, counselors, and students of Reformed theology, this volume sheds fresh light on biblical counseling’s identity and trajectory today.
PAPERBACK | 6 X 9 | PUBLISHED OCTOBER 27, 2025 | ISBN 979-8-9881179-9-5 | Library of Congress Control Number: 2025920650
“Did Cornelius Van Til’s approach to apologetics influence Jay Adams and the early biblical counseling movement? If so, what has been the long-term impact of this early influence? Jared Poulton has filled a significant gap in previous histories. No matter what you think about biblical counseling or presuppositional apologetics, this book is an essential resource for understanding the backgrounds of biblical counseling.” ~ Timothy Paul Jones, Ph.D., C. Edwin Gheens Chair of Christian Family Ministry, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; editor of Understanding Christian Apologetics: Five Methods for Defending the Faith
“Jared Poulton writes with the confidence of a scholar who has done the primary source work and the humility of someone who understands what is at stake for real people in real counseling rooms. His answer to the book’s central question — Is biblical counseling Van Til’s counseling movement? — is neither a simple yes nor a dismissive no, but a carefully earned “yes and no” that illuminates both the movement’s strengths and its untapped potential. This book deserves a wide and thoughtful readership among biblical counselors, Reformed theologians, and anyone interested in the intersection of apologetics, epistemology, and pastoral care.” ~ Adriaan C. Neele, PhD, President and Professor of Historical Theology and Homiletics, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary.
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In Van Til’s Counseling Movement: A Critical Analysis of Jay Adams and Biblical Counseling, Jared S. Poulton uncovers the often-overlooked intellectual roots of the modern biblical counseling movement. When Jay Adams launched his reformation of pastoral care with Competent to Counsel in 1970, he did so at a Westminster Theological Seminary shaped by the presuppositional apologetics of Cornelius Van Til. Poulton argues that three central Van Tilian concepts—the covenantal nature of knowledge, presuppositional analysis, and the antithesis—sit at the foundation of biblical counseling. Yet Adams adapted and modified each of these ideas, diverging from Van Til on general revelation, the transcendental character of presuppositions, and the role of common grace. The result is a pair of related but distinct systems. Essential reading for pastors, counselors, and students of Reformed theology, this volume sheds fresh light on biblical counseling’s identity and trajectory today.
PAPERBACK| 6 X 9 | PUBLISHED September 1, 2026 | ISBN 979-8-9958395-0-7 | Library of Congress Control Number:
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