Introduction to Paul Burkhart

I hope in this post to provide a framework to anyone that may read this as to the preconceived notions, dispositions, belief systems, and worldviews I am speaking from, as these are the necessary filters through which everything I say will pass through. I plan on using standardized categorizations to accomplish this so hopefully anyone that stumbles upon this blog will be able to get the proper perspective of me, no matter there preconceived notions. Before I get to that, though, I'll briefly be personal.

I am currently a student at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. After this (of course, all this is God willing), I plan on pursuing a Masters of Psychology and/or Masters of Divinity. Other options are Masters in either Counseling or Marital and Family Therapy from a Seminary. Then, the plan is to return to VCU to earn my Doctorate of Counsleing Psychology. After that, I hope to take a stint as a missionary for a few years. Upon return, I'd like to start a corporation dealing with providing all facets of society with Psychological Services. This corporation will take a three-pronged approach to affecting society and culture in positive ways. The first is a contracting branch where different places will contract out our psychologists and therapists to provide various services such as crisis counseling in schools, managerial training for corporate managers, rehab programs for prison systems and so on and so forth. The second branch will be the counseling branch. This will be held at every central office with clear, easy to find pricing that will be low, and carry certain concessions for those with certain financial burdens. I want to make healthy psychological counseling available to all people, no matter race, class, social status, religion, or economic state. The offices will have individual, couples, family, and group therapy always available. The last branch will be a training hospital to help deal with more psychopathology and train p and coming psychologists in the skills necessary. This branch will hopefully be associated with nearby universities for internship opportunities and be a way that we could find promising therapists to bring into our company. This is my personal dream; on to the standardized big worded categorizations of myself . . .

When it comes to the "thinking perspectives", most people fall into one of three categories: philosopher, scholar, and scientist. Scientists need to prove things out in front of them in more concrete ways to draw conclusions. Scholars research what has been said and done before them in order to draw conclusions. Philosophers look at the world and through thinking and making connections draw conclusions. I am a philosopher-scholar. Philosopher, primarily as the bulk of this blog is dedicated to the conclusions I have seen, drawn out, applied, and seen connected in the world around me between the Bible and the human experience. Though this is my primary role, I am also a scholar to a certain extent. I have done (and continue to do) extensive research in the areas pertaining to psychotheology, first and foremost the "theology" part. I love the Bible, the Word of God, and know it has the answer to every human need and it has objectively expressed to us why we have those needs, what fulfills them, and how they get that way. In short, I feel I am a scholar of the Bible (in the ongoing verb sense, not "positionally" as if I am an expert) and have only become this way not from analyzing the Bible, but letting it analyze me. I also read other books. Many, many other books. These books help integrate the Word of God into the world around me in certain ways that helps in forming my ideas on psychotheology.

My philosophical perspective is Biblical Pragmatism. The easiest way to describe pragmatism is the view that "hey, whatever works, works." For example: What psychological perspective is correct? Which ever one "works"in therapy and explains the greatest amount of human behavior. Now, the "biblical" part comes in the fact that I have seen and I believe the Bible testifies to the fact that it is what "works" in this world. My pragmatism always seems to support my Bible. That is not my standard, it is just reality. I don't use my experience to validate the Bible; I use the Bible to validate my experiences. And you know what? That "works." Every psychological thing that I have seen that "works" I see is supported and validated in the Bible. I then use this to look and see what more the Bible says in the context of this specific truth and helps broaden the scope of the psychological truth I initially observed. Be it a new application, the reason why it works, a broader scope, or narrower focus, the Bible continues to astonish me as it shows me how to be a counselor and how people work.

Psychologically, I am a cognitive-behaviorist. I'll just say this now to get it out of the way. I believe most everything concerning the beliefs of Freud is fiction. It is only seen as "literature" in the psychological world, not fact. Before approaching this blog, remove all you may think you know about Freud; it will be of little use, application, or help to you at any point tin your life. More specifically, I consider myself a student of Dr. William Glasser and his theoretical perspective known as "Choice Theory," and its therapy component "Reality Therapy" as my choice perspectives, for more info on these topics, Google them or read a paper I wrote on Choice Theory compared to the most popular Marital Therapy used today. you can read that paper by clicking here.

Theologically, I historically come from a Southern Baptist background, but more recently, my theological doctrines have shifted somewhat. I consider myself a Reformed Evangelical Conservative-Charismatic Protestant. More specifically, I am a 5-point Calvinist, post-millenialist, old-earth theologian and believer in the present full workings of the Holy Spirit and that Salvation is given freely by God through faith alone in only Jesus and not of works. For more on these things, Google them, check out the links on the sidebar, or just read the Book of Romans. Better yet, just read your Bible. For those who know of John Piper's ministry I consider myself a strong Christian Hedonist. For those that haven't heard of John Piper, either find out what that phrase means on his website (www.desiringgod.org), or don't get hung up on it, just pass right by it.

I know this is long and very few will actually read it, but for the few that do, I thank you; and I hope, and pray, that it was an enlightening and fruitful journey through the necessary drudgery of presenting myself as open and honest and laid bare so everyone will know what is coming.

Next post, we will actually start getting into the meat of it all. I must warn you: some days may just be a little ditty, others may be an entire psychotheological treatise, I don't know. Just stick with me, as it is going to be good . . .

In Him always,
--Paul<>