Tim Keller, Puritan Resources for Biblical Counseling

In the most recent issue of The Journal of Biblical Counseling I spied a footnote that referenced a 1988 article by Tim Keller, Puritan Resources for Biblical Counseling. I was able to track down this original article and I found it immensely helpful. Here are Keller's six headings for why the works of the Puritans are a rich resource for biblical counselors:1. The Puritans were committed to the functional authority of the Scripture. For them it was the comprehensive manual for dealing with all problems of the heart.2. The Puritans developed a sophisticated and sensitive system of diagnosis for personal problems, distinguishing a variety of physical, spiritual, tempermental, and demonic causes.3. The Puritans developed a remarkable balance in their treatment because they were not invested in any one "personality theory" other than biblical teaching about the heart.4. The Puritans were realistic about difficulties of the Christian life, especially conflicts with remaining, indwelling sin.5. The Puritans looked not just at behavior but at underlying root motives and desires. Man is a worshiper; all problems grow out of "sinful imagination" or idol manufacturing.6. The Puritans considered the essential spiritual remedy to be belief in the gospel, used in both repentance and the development of proper self-understanding.