Truth Therapy

Our world is inundated with war, poverty, disease, economic crises, terrorism, unemployment, fatherlessness, addictions, divorce, abortion, sex trafficking, racism, depression and anxiety, information and stimulation overload, and the list goes on and on. Where do people find relief? How do people find true peace and hope? Do they find it? Do they even find it in church, or do they endlessly and hopelessly search? Truth Therapy is a devotional strategy for spiritual formation and discipleship that employs scripture, basic Christian truths, the names of God, and faith affirmations blended with cognitive-behavioral theory. It is an intentional approach that tackles many of the maladies of our day that impede believers from growing and overcoming in Christ, such as stress, worry, fear, depression, and anxiety. The fundamental premises of Truth Therapy are that lies bind us, but the truth sets us free. The lies we believe are the primary weapons used to defeat us, while the truth we believe can be the key to setting us free. Truth Therapy provides a framework for identifying and evaluating the lies we believe and replacing those lies with the truth found in the word of God for every area of our life. Truth Therapy can be used in multiple settings, such as personal devotions, group devotions, small group study, discipleship, counseling, and in intercession. ""Truth Therapy is a helpful antidote to one-sided ideas about healing. In practical and theologically sound ways, Bellini shows how God's truth brings broad-scale healing if soundly understood and applied. The book helpfully blends pastoral insights, psychological perspectives, theology, Scripture, and biblically-informed common sense. It can help bring healing so people may enjoy the fullness of the Spirit and be part of God's healing work in our diseased world."" --Howard A. Snyder, author of The Problem of Wineskins ""For those searching for a spirituality for life in the real world, Bellini offers both a biblical theology and a dynamic program for personal holistic spiritual growth. With insights drawn from pastoral experience, biblical knowledge, and scholarly studies, Truth Therapy encompasses not only the spiritual but also physical, mental, emotional, and practical aspects of human experience. Crisp, clear, and direct, this book is accessible and relevant to both Christian laypersons and professionals."" --Wendy Deichmann, editor with Carolyne De Swarte of Gender and the Social Gospel Peter J. Bellini is a mission theologian and renewal specialist, serving as Assistant Professor in the Practice of Global Christianity and Intercultural Studies at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH. He is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and has served as a pastor and an evangelist in urban ministry for over twenty-five years. He is the author of Participation: Epistemology and Mission Theology.