One of the features I love about Christian Education is the clarity it brings in a world filled with confusion. This quality goes back to the beginning of the universe, when our Creator God brought order out of disorder and continued this structured approach to creation by dividing light from dark, land from sea and sky, various animals into their kinds, and humans into male and female (Gen. 1). From there, man, made in God’s image, takes up the cause of structure and order, beginning to name and distinguish the animals and taking up the authority delegated to him as God’s representative on earth, to subdue and rule, to bring order wherever disorder may be found (Gen. 1:28). In the New Testament, it is clear that Christian leadership depends on the ability to rightly divide (interpret, communicate) the word of God, bringing structure, order, and clarity to a world that is deconstructive, chaotic, and confused because of sin (2 Tim. 2:15, KJV). Every era of history features particular kinds of confusion that God’s people are called to respond to. Today, one such confusion is about the nature of personhood and the practice of mental health.

In 2005, sociologist of religion Christian Smith completed a very concerning study on American religious youth. He uncovered a trend among churched teenagers of blending a diluted variety of Christian values with more dominant cultural values related to prioritizing self-esteem, happiness, and a subjective sense of well-being above everything else. He identified this belief system as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.[1]

Therapeutic culture, a concept explored by sociologist Philip Rieff, refers to a societal shift where the pursuit of personal well-being has become paramount, often at the expense of addressing deeper existential questions.[2][3] This culture emphasizes individual happiness and psychological effectiveness over traditional religious and moral frameworks.[2][3][4] In therapeutic (secular) societies, the therapist has largely replaced religious leaders as the primary source of guidance for personal and behavioral issues.[4] This shift has occurred rapidly, with psychology gaining significant authority in secular society despite being relatively new historically.[5] The therapeutic approach tends to view life’s struggles as normal psychological issues rather than moral or spiritual problems, focusing on making individuals feel better rather than seeking fundamental change or repentance.[4].  This perspective aligns with what New York Times columnist David Brooks calls "the Big Me," a cultural ethos that prioritizes self-promotion and individual specialness.[4] Critics argue, and ICS leadership firmly agrees, that this therapeutic worldview warps our ability to address deeper questions of meaning and ethics, leading to a culture where personal well-being is manipulated by secular agendas.[2][3]

I am very thankful to our faculty, and our learning support and counseling teams, for their firm commitment to professional practice from a Christian foundation, sharing the burdens of students for their wellbeing without compromising the truth of God’s word (Gal. 6:2). In this way, ICS provides Christian care without compromising to a therapeutic culture. 

References:

1. Christian Smith and Melina Lundquist Denton, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 162.

2. Timothy R. Phillips and Dennis L. Okholm, Christian Apologetics in the Postmodern World (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 31.

3. Carl R. Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 78–79.

4. Joshua D. Chatraw and Mark D. Allen, Apologetics at the Cross: An Introduction for Christian Witness (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 245.

5. Steve Wilkens and Mark L. Sanford, Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2009), 161.

Kiel Nation, D.Min

High School Principal