Book Review Part A (Religion & Theology Book Review)

NEFF & MCMINN PAPER, PARTS A, B, AND C
This Neff & McMinn assignment is a large component of your grade for this course (300 points total), and it is done in three parts: A, B, and C. These three parts (a, B, and C) will be completed at the end of Week 4 (Part A), Week 6 (Part B), and Week 7 (Part C). Please keep the following overarching things in mind as you complete this assignment:
1. You will significantly interact with the Neff & McMinn (2020) text and the issues that are raised in each chapter.
2. Based on the idea that “integration is conversation” from Neff & McMinn (2020), as a graduate student, you will incorporate other concepts and ideas you have encountered in this course, in your faith journey, in your work experience, and in other areas of your life. The goal here is that you will not merely regurgitate issues in a book report form, but that you will think deeply about how what you are reading in Neff & McMinn (2020) relates to other ideas you can bring to the table. Bringing in ideas from Scripture, from the ACA Code of Ethics (latest edition), from previous textbooks and courses, from other materials in this course (such as the Hawkins & Clinton text) and from your personal and work experience are all fair game and highly encouraged. Creativity is encouraged as you engage meaningfully with these ideas. Please bear in mind, however, that this is an academic paper, and not a paper where you use slang, overly religious jargon, etc.
3. You will not only have an opportunity to interact intellectually with the concepts that are in the Neff & McMinn (2020) text, but you will have an opportunity at the end of Part C (Week 7) especially to share how your own spiritual formation has been impacted by what you have read in Neff & McMinn and in this course.
So with that backdrop, here and the directions for your assignment in three parts:
** Part A – Chapters 1-3 – Due Week 5 – (125 points total)
And
** Part B – Chapters 4-6 – Due Week 7 - (125 points total)
** Please Note: Your assignments for Part A and Part B are the exact same directions. The only thing that changes is the topics for each assignment. In Part A, you will be covering Chapters 1-3, and in Part B, you will be writing about Chapters 4-6. Therefore, the actual writing of your chapter summary and reflection will look different in each assignment. Total length of text for Parts A and B: Roughly 5-7 pages
1. Provide a title page including only your name, the paper title (referring to the book title), and the institutional affiliation (Liberty University). Keep in mind that current APA standards recommend the title length not exceed 12 words. Please include an abstract on page 2 about what this Part (A or B) covers.
2. Chapters 1-3 Summary (or Chapters 4-6 Summary): After briefly introducing the name of the book, the book chapters, and the authors, summarize the three chapters in at least 2 pages. Be appropriately concise but also be adequately complete in your ideas. Prove that you comprehend the main ideas by writing a clear and succinct summary. The summary is not a commentary or listing of topics but rather a discussion of the core ideas (main ideas) in the chapters. If you miss the main ideas, you lack an understanding of the complete message of the book. Cite the book in-text (Neff & McMinn, 2020) at least once per paragraph and include page numbers for direct quotations (Neff & McMinn, 2020, p. 123). As a general rule of thumb, please limit your direct quotations to no more than three short quotations per written page. As a graduate student, you are encouraged to use your own voice and tell your reader what the authors said, rather than using lengthy quotes. Your professor wants to read what your summary description of the text is.
3. Reflection: This section is a 3-5 page critique or evaluation of the authors’ main ideas. If you agree with Neff & McMinn, please communicate that and give coherent reasons. The same goes for anything you may disagree with. You should also consider new questions that arose for you in response to what you have read and explore concerns, implications, etc. Consider also some of the theological implications of what you are reading, and how it relates to your current or future work in the counseling room. Perhaps you have a personal experience that relates to something that Neff & McMinn wrote about that is appropriate to share. For example, based on your reading of Chapter 1, you may choose to share about a time in your life where you grieved the loss of a loved one yourself. In Chapter 3, you may need to consider any faulty views of what you might think the role of a counselor is. Also, consider other sources that you have encountered in your life up to this point that relate to this book, such as other textbooks, journal articles, Scripture passages, and even ethical codes such as those in the ACA Code of Ethics (2014) or the AACC Code of Ethics (2014). You should also consider issues that Hawkins and Clinton (2015) have to say as you consider the issues of Neff & McMinn (2020). Please also address how the you will apply some of the ideas of Neff & McMinn in your future counseling practice.
• While your first-level headings (centered and bold) for this paper will be the chapter summary and the reflections, consider some second-level headings (left justify and bold) in this section of the paper. Some of these second-level heading could potentially include example, such as: Theological Issues, Theological Questions, Ethical Issues, New Ideas, Integration Thoughts, Dealing with Grief, I am not my Clients’ Savior, Implications for Counseling, and/or Unanswered Questions. Please allow these second-level headings to come out of your own interaction of what you have read, rather than the examples you were just given. Make this your own paper and your own quest for what integration can look like for you.
4. Spiritual Formation: (major heading - bold and centered). Take some time and in at least one page, please describe how these three chapters have impacted you spiritually. Honesty and vulnerability are encouraged, but not required. You may choose to address questions that impact your own personal spiritual formation, such as: how have these chapters helped you focus more on your relationship with God? How have these chapters emotionally impacted you, inspired you, put things together for you, or frustrated you theologically? If appropriate, please use Scripture passages or other quotes from people outside of what you have read in class. The ultimate goal for this section of the paper is for you to think about your own spiritual formation and how that impacts your chosen career of path of counseling. A simple definition of spiritual formation is the process of being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and for the sake of others (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). So a simple way to encourage you in this section is: how have you become more like Jesus by reading these chapters?
• To be clear, in APA formatting, pronouns should generally be written in third person (He, she, it, they, etc.). For the sake of this Reflection section, it is also appropriate to use first person pronouns (I, me, my, etc.) since you are being asked about your own personal views in this section. Please do NOT use second person pronouns (you, your, you’re) anywhere in this assignment.
• Please remember to include a Reference Page at the end of each assignment (Parts A and B). You are required to have a minimum of five references in this section. You are encouraged to use Neff & McMinn (2020), the Bible (cited properly in APA formatting), Hawkins & Clinton (2015), and other sources such as Entsistle and others.
Submit the Neff & McMinn Paper Part A by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of Module/Week 5.
Submit the Neff & McMinn Paper Part B by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of Module/Week 7.
- (125 points total)
You are also highly encouraged to use the APA formatted model that is shown in this sample paper: https://www(dot)liberty(dot)edu/casas/academic-success-center/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2019/04/APA-Completed-Sample-Paper.pdf
Please note that proper APA formatting for this assignment will be APA Professional Paper and NOT APA Student Paper form. If you have any questions about this, please contact your professor directly.