Billed as a remedy rather than “Take Two Verses and Call Me in the Morning,” Michael Emlet’s new book CrossTalk: Where Life & Scripture Meet (November 2009, New Growth Press) seeks to help people apply Scripture to real-life issues.
Emlet, a counselor, is well aware that Christians struggle with real life problems and believes the Bible offers divine wisdom for life’s challenges. However, he discovered that effectively applying (ancient) Scripture to (modern) life is challenging, sometimes resulting in simplistic prescriptions that sounded like “Take two verses and call me in the morning” type answers.
Because he and others needed a tool to help bridge the gap between biblical text and contemporary life, Emlet wrote CrossTalk, which is designed to help pastors and lay Christians who disciple, mentor and counsel within their circles of influence. Ultimately the book targets all Christians who are serious
about applying Scripture to the realities of life.
CrossTalk provides a unique perspective, combining a concern for individual human stories with a focus on God’s much larger story of redemption. “CrossTalk‘s approach to reading the Bible — and reading people — is designed to promote gospel-centered, context-specific use of Scripture in ministry to others,” Emlet said.
He reveals how the new book sprang out of two separate streams: his counseling experience and his teaching of a masters-level course in biblical interpretation.
“The complex tapestries of people’s struggles, sufferings, sin, triumphs and joys that I encounter in the course of my counseling, and the unfolding story of God’s redemption, meet head-on in the pages of this book,” he said.
As a faculty member and counselor at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, Dr. Emlet spends his days at the intersection of theology and real life. CrossTalk readers will benefit from Emlet’s expertise as he provides specific guidelines for using Scripture in ministry and illustrates how that might look by providing examples (case studies) of Scripture effectively applied to life struggles.
“CrossTalk is not a comprehensive approach to biblical interpretation or a comprehensive approach to discipleship, counseling or pastoral care,” Emlet said. “Consider this book a hybrid of sorts, a resource to help you understand people and the Bible more thoroughly. Both are necessary for effective ministry.”
About the Author
Michael R. Emlet, M.Div., M.D., practiced as a family physician for 12 years before becoming a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He is a lecturer in Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia). He has written numerous published articles and is the author of several CCEF booklets, including Asperger Syndrome, Angry Children: Understanding and Helping Your Child Regain Control, Help for the Caregiver: Facing the Challenges with Understanding and Strength and OCD: Freedom for the Obsessive Compulsive.
