What is therapeutic Christianity?

It blends biblical language with secular self-help, making personal happiness the goal rather than God’s glory and our holiness.

Is mental health concern the same as therapeutic Christianity?

No. Christians should care about mental health, but the Bible defines our deepest problem as sin and our hope as Christ— not self-esteem.

How does self-help language differ from the gospel?

Self-help centers the self and feelings; the gospel centers Christ, calls for repentance and faith, and transforms by God’s Word and Spirit.

What dangers does therapeutic Christianity pose?

It undermines Scripture’s sufficiency, recenters the self, redefines sin, and mutes repentance, turning the gospel into therapy.

How should Christians respond?

Return to Scripture’s sufficiency, test all teaching (Acts 17:11), and anchor identity in Christ (Col. 3:1–4).

The Rise of Therapeutic Christianity: How Self-Help Language is Reshaping the Church

Name: Therapeutic Christianity: Self-Help vs. Scripture | Contending for the Word
Channel: Dave Jenkins
Description: Dave Jenkins exposes therapeutic Christianity—self-help wrapped in church language—and shows why only Scripture and Christ truly transform.

⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 1 min read

The Rise of Therapeutic Christianity: How Self-Help Language Is Reshaping the Church

Series: Discerning the Times – Answering Today’s Most Urgent Questions •
Host: Dave Jenkins •
Date: August 19, 2025

Show Summary

Therapeutic Christianity takes biblical words like grace and peace but empties them of gospel meaning—replacing God-centered truth with self-centered affirmation.
In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins defines what Therapeutic Christianity is, traces its 100-year drift, explains why it’s spreading, warns about its dangers, and equips believers with a biblical response rooted in the sufficiency of Scripture and our identity in Christ.

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Key Scriptures

John 14:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Jeremiah 17:9; 2 Timothy 4:3–4; 2 Peter 1:3; Luke 9:23; 1 John 3:4; Acts 17:30; Romans 12:2; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; Acts 17:11; Colossians 3:1–4.

Resources & Links

Dave Jenkins( Executive Director )

Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.