Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Chinese Translation of James Dobson’s Gospel of Self-Esteem & Psychology


by Martin & Deidre Bobgan

We are grateful to announce that the Evangelical Mission and Seminary International (EMSI), under the leadership of Dr. Moses Yang, has completed the translation and publication of our book James ­Dobson’s Gospel of Self-Esteem & Psychology in Chinese. Because of the way the Western psychological mindset has been influencing Chinese speaking people, Dr. Yang and EMSI were concerned about how psychological theories and therapies undermine the Gospel through the contamination of integration and through the promotion of psychological and humanistic substitutes for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Dr. Yang invited us to speak to his seminary students some years back and requested permission to translate and publish The End of “Christian Psychology.” We did this with much thankfulness to the Lord, recognizing that Chinese is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and desiring to reach as many people with the truth about the ungodly influence of psychological theories and therapies having to do with why people are the way they are, why they do what they do, and how they change.

When we first learned about EMSI we were encouraged to know about this strong ministry that relentlessly serves our Lord Jesus Christ around the globe in the two most widely spoken languages: Chinese and English. Over the years we have been further encouraged to see how Dr. Yang and EMSI have stayed true to the Word in its authority, inerrancy, and sufficiency. We stress the word sufficiency here, because so many local churches, denominations, Bible colleges, seminaries, mission agencies, and other ministries have succumbed to the world when it comes to ministering to those who are suffering personal, emotional, and relational trials of life. Rather than using the wisdom of men, those at EMSI have sought to minister to the soul through God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit within the fellowship of the saints as they serve in numerous cities and countries with passion, vision, and uncompromising faithfulness to God and His Word.

Dr. Yang has stood firm in his resolve for the sufficiency of God’s Word and Spirit in preaching a clear Gospel, guiding believers into maturity, and encouraging believers to turn problems of living into opportunities for spiritual growth, instead of turning to the world for the latest psychological theories and therapies. His stand for the sufficiency of God’s Word and Spirit is further evident in his resolve to come against what we call psychoheresy, which is adding the psychological wisdom of men to the Word of God to minister to the soul. He is committed to communicate the truth about psychoheresy to Chinese language speakers, as he thoroughly understands why Christians should not mix psychological counseling theories and therapies with the Bible. Such worldly theories and therapies are neither necessary nor spiritually profitable.

Dr. Yang has been especially concerned about the tremendous influence Dr. James Dobson has had among the Chinese, who affectionately refer to him as “Dr. D.” The Chinese government has approved Dobson’s programs about the family because the Focus on the Family (FOTF) programs aired in China only give humanistic, psychological advice with no mention of sin, salvation, or Jesus Christ. Thus the Gospel is totally missing even though FOTF’s stated mission on the IRS Form 990 is “FOCUS ON THE FAMILY SHARES THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST WHILE PROMOTING BIBLICAL FAMILY VALUES” (upper case in original). What Dobson has been feeding the Chinese over the years has been the chaff of human opinion rather than the Bread of Life. Dobson has made disciples of self-esteem and psychology rather than disciples of Jesus Christ and the true Gospel that saves and sanctifies. Perhaps that is why FOTF is praised in China, while many true Christians throughout China are being policed and persecuted.

Dr. Yang has not only been concerned about Dobson’s popularity and influence, but he and EMSI are doing something about it by translating and printing James Dobson’s Gospel of Self-Esteem & Psychology in Chinese. In so doing, EMSI is taking a bold stand FOR THE GOSPEL and AGAINST PSYCHOHERESY, which is rampant throughout much of Christendom.


(PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter, July - August 2013, Vol. 21, No. 4)

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