Ebook
In All the Families of the Earth, characters from Abram to Ruth come alive, providing fresh insights for today's challenges. Barbara Laymon's imaginative approach involves behind-the-scenes therapists who counsel biblical figures and journal about their conversations. Informed by Laymon's background as a counselor, the therapists tell the stories of Scripture while describing the complexities of counseling. A creative group discussion guide invites readers to think alongside the therapists as they analyze family patterns. All the Families of the Earth offers a thoughtful view of families, then and now, and provides new perspectives on familiar Scriptures.
“Emotional process that takes place among families does not change. Concepts that accurately describe how families function apply to families that lived in biblical times as well as our own. How might family therapists informed by Bowen Theory understand the emotional process taking place in biblical families and respond to members of the family who come to them for consultation? Barbara Laymon creatively illuminates the functioning of families in the Bible and our own as well.”
—Randall T. Frost, director, The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family
“Barbara Laymon’s Only Families in the Bible peers imaginatively behind the curtain of a family therapist’s work with various familiar biblical figures, bringing Bowen Family Systems Theory to bear on the struggles of ancient families who prove not so different from ours. She creatively unveils fresh aspects of the biblical texts, while illustrating well the application of the theory. Laymon has thus served both readers of the Bible and students of Bowen Theory.”
—R. Robert Creech, retired professor of pastoral leadership, George W. Truett Theological Seminary
“Engaging a combination of wisdom, humor, creativity, and emotional openness, Barbara Laymon connects biblical stories with clarity to the relationships, faith principles, and families of today. Using systems thinking, biblical knowledge, and the framework of Bowen Theory, this resource provides a human bridge across the ages and allows us to see our own beliefs, community lives, and multigenerational family experiences with new perspective. The Discussion Guide is a wonderful accompaniment.”
—Emlyn A. Ott, associate professor of pastoral theology and leadership, Bexley Seabury Seminary
Barbara Laymon is a licensed professional counselor and faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family.