Devil’s Devices: William Perkins and the Integration of Spiritual Warfare and Pastoral Counseling

Abstract

This thesis argues that William Perkins integrates an understanding of the realities of spiritual warfare into his understanding of pastoral counseling. The first chapter provides a survey of sources relevant to understanding Perkins’s thought in the areas of spiritual warfare and pastoral counseling and demonstrates a void in the literature followed by the thesis. The second chapter explores the biblical and theological foundations of Perkins’s understanding of spiritual warfare. The third chapter examines the nature of William Perkins’s pastoral counseling as evidenced by his casuistry. The fourth chapter provides an overview of how spiritual warfare was integrated with pastoral counseling in Perkins’s writings. The fifth chapter addresses the relevance of Perkins’s integration of spiritual warfare and pastoral counseling for contemporary ministry practice.