The pastoral struggle with sexual temptation is real—and undeniably powerful. Yet there is good news. Sexual temptation can be reduced by paying attention to three crucial areas.

Professional counseling ethics are designed to help control feelings of sexual attraction that can enter any therapeutic relationship. These counseling dangers—usually centered around the psychological phenomenon called transference—are compounded for the minister. Counselees see ministers as not only counselors, but as spiritual guides who can safely avoid the danger of friendship turning into passion. Such is not always the case.

In Chapter 5, "Transference: Loosening the Tie That Blinds," Archibald Hart warns ministers of the dangers of transference. As dean of Fuller Theological Seminary's School of Psychology in Pasadena, California, Hart has helped hundreds of divinity students and working pastors confront this knotty problem.

Understanding your personal psyche is absolutely crucial to controlling sexual temptations. ...