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Recommendations
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See
Book Review from The Journal for the Sociological Integration of
Religion and Society, Volume 2, No 2, Fall, 2012, pp. 31-33.
Name |
Affiliation |
Recommendation |
Dr.
Leola Dyrud Furman
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Associate Professor Emeritus
University of North Dakota
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The fourth edition of Christianity and Social
Work offers compelling evidence that the Christian
perspective in social work not only has come into its own, but
also that it is needed more than ever in a conflicted and
increasingly impoverished world.
Practitioners and educators alike will find an
expended text that’s rich with scholarship on, to name but a few
examples, social welfare history, evidence-based practice,
congregational social work, social justice and the complexities
of helping in a diverse society. This edition of Christianity
and Social Work will be an essential companion for
Christians in social work faced with the challenges and promised
of a new decade, and a world much in need of God’s love.
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Dr. Janet E. Furness
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Associate Dean and Professor of Social Work
Union University
Jackson, Tennessee
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The fourth edition does not disappoint as an
important contribution to the social work practice literature. By keeping previously
published classics, NACSW retains its commitment to conveying core
lessons in Christian ethics, social justice, black history, and
integration of faith and practice.
This new volume expands its range
to contemporary themes, such as global issues and practice with LGBT
clients. At the same time, it casts a deeper light on historical
assumptions and services to children and diverse populations.
Pairing this extraordinary scholarship with pertinent classroom
resources creates an irresistible supply for learning.
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Dr. Hugh Drouin
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Commissioner of Social Services
Regional Municipality of Durham
Whitby, Ontario, Canada |
The 4th edition of Christianity and
Social Work is a valuable resource for how one sensitively
integrates one's Christian faith and social work practice. This will be a major contribution
to the integration of faith and social work for years to come.
This new edition does an
outstanding
job of covering the multitude of contemporary practice issues within
the
historical backdrop for the Social Work profession. This will be a
valuable
text for students and practitioners alike. It will definitely line
my bookshelf
for many years.
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Joe Kuilema, MSW
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Instructor Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Michigan |
Having used previous editions of Christianity and Social Work for
several
years, I was pleased to see some classic chapters retained in this
new
edition. I was even more pleased to see a host of new chapters that
demonstrate a willingness to engage the sorts of difficult questions
students
have about integrating their faith and vocation.
This new edition
both
illuminates the historic connections between Christianity and social
work and
makes a convincing case that Christian perspectives on social work
concerns
are as relevant today as they were then. |
Denis
Costello, MSW
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Director of Clinical Programs and Services
Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Christians in social work often struggle to find ways
to integrate their faith with their social work practice. We
have a message of life, hope and truth to share. And yet, how do we
do this ethically in our day-to-day practice, particularly given the
wide ranges of our faith and our practice? This is where
Christianity and Social Work shines.
In education, there is much talk about having a
spiral curriculum: we come back time and again to revisit a topic
covered earlier. Each revisiting is enriched by the learning that
has taken place since the last “visit.” I think that the same
applies when we seek to integrate our Christian faith and our social
work practice. Reading, reflecting and revisiting can lead us to a
richer understanding. This book is a great place to start! |
Frank
Raymond, Ph.D.
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Dean Emeritus, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
College of Social Work, University of South Carolina |
In both
religiously-affiliated colleges and universities and non-sectarian
academic institutions, the numbers of students who want to connect
their Christian faith with social work practice is continuing to
increase. Christianity
and Social Work provides essential
material to assist both undergraduate and graduate social work
students in this quest. The book will help students appreciate the
Christian roots of social welfare history, enable them to see how
social work principles are underpinned by Christian beliefs and
values, and assist them to understand how their Christian
perspectives can support and inform their professional practice even
as they deal with some of the most difficult contemporary issues.
Christianity and Social Work
also provides
an excellent compilation of material for social work
educators. Especially appealing to educators are the
appendices and charts that
make evident the linkages between chapters and
the Educational Policy and
Accreditation Standards (EPAS) from the Council on Social Work
Education. These tool will be valuable to educators as they endeavor
to show how they prepare students to demonstrate specific
competencies in social work practice.
The editors and chapter authors of this book are
respected scholars with demonstrated expertise in their respective
areas of research. Together, they have prepared an outstanding
volume which is an excellent resource to all social work students,
educators and practitioners who are concerned with the integration
of Christian faith and professional social work. |
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