Christianity and Social Work: Readings on the Integration of Christian Faith and Social Work Practice –Seventh edition (2025)

The 7th Edition of Christianity and Social Work is written for social workers whose motivations to enter the profession as well as their approaches to helping have been inspired and informed by their Christian faith.
Especially useful in the classroom or social work trainings, Christianity and Social Work (CSW) supports several major curriculum areas outlined by the Council on Social Work Education’s EPAS (Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards). The 20 chapters of CSW address social welfare history, human behavior and the social environment, social policy, and social work practice at micro, mezzo, and macro levels. An accompanying online instructor’s manual provides rich teaching tools for the use of this material in a variety of social work and related classes.
The 7th edition includes new chapters with important contributions on topics requested by our readers and reflect an increasingly diverse student body in our social work programs and schools. Revised chapters from longtime contributors address topics including, ethical integration into practice, empowering refugee populations, social work practice in trauma, social work history, a scriptural basis for helping, and more. This resource provides a distinct lens through which schools and social work programs can foster faith-based dialogue and rigorous social work learning.
The 7th edition of Christianity and Social Work is organized into four units to promote integration of these chapters throughout the social work curriculum.
1. Christian Roots of the Social Work Profession
2. Christians Called to Social Work: Scriptural Basis, Worldviews and Ethics
3. Human Behavior and Spiritual Development in a Diverse World
4. Christians Social Workers and Practice Issues
Editor's Biographies:
T. Laine Scales, PhD, MSW is Professor and Master Teacher at the Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University, where she has served since 1999. In addition to authoring eleven books she has published over 50 articles and chapters in the areas of teaching in social work, rural social work, and history of religious settlement houses. She co-directs the Baptist Scholars International Roundtable and in 2025, the Baptist History and Heritage Society awarded her the W.O. Carver Distinguished Service Award for her scholarly work.
Regina Chow Trammel, PhD, LCSW is Professor in the Master of Social Work program at Azusa Pacific University. She brings a wealth of clinical practice expertise to her teaching and research. A passionate mentor dedicated to empowering future social workers, her research focuses on the theoretical and operationalized concepts of mindfulness, particularly within the Christian religious stream. She is also a sought-after speaker on the topic and is the primary co-author of A Counselor’s Guide to Christian Mindfulness: Engaging the Mind, Body, & Soul in Biblical Practices and Therapies (Zondervan/Harper Collins Christian).
