Christianity and Social Work: Readings on the Integration of Christian Faith and Social Work Practice

The fourth edition of Christianity and Social Work is written for social workers whose motivations to enter the profession are informed by their Christian faith, and who desire to develop faithfully Christian approaches to helping.

Christianity and Social Work is organized around four themes: a) Christian Roots of the Social Work Profession; b) Christians Called to Social Work: Scriptural Basis, Worldviews and Ethics; c) Human Behavior and Spiritual Development in a Diverse World; d) Christians in Social Work Practice: Contemporary Issues. Chapters address a breadth of curriculum areas such as social welfare history, human behavior and the social environment, social policy, and practice at micro, mezzo, and macro levels.

Containing over 20 chapters and more than 400 pages, this revised edition of CSW include six new chapters in response to requests by readers of previous editions, including chapters on issues of sexual orientation, Evidence-based Practice (EBP), models of integrating faith and practice, as well as an enhanced section on the role of Christianity in social welfare history.

NACSW provides upon request (info@nacsw.org) an accompanying electronic resource entitled Instructor Resources for Christianity and Social Work (2012) by Mary Anne Poe. This resource offers outlines, suggestions regarding specific core competencies found in the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education, summaries of key concepts and terms, learning objectives, discussion questions, suggested class activities and assignments, and annotated bibliographies for each chapter.

In organizing this 4th edition, NACSW has carefully considered the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) from the Council on Social Work Education. It is important for schools of social work to show how they prepare students to demonstrate specific competencies in social work practice. To help with this integration CSW includes Appendices with charts that guide readers toward potential connections. These tools will be a helpful guide for both instructors and students.

Dr. T. Laine Scales is Professor of Higher Education at Baylor University. She served 15 years as a faculty member in social work in three universities. She has published over 40 articles and chapters in the areas of teaching in social work, faith and social work practice, rural social work, and higher education. Her 10 co authored or co-edited books include Social Environments & Human Behavior: Contexts for Practice with Groups, Organizations, Communities, & Social Movements, (Brooks/Cole, 2012) and Rural Social Work: Building and Sustaining Community Assets (Brooks/Cole 2004). She is former associate editor of The Journal of Family & Community Ministries and Social Work and Christianity.

Dr. Michael S. Kelly is Assistant Professor at the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work. He has written over 30 books, articles, and book chapters on school social work, evidence-based practice, and the intersection of Christianity and social work practice. His most recent book was School Social Work: An Evidence-Informed Framework for Practice, published by Oxford University Press. He has served as a Guest Lecturer and consultant to social workers in Chile, Japan, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. He was a section editor for The Journal of Family and Community Ministries and now serves as Associate Editor of Social Work and Christianity.