Workers Of Wonders

Why do people follow a leader, particularly a religious leader? Is it because of personality, or a particular vision or set of values, or perhaps a felt need for direction or authority? And why, given that Americans are still an overwhelmingly religious people, is the clergy declining in influence? Sherwin argues that what is missing is the perception that religious leaders today are capable of working wonders. Sherwin supports his claim by showing that throughout the history of the Jewish people, certain leaders were regarded as having wonder-working ability; this was an essential feature of a "holy person." Sherwin leads the reader through five periods of Jewish history: the era of biblical prophets, Jesus and first-century Israel; Babylonian rabbis of the third and fourth centuries; the east European Hasidic Masters of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and twentieth century North African rabbis. In all cases, the moral authority of the leaders came primarily from popular belief in their power to work wonders for the people. Sherwin applies history to the current situation. If the clergy is to be re-empowered, to reclaim leadership and authority as holy people, they must reassert the ability to work wonders. This does not require dramatic miracles, but deeds that might well be perceived by people as nothing short of miraculous: saving a marriage, finding someone a job, finding homes for the homeless, bringing hope to the hopeless. This is a book that every member of the clergy and every religious leader should read, ponder and take to heart.

An introduction to research methods specifically needed in social work and social welfare, this text outlines the major stages of research projects, covering both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Take a new look at ancient history through the seven wonders of a geographical or cultural region. Each book in this series explains the qualities that makes something a 'wonder', with information about how the wonders were constructed, how they were discovered or preserved, how they are studied, and if and how they are used in modern times.

For ages 9-12. Biographies of apparent wonder-workers, some of whom were masters of illusion and some of whom actually claimed to have psychic powers, including Daniel Home, Harry Houdini, and Edgar Cayce.

The Social Workers' Toolbox aims to bring order to the diversity of tools which are so characteristic of social work: assessment tools, practice tools and outcome-measurement tools. The tools described in this Toolbox can be directly put into practice and adapted to the social workers’ personalized approach with their individual clients and their environments. The underlying meta-theory for Sustainable Multimethod Social Work is the ‘PIE-Empowerment Theory’. This theory defines social work practice in terms of the partnership between social worker and client and is aimed at enhancing quality of life through systematically and sustainably addressing human needs and human rights. The multimethod model promotes the flexible combination of well-written evidence- and practice-based tools. Packed full of useful checklists, the Toolbox is ideal reading for both inexperienced and more practiced social workers. The book provides a solid basis through the use of practical examples. For the more experienced social worker it offers a substantial resource and the means to legitimize a chosen course of action and social work intervention. Schools of social work will be able to use the book as an easily accessible resource for social work assessments, interventions and quality social work management.