About the Author(s)
Edward R. Canda, M.A., MSW, Ph.D., is Professor and Coordinator of the Spiritual Diversity and Social Work Initiative at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. In 2013, the national Council on Social Work Education conferred Dr. Canda with the Significant Lifetime Achievement Award for innovations on spiritual diversity and spiritual development. Dr. Canda has published 14 books, 7 journal special editions, and more than 150 other articles and chapters, most related to connections between spirituality and cultural diversity in social work. He has also conducted more than 160 presentations nationally and internationally.
Leola Dyrud Furman, MSW, Ph.D., is Associate Professor Emerita in Social Work at the University of North Dakota. She is
principal investigator of the International Study of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work Practice. Dr. Furman has published widely from her international survey studies together with colleagues in New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Hwi-Ja Canda, LSCSW, recently retired as medical social worker after 29 years at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Lawrence, Kansas. She also taught courses on health, spiritual diversity, and practicum education for the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. She is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker and has advanced certifications from the National Association of Social Workers as a social work care manager and health care social worker. Ms. Canda has done many presentations internationally on
spirituality and social work in health settings, hospice, and palliative care.
Reviews
"This is a valuable resource on a dynamic social work practice concern, and should be on the shelf of every social work student and practitioner." -- Elizabeth Smith , Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought
"This scholarly and engaging text continues to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the benefits, challenges, and complexity of spiritually sensitive social work practice. The expanded content on macro practice and policy and the increased attention to international perspectives is particularly welcomed." -- Michael J. Sheridan
"Ranging from narratives of personal challenge and transformation to international perspectives, it envisions a spiritually-integrated social work future. This comprehensive book will captivate every reader." -- Holly Nelson-Becker, Brunel University London
"In the third edition of this groundbreaking book on spiritual diversity, the authors expand integration of an interdisciplinary, strengths-based and international perspective as well as provide explicit guidelines on assessment and practice that help social work professionals continue to expand our perspectives and skills in embracing spirituality in social work practice. This is a must read for social work professionals to embrace and appreciate differences within an inclusive perspective in an increasingly complex and diverse world." -- Mo Yee Lee, The Ohio State University
"The new edition of this groundbreaking book continues to deliver in its intelligence, heart, and practicality. Deeply grounded in an ethics of compassion, diversity, and social justice, the authors offer a comprehensive treatment of spiritually-sensitive social work practice employing empirical research, analysis, conceptual frameworks, and rich case studies. Their renewed emphasis on holistic self-care and healing justice provides an opportunity for social work students to draw from their whole selves in order to meet the whole selves of their clients." -- Loretta Pyles, University of Albany
"This book by Edward Canda fits perfectly to the quest for conceptual, ethical and practice guidance on how to deliver spiritual social work in an ethnic, faith, and value system diverse society." -- Cecilia L. W. Chan, The University of Hong Kong
"A new, updated edition of a modern classic in social work. With deep insight into the artistry of spirituality in social work practice and scholarship, this book is a must read for any practitioner, student, or scholar interested in learning about the importance of spirituality to social work. A tour de force!" -- John R. Graham, University of British Columbia