The Interconnectedness of Spirituality and Social Development: Themes for Education

Spirituality, social development and social work are not antithetical to each other. Theprofession’s earliest roots lie in the rich Judeo-Christian heritage (Leiby, 1985; Siporin, 1986).The Christian biblical command to love one’s neighbour was translated into a sense of moralresponsibility for social service and inspired the development of philanthropy and charityorganisations during the 19th century (Elliott, 1993; Furman, 1994). It was through the vehiclesof religious organisations that social helpers sought to establish orphanages, hospitals andschools, the values of the temple and church remaining dominant influences throughout theearly years (Holland, 1989).