ABSTRACT
Significant illness, death in the family or of someone close, financial stress or a significant change in relationships prompts us to be conscious of questions of meaning. Alternatively, the significance of war, climate-related bushfires or floods, leads to asking some of these fundamental questions of life. Many have noticed smaller and larger acts of kindness, the altruism of those who have worked in ways that risked their own lives, who have adapted what they do to meet the needs of those who are more vulnerable. While social work's beginnings were influenced by religious beliefs and related organisations, for many years in many countries there has been an emphasis on secular social work which has meant that religion and spirituality have been relatively ignored. Including spirituality and religion will add a significant dimension that is often implicit in practice that needs to be made more explicit. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
