This gallery highlights books written or edited by current and former Cedarville University faculty members. It does not represent a comprehensive list of books by Cedarville faculty, but rather includes only those which have been brought to the attention of the University Archivist. Please contact the library to suggest additional titles.
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The Verbal System of Biblical Aramaic: A Distributional Approach
Michael B. Shepherd
Grammarians have been unable to provide a sufficient explanation for the verbal system of Biblical Aramaic by means of the standard categories of tense and aspect. Michael B. Shepherd exposes this situation and suggests a way out of the present impasse through distributional analysis by proposing that Biblical Aramaic has a primary verbal form for narration and a primary verbal form for discourse. This simple yet comprehensive proposal holds true not only for Biblical Aramaic but also for extra-Biblical Aramaic texts. This volume is an indispensable resource for courses in Biblical Aramaic and for anyone who wishes to read and understand the Biblical Aramaic corpus.
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On Becoming a Christian Educator in Social Work
Michael E. Sherr
On Becoming a Christian Educator in Social Work is a compelling invitation for social workers of faith in higher education to explore what it means to be a Christian in social work education. By highlighting seven core commitments of Christian social work educators, it offers strategies for social work educators to connect their personal faith journeys to effective teaching practices with their students.
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Introduction to Competence-Based Social Work (Second Edition)
Michael E. Sherr and Johnny M. Jones
Social work is rooted in the values of service, social justice, and strong interpersonal relationships, but as the profession evolves, so must the approach to education. Michael E. Sherr and Johnny M. Jones have created an introductory textbook written for the future of social work. The second edition integrates the knowledge of practice, policy, research, HBSE, and field work with the skills and practice behaviors necessary for students to become fully competent social workers by the time they graduate.
Students are introduced to social work through a "Why We Do, What We Do" model that emphasizes how and why social workers commit to their careers. 41 case vignettes, 16 of which are new, engage students and present a clear picture of the profession to help them become invested in enhancing and restoring the well-being of individuals, groups, and communities. -
Introduction to Competence-Based Social Work: The Profession of Caring, Knowing, and Serving
Michael E. Sherr and Johnny M. Jones
Social work is rooted in the values of service, social justice, and strong interpersonal relationships. But as the profession evolves, so must the approach to education. Michael Sherr and Johnny Jones have created the first introductory textbook written for the future of social work. Introduction to Competence-Based Social Work is an innovative book that integrates the knowledge of practice, policy, research, HBSE, and field work with the accommodating skills and practice behaviors necessary for students to become fully competent social workers by the time they graduate. This book also provides a conceptual framework that helps students develop a foundation for the professional identities they need to be successful practitioners. Students are introduced to social work through a "Why We Do, What we Do" model that emphasizes how and why social workers commit to their careers. The case studies that drive this book will engage students and present a clear picture of the profession to help them become invested in enhancing and restoring the well-being of individuals, groups, and communities.
Unlike other introductory social work texts, this book was specifically developed for use in both actual and virtual learning environments. The book's "Why We Do, What We Do" conceptual framework and extensive case studies, in conjunction with chapter-specific podcasts and classroom-ready PowerPoint slides, creates a cooperative learning experience where students can easily grasp the content and transfer that knowledge to their daily practice. -
No Longer Jews: The Search for Gnostic Origins
Carl B. Smith II
Where, when, and how did Gnosticism arise? What exactly is Gnosticism? There is no scholarly consensus on these questions. No Longer Jews reviews the theories about Gnosticism and its sources and details Smith's hypothesis, offering an excellent introductory text on Gnosticism.
In addition to examining the development of Gnosticism, this book addresses issues of New Testament development and the history of Judaism, Christianity, and Gnosticism as they interact in the late first and early second centuries.
Carl Smith starts with a lucid and incisive survey of the secondary materials on Gnosticism and explains various understandings of the development of Gnosticism. He defines Gnosticism by its unique anti-cosmic dualism between material things (evil) vs. spiritual things (good) and also explores both Gnosticism's probable close relationship with Judaism and its rejection of the Creator God of the Old Testament.
After an extensive survey of the issues, Smith provides his own conclusions: first, that an early second-century dating for Gnosticism is most consistent with the historical details of the period; and second, that Egypt following the Jewish Revolt under Trajan (115-117 CE) provides a ripe context for Gnosticism's most unique and definitive innovation, the rejection of the cosmos and the Creator God of the Jews. He argues that individuals closely connected with Judaism--whether Jews, Jewish Christians, or gentile God-fearers--may have responded to the rebellion by rejecting the God and religion that inspired this apocalyptic and messianic ferment. "No longer Jews," they were now free to follow a higher God and way of life.
