Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

There are not so many critical articles. We don't know what has happened in the social work fields with the religious, spiritual issues. There must have been something covered in silence. Maybe the religious welfare organizations have delivered social services as a missionary work, which infringes the law of religious freedom. They might misuse the public funds for their own religious expansion, instead giving real welfare services to the clients, which is a violation of the principle, separation of religion and politics. The social work educators have not mentioned the religious or spiritual issues properly enough for their students to prepare the profession. Now we should study on the diverse religions and the spirituality of human beings and teach them to the pre-social workers in order to enforce the principle of the law, to challenge the professional education and the social work practice itself. They in Korea have religions over the 53% of the total population. About53% of the social welfare agencies entrusted by the government are operated by the religious organizations. 77% of social workers are religious believers. In these conditions we, whether helper or client, have to understand sensitively the religious diversity and the spiritual experiences etc.In relation to these issues I did a survey to the some graduate students(some social workers). They agreed 'positively' on the main issues(average 6 or so by 10 point scale) : The religious and the spiritual understanding of the clients is very important for the social work practice to give better services. Good worker must have the sensitivity of spiritual understanding his(her)own first and the clients next. Because if the worker dose not know in advance his(her) own tendency or prejudice towards the other's religious or spiritual differences, it's possible to make mistake in doing services. Social workers want to learn about the religion(role of social supporters·resources· programs etc), the skills of intervention, how to co-work with religious organizations, and so on. Nevertheless one thing, social workers don't want any new required subject in addition to the present ones.