Social work practice with children, young people and families is complex, highly skilled - and fascinating. Writing about social work increasingly acknowledges the complexities and uncertainties of practice but rarely features the voice of the social worker themselves. This book takes a different approach, that of Critical Best Practice: a constructive, realistic and strengths-based approach that takes as its starting point the telling and analysing of in depth stories about 'live' practic...

If half of the homes in your community were destroyed by a natural disaster, there would be a national outcry for help.Divorce destroys over half of todays marriages ripping families apart and destroying homes on a daily basis. If divorce were a virus, it would be past epidemic state and would approach pandemic levels. What are we doing about it?How can we stop the epidemic of divorce?This book provides you with practical steps to strengthen and support the immune s...

Influenced by Kojève's interpretation of Hegel as well as his direct political experience of the second world war, Maurice Merleau-Ponty abandoned the religious and philosophical position he had assumed in the 1930s and turned to Marxism. This is the first critical study of the French philosopher's political ideas and the context in which they evolved.In its origin and its development, Merleau-Ponty's political thought expressed a subtle dialectic between ongoing political events a...

Discipleship Explored has been designed to help followers of Jesus discover the joy, unity, righteousness and love which are theirs in Christ.This eight-session journey through Paul's letter to the Philippians will help believers young and old to discover the greatest love anyone could ever know, and how to live as disciples of Christ Jesus today.The Handbook contains everything a guest needs to take part in this eight-session course.Each session starts wit...

The Bible makes big claims for itself. But do those claims stand up? Aren't the stories just legends? Hasn't the information been corrupted over time? Isn't the Bible full of mistakes? And isn't it culturally outdated? In this absorbing little book, Barry Cooper explores these questions - and many others - with warmth, wit and integrity.

The Bible makes big claims for itself. But do those claims stand up?Aren’t the stories just legends? Hasn’t the information been corrupted over time? Isn’t the Bible full of mistakes? And isn’t it culturally outdated?In this absorbing little book, Barry Cooper explores these questions - and many others - with warmth, wit and integrity.Part of the Questions Christians Ask series: a range of short, simple books designed to help Christians understand what God ...

Even as he descended into near-total deafness, Ludwig van Beethoven created masterpieces that became cornerstones of classical music.Historical Dictionary of Beethoven provides a fresh and much-needed account of what is now known about Beethoven's life, works, and cultural context, presented in a format that makes access easily accessible.It contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section contains cross...

If you could ask God one question, and you knew it would be answered, what would it be?Paul Williams and Barry Cooper have spent several years asking people that question. And inside this book, they reveal the results: the 12 most frequently asked questions about God.But this isn't just a book about questions. There are answers too. Answers from the lips of the most powerful, insightful and extraordinary figure in all of human history.

The connections between a great artist's life and work are subtle, complex, and often highly revealing. In the case of Beethoven, however, the standard approach has been to treat his life and his art separately. Now, Barry Cooper's new volume incorporates the latest international research on many aspects of the composer's life and work and presents these in a truly integrated narrative. Cooper employs a strictly chronological approach that enables each work to be seen against the musical a...

Beethoven’s piano sonatas are a cornerstone of the piano repertoire and favourites of both the concert hall and recording studio. The sonatas have been the subject of much scholarship, but no single study gives an adequate account of the processes by which these sonatas were composed and published. With source materials such as sketches and correspondence increasingly available, the time is ripe for a close study of the history of these works. Barry Cooper, who in 2007 produced a new editi...

In New Political Religions, or an Analysis of Modern Terrorism, Barry Cooper applies the insights of Eric Voegelin to the phenomenon of modern terrorism. Cooper points out that the chief omission from most contemporary studies of terrorism is an analysis of the “spiritual motivation” that is central to the actions of terrorists today. When spiritual elements are discussed in conventional literature, they are grouped under the opaque term religion. A more conceptually adeq...

Life Explored is an exciting way to share the gospel in today's highly visual culture.Developed by Christianity Explored Ministries, the seven interactive sessions look at how we can find lasting happiness. They help us uncover where we look for meaning and satisfaction and show that the greatest pleasure in life is enjoying God himself.This exciting outreach course can be run before or after Christianity Explored or Alpha and is perfect for anyon...