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Beyond the Walls of Separation: Christian Faith and Ministry in Prisons Tobias Brandner (2013). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock/Cascade.
I chose this book for review because in addition to my official duties as department chair for a social work program I have been a church volunteer in our local state prison for several years. Prison ministry is not a glamorous activity, but it is an important ministry for churches as well as a setting for social work professionals. My prison experience is as a volunteer and not as a social work professional. Brandner has written a fine book on the subject. I began the book wondering how it would parallel my own experience. My first surprise was that the author's experience is outside the U.S., mostly in Hong Kong. I wondered if the title should indicate some international perspective. But my second surprise was how little difference there was between my U.S. experience and Brandner's Hong Kong experience. The only cultural difference I found was his explanation that prisoners in Hong Kong have a cultural respect for authority and are relatively submissive. Contrast this to a culture of distrust and disrespect found for law enforcement in the U.S.; but in spite of this major difference, the book is entirely relevant...