Official proceedings of the annual meeting: 1923

SEMINARY VIEW OF TRAINING FOR SOCIAL WORK-KERBY 231

relationships. Some of the social workers of the day accept these ideas directly as the
teaching of the church. There are others who do not consciously trace their ideals
back to their original source, but this wisdom, this law of life, must be present in all of
us if we are to accomplish the work which is entrusted to us.
How are we to realize this our ideal; how are we to idealize our realities which
remain so far behind it? I have heard during these days a most illuminating address,
which dealt with the solution of conflicts and which advised us to rely more on science
than on emotions. There is truth in that statement. Science can lead us very far.
It was just the realization that we need science, that a good heart does not mean good
work, which made us organize the schools for social workers. But science is not the
last word. With all science, with all knowledge, with standards and methods, our will
is not set to motion, not brought into action. This can alone be achieved by the
emotion of the ideal.
Let me wind up with a message from Germany, which refers to this problem. We
have during the last years completely changed our form of government, our social order,
our institutions and laws. In doing this we have learned our lesson. No exterior
changes, no new structure is sufficient in itself. This has led us into a religious revival.
We have realized what Tolstoy expressed as the final result of all his mental and spiritual struggles, what is the essence of his last book bearing the title, The Light that Shines
Out of Darkness. He has therein expressed the gist of his conception of life in a few
words: "Only if something is accomplished within the soul, the world can be changed."
This is the underlying principle of social work. There is our wonderful opportunity; there is our enormous responsibility. This is where we, the social workers, must
help the churches to accomplish something within the human heart. How are we to
do it? We must do it by teaching the new-old gospel of mutual aid to the children of
our nations, by bringing them up and educating them in the methods, in the spirit of
co-operation. We must impress it on others, on all with whom we have relations of
work or neighborhood or friendship, by the very conduct of our life, by the nature and
character of our work, by the way in which we render our services, not as a profession,
but as a privilege; not because we like our job, but because the spirit leads us.
We know that we can only do this by the grace of God, as those who, being poor,
yet make many rich; as those possessing nothing, yet having all things. We can only
accomplish something within the human soul if we begin within ourselves.
THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND TRAINING FOR
SOCIAL WORK
THE SEMINARY VIEW OF TRAINING FOR SOCIAL WORK
Rev. William J. Kerby, Catholic University, Washington
All great social interests create schools. By means of them traditions are handed
down, ideals are stated, equipment for defense and propaganda is perfected, and the
ordinary instruments are furnished by which adjustments to changing life are effected.
Law, medicine, music, art, drama, engineering, socialism, religion, charity, and industry
furnish apt illustration in the creation of schools. The theological seminary appears
then as the agency by which the clergy are formed for their religious work in the world.