The Least of These, second edition

The Least of These, 2^nd Edition
Author	Thomas Luke, Ph.D.
Language	English
Publisher	Independently published
Publication date	May 9, 2024
Pages	129 pages
ISBN	979-8320919928

The textbook "The Least of These" was inspired by the orphans of Siem Reap, whom the author encountered during a journey from Thailand to Cambodia in 2003. Witnessing the poverty, hunger, and lack of protection of these children exploited through human sex trafficking left a lasting impact on Reverend Dr. Thomas Luke, the author, and he has dedicated twenty years to researching and addressing healing for the most severely traumatized of them. Dissociative identity disorder is the most severe, misdiagnosed, and rare form of childhood trauma, affecting approximately 1.5% of the global population. Rev. Dr. Luke’s academic literature aims to provide vulnerable children and adults hope, healing, and integration through Jesus Christ.^[1]^[2]

Overview

Asking Jesus how he could help these unprotected and sexually exploited orphans of Siem Reap, Rev. Dr. Luke responded by attending graduate school and writing textbooks about how to restore and integrate the most severe cases of childhood sexual trauma. Rev. Dr. Luke wrote the first edition of “The Least of These” as a capstone project for his MA in Theological Studies. The second edition of “The Least of These,” published in 2024, was updated with Rev. Dr. Luke’s most current credentials and ministry contact information and includes illustrations and graphics not published in the 2020 text-only edition. Rev. Dr. Luke also added artwork and letters sent by the children to the preface. "The Least of These" is often cited by academics earning either a master's or doctorate and requires a written capstone research paper, thesis, or dissertation for graduation. Another textbook, “Transformational Theology,” was originally written as an extensive dissertation for Rev. Dr. Luke’s PhD in Transformational Theology.^[3]

Psalm 82:3-4. Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.