A Scholarly Look at the Faith and Work Movement
God at Work by David Miller is a new book (just released in Decemeber) that I just came across in the Christianity 9 to 5 Magazine, a ministry of the Charleston Southern University School of Business. Here's a writeup from their latest magazine."Yale Divinity School professor David Miller offers us a rare, erudite perspective on the broad-based movement to live out our faith in the workplace. If you're hungry for something deeper than what's typically offered by workplace Christianity books, this excerpt from Dr. Miller's new book, God at Work, is just for you."
When I read the first chapter online, it was both odd and encouraging to hear him talk about the separation between the sacred and secular. It reminded me of a previous post on this blog that used some of the very same analogies (Click here to read the post "Breaking the Secular Divide"). Overall it looks like a great book and I encourage you to check it out. To read the full description of the book continue reading the full article.
From the official publishers website:
"What was once taboo - faith at work - is increasingly accepted in corporate America. From secretaries to CEOs, growing numbers of businesspeople today want to bring their faith to work. Yet they wrestle with how to do this effectively and appropriately in a pluralistic corporate setting. For help they turn not to their clergy, but to their peers and to a burgeoning cottage industry on spirituality at work. They attend conferences and seminars, participate in Bible study and prayer groups, and read books, blogs, and eNewsletters. They see their faith as a resource for ethical guidance and to help find meaning and purpose in their work.
In God at Work , David W. Miller looks at how this Faith at Work movement developed and considers its potential value for business and society. Done well, the integration of faith and work has positive implications at the personal level, as well as for corporate ethics and the broader economic sphere. At the same time, increasing expressions of religion and spiritual practices at work also present the threat of divisiveness and discrimination.
Drawing on the insights of theological ethics as well as the sociology of religion, Miller analyzes the history of the modern day Faith at Work movement from its roots in the late 19th century to its modern formulation and trajectory. He examines the diversity of its members and modes of expression, and constructs a new framework for understanding, interpreting, and critiquing the movement and its future. Miller concludes that workers and professionals have a deep and lasting desire to live a holistic life, to integrate the claims of their faith with the demands of their work. He documents the surprising abdication of this field by church and theological academy and its embrace, ironically, by the management academy.
Offering compelling new evidence of the depth and breadth of spirituality at work, Miller concludes that faith at work is a bona fide social movement and here to stay. He establishes the importance of this movement, identifies the possibilities and problems, and points toward future research questions. God at Work is essential reading for business scholars and leaders, theologians and clergy, and anyone interested in the integration of faith and work."
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