Working for Better

Colossians 3:23 might just be the most well-known Bible verse about a Christian view of work. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” the NIV translation says. Elaine Howard Ecklund, a sociology professor at Rice University, and Denise Daniels, a professor of entrepreneurship at Wheaton College, likely had this verse in mind often as they condensed more than 20 years of research into their new book, Working For Better.

Working For Better is an accessible introduction to the complex landscape of faith and work. Drawing on extensive interview research, Ecklund and Daniels show how some workers feel unable to express their religious convictions in the workplace, while others feel unsafe to disagree with the religious views of management. Workers in industries with lots of people-focused interaction, they found, are more likely to identify their jobs as a spiritual “calling.”

While they caution that infusing work with too much religious significance can sometimes lead to an unhealthy prioritization of work at all costs, Ecklund and Daniels challenge their readers to broaden the notion of what work can and should be seen as redemptive. Instead of service to others through work being seen as a uniquely good calling, the authors identify three additional ways work can be understood as spiritually important. First, they say, work in itself can be seen as a gift from God. For many workers, being a part of a strong workplace team can feel like a way to exercise God-given talents. It’s also important to consider the way working can build someone’s capacity to serve outside of work, either through giving away your earnings or applying your skills. Finally, Ecklund and Daniels remind readers to see their own workplaces as a place to show an example, treating their colleagues, trainees, and customers with the dignity they deserve as God’s image-bearers.

The authors also recognize how all aspects of society, workplace included, are becoming more religiously diverse. Christians who are serious about the value of faith in the workplace, they argue, should also remain committed to the rights and freedoms of people from other faiths or no faith. Their hope is that a more complete understanding of how everyone brings their faith perspective to work might be “a redemptive presence with ripple effects for the common good.”

Working For Better argues the Christian responsibility in bringing about a broad workplace culture where all employees can “bring their whole selves to work” is to protect the religious rights of minority groups in the U.S., who report faith-based discrimination at higher rates than Christians themselves. The core insight of Ecklund and Daniels’ conclusions is that true freedom of religious expression, in the workplace and elsewhere, is kept secure by protecting that right for everyone.

With the inclusion of thoughtful discussion questions, this book is a timely resource for learning about how believers in all sectors bring their faith to work. (IVP Academic)