Labor Day weekend in the US offers the Church the opportunity to reflect theologically on the nature of Christianity and labor — including our desires for meaningful work and for fair compensation for our labor.
Here are some very helpful books for Christians that reflect on the virtues of labor and its role in flourishing human societies. Some of the books explore the relationship of Christianity to organized labor, others explore crucial facets of vocation and work. [Maybe soon we will post a counterbalancing list of books on Sabbath, rest, and recreation.]
*** What books about Christianity, labor, work,
and vocation would you add to this list?
Ben Witherington III |
Most Christians spend most of their waking hours working, yet many regard work as at best a necessary evil ― just one more unfortunate by-product of humanity’s fall from grace. Not so, says Ben Witherington III, and in Work: A Kingdom Perspective on Labor, he considers work as neither the curse nor the cure of human life but, rather, as something good that God has given us to do. In this brief primer on the biblical theology and ethics of work, Witherington carefully unpacks the concept of work, considering its relationship to rest, play, worship, the normal cycle of human life, and the coming Kingdom of God. Work as calling, work as ministry, work as a way to make a living, and the notably unbiblical notion of retirement ― Witherington’s Work engages these subjects and more, combining scholarly acumen with good humor, common sense, cultural awareness, and biblically based insights from Genesis to Revelation.
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I would add “Why Work?” by Dorothy Sayers.