Working : Compass: Christian Explorations

Working. We spend most of our waking hours doing it but rarely consider its theological meanings or implications. Is work a punishment or curse, an avenue to human flourishing or something else? Is there a distinctively Christian approach to working? Darby Ray, whose work on Christology and ethics has emphasized the surprising breadth and elasticity of the Christian past, lifts up key insights from Christian scripture and tradition and considers their implications for today's complex, globalized world of work.

Ray suggests that for the triune God as for humans everywhere, working is an everyday practice fraught with both peril and promise. As an essential yet often dehumanizing dimension of human experience, work stands in continual need of serious Christian consideration. Working responds to this need with imagination and courage, providing an informative, accessible, and theologically compelling exploration of what is arguably the defining activity of our time.

David H. Jensen is the academic dean and professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Darby Kathleen Ray is Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Millsaps Faith and Work Initiative at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi.