Transforming Vocation: Connecting Theology, Church, and the Workplace for a Flourishing World
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
There has been an explosion of publishing in the faith-work movement in the last twenty years. Work is increasingly seen as the new frontier for Christian mission. However, the church and theological colleges have failed to keep up with the interest among, and needs of, workplace Christians. This book is the urgent corrective that is needed, moving past Theology of Work 101 to much deeper encounters with God’s word as it relates to daily work. These twelve academic papers look at work through three different lenses: the workplace, the church, and theological education. It is prefaced by Mark Greene from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, reflecting on what work, church, and theological education would look like if there was no sacred-secular divide. In the concluding remarks, the editors imagine a future where each domain is transformed by the gospel, working dynamically together for the life of the world. While academic in terms of depth of thinking, quality of research, and referencing of crucial sources for further exploration, this book is never dry. Rather, it’s life-giving and provocative for every vocation, asking fundamental questions of the reader: What is the work that God is calling you to do? How can the gospel transform your work? And how well-positioned are churches and colleges to be at the forefront of transforming vocation? With contributions from: Mark Greene James Pietsch Peter White Peter Docherty Gordon Preece Keith Mitchell David Fagg Ian Hussey Colin Noble Andrew Matthews Sarah Bacaller Samuel Curkpatrick Maggie Kappelhoff
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“Reconnecting theological knowledge to what people actually do
with most of their waking hours is the essential challenge of our
time for academic theology, for the local church, and for
Christians in their workplaces. This volume contributes on all
three fronts. . . . Timely and informative . . . scholarly and
rigorous.”
—Greg Forster, director, Oikonomia Network
“Every generation of Christians needs to reclaim an understanding
of vocation for all the people of God, not merely those entering
the Christian professions. . . . These essays offer rich, mature
resources for marketplace workers, pastors, and seminary teachers,
who together form the necessary matrix of ministry in this task of
vocation-reclamation.”
—Neil Hudson, author of Scattered & Gathered
David Benson directs Culture and Discipleship at the London
Institute for Contemporary Christianity (licc.org.uk). Formerly he
lectured in practical theology, worldviews, apologetics, evangelism
and faith–work integration at Malyon Theological College, an
affiliate of the Australian College of Theology, based in Brisbane,
Queensland. His work concerns pluralistic dialogue and the public
expression of Christian faith in a post-Christendom context, toward
the flourishing of all.
Kara Martin is the author of Workship: How to Use your Work
to Worship God, and Workship 2: How to Flourish at
Work, and is a lecturer in leadership at Alphacrucis College in
Sydney. She coaches social entrepreneurs and marketplace leaders
through seed.org.au and is on the
Marketplace Ministry Board of Lausanne Global. Her third
book, How to Shape Christians for the Workplace, is
awaiting publication. She has spoken, taught and written across
four continents.
Andrew Sloane is Director of Research and Senior Lecturer in
Old Testament and Christian thought at Morling College, where he
has taught since 2002. He teaches in the areas of integration of
faith and work, Old Testament, philosophy of religion, and
bioethics. Andrew qualified in medicine and practiced briefly as a
doctor before training as a Baptist pastor. His latest book is
Vulnerability and Care: Christian Reflections on the Philosophy
of Medicine (2016).