work – Acton Institute PowerBlog

July 26, 2021

A biblical theology of work, Part 4: Enterprise and entrepreneurship

Why does business matter to God? Well, if business does not matter to God then we render a large part of human existence meaningless. The church, however, seems to be incapable in so many ways of understanding business resulting in words such as “profit” or “incentive” being seen as dirty. Continue Reading...

July 21, 2021

How a bamboo entrepreneur cooperates with nature and neighbor

Rekha Dey wasn’t always passionate about bamboo, but after touring an innovative production facility, she saw its potential. With the right business model, bamboo could be used to provide high-quality, environmentally friendly housing across India. Continue Reading...

July 20, 2021

A biblical theology of work, Part 3: Call and vocation

Are we meant to lead meaningless or purposeful lives? Ecclesiastes shows us that meaninglessness, rather than purposefulness, will fill our lives, if we are not productive. With God that cannot be so. Continue Reading...

July 15, 2021

A biblical theology of work, Part 2: Wealth creation

Wealth creation is a divine imperative, though one that generates significant responsibilities. The church fails on business and economics when leaders think only about the responsibilities of wealth and nothing at all about how that wealth is created – both are divine imperatives. Continue Reading...

July 12, 2021

How a Christian restauranteur navigated the pains of a pandemic

The pandemic-era lockdowns caused immeasurable pain to countless businesses, with restaurants experiencing disproportionate levels of pain and suffering. According to the National Restaurant Association, food-service industry sales “fell by $240 billion in 2020 from an expected level of $899 billion,” and by the end of 2020, “more than 110,000 eating and drinking places were closed for business temporarily, or for good.” Continue Reading...

May 20, 2021

Finding meaning in work: Christian vocation means working with ‘holy intent’

America’s new secular religions of “workism” and “careerism” are leading to all sorts of cultural decay, from cults of self-esteem to the decline of the family and beyond. Our work has plenty of meaning, but without the right moral foundation and transcendent focus, our quests for economic purpose can quickly devolve into a base idolatry of the self. Continue Reading...

May 06, 2021

John Paul II on work, socialism, and liberalism

This year marks the 30th anniversary of John Paul II’s important encyclical, Centesimus Annus. While the average lay person might not pay attention to formal pronouncements by the Roman Catholic Church, papal encyclicals are significant in their affirmation of the church’s social doctrine. Continue Reading...

March 16, 2021

How does human work further human dignity?

For all the claims regarding the subjectivity of economics, including schools of thought that emphasize subjective value theory and the descriptive rather than the normative, much mainstream economic thought focuses on what seems to be objective and measurable. Continue Reading...

March 11, 2021

Explainer: The American Rescue Plan, the child tax credit, and child poverty

On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, one day after the House of Representatives passed the $1.9 trillion stimulus by a vote of 220-211. Its supporters, especially those on the Religious Left, assert that the bill’s changes to the child tax credit represent the best way to reduce child poverty. Continue Reading...

September 18, 2020

Work as religion: the rise of ‘divinity consultants’

Traditional religion is increasingly being replaced by a series of “new atheisms,” leading many to search for spiritual meaning elsewhere, particularly in the workplace. As a result, modern workers are more likely to view their economic activity through spiritual vocabulary, using terms like “calling” and “vocation.” Continue Reading...

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