Abstract
Topped and tailed by Mark Greene of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, and the sole woman contributor, Gabriela Urbanova, an MEP and president of the European Christian Political Movement, 14 contributors attempt to challenge, and indeed overcome, the ‘abiding but pernicious assumption of a sacred–secular divide’ (p. 2), which has, of course, serious implications for comprehensive engagement with many realms of existence.
With that point in mind, a bolder editorial policy would have placed ‘Practical theology’ at the beginning, since it is in this section that readers will find the overall focus of the collection. As it is, the book is set on the all too familiar track of ‘Biblical theology’ followed by the somewhat problematical category of ‘Systematic theology’, and only finally by the essays in ‘Practical theology’. The order is understandable, given the broadly ‘evangelical’ tradition in which the contributors stand, and the fact that they are troubled by the ‘sacred–secular divide’ the book’s essays seek to challenge. However, given what is now known about the ‘social, archaeological and economic setting of biblical literature’ (p. 49), it might well have been recognized that the writing of all of the contributors also requires sustained attention to the settings of their own chapters, as is largely the case with the essays in ‘Practical theology’. For instance, the academic contexts in which the contributors find themselves are surely significant for the ways in which they devise strategies to interpret biblical/theological material on the topic of ‘work’, without accounting for the reasons why their insights are now available compared with past modes of exegesis.
That issue apart, the essays in the first section helpfully and constructively advance an ethic of service, love, compassion and power – Jesus’ character values in work appreciated as a gift and blessing, expressed in work that is ‘creative, productive, pleasurable and purposeful’ (p. 44), possible in ‘the post-industrial economy’ in which the theology of work seems to be finding its place and relevance (p. 187). Consequently, the conditions of what amounts to modern slavery, the complications of extrinsic/intrinsic motivations, unemployment and unemployability, and the limitations of possible welfare policies in eras of social decline (p. 193) all require sustained attention. Those directly involved in the economy recommend the importance of an orientation to serving others, giving attention to trust, trustworthiness, fairness, respect, cooperation, inventiveness, perseverance and truth-telling, tolerance, civility, diligence, discipline and humility. Attention must also be given to the capacity to forgive others and confession, as well as to recognizing the ways in which ‘marketplace activity’ can generate negative ways of relating to others, yet with the possibility of finding the spirituality of leisure, solitude and intimacy with God (on the latter, see the conclusion to Scott B. Rae’s essay on ‘Work and sanctification’ (pp. 136–42)).
Miroslav Volf (pp. 83–109) and Darrell T. Cosden (pp. 165–77) develop explicitly Trinitarian-creation theology to make the point that ‘[o]ur work is saved by God along with us, as a part of us and as a part of creation itself’ (p. 177), with Greg Forster identifying the need for radically rethought ecclesiology (pp. 160–1), and Michael Matheson Miller noting the central importance of the invention and reform of ‘institutions of justice’ that can create ‘inclusion for the poor’ (pp. 249–54). No retreat here for those who take these essays seriously!