By Claire Taylor, Staff Writer
A new book on work and faith, co-written by Wheaton College business and economics professor Denise Daniels and Rice University sociology professor Elaine Ecklund, was released Aug. 25.
The book, titled “Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work,” addresses how Christians should approach vocation, gender inequality and discrimination in the workplace. The authors suggest how the church exacerbates the problem and how it can be part of the solution.
“‘Working for Better’ not only equips readers with the wisdom and tools needed to face such challenges but also inspires them to become agents of change, promoting a more inclusive and harmonious work environment,” the book states.
The research behind the book draws on surveys of nearly 16,000 people and 300 interviews. Daniels said that their research “examined how people think about their faith and what it means for the work that they do and the workplaces that they are in.”
“I’m pretty confident that it is the largest and only research study of its kind,” Daniels said. Many Christians surveyed or interviewed “had a separate view of their faith and their work.” They knew how to integrate their faith at church on Sunday, but were confused about how to do the same during the week.
Daniels and Ecklund, both passionate about how work can be an opportunity for missions, met through a grant opportunity after Daniels published her first book, “Working in the Presence of God,” about inviting God into every aspect of life. They became friends, and once the grant ended, they applied for a new grant to fund their research related to faith and work.
“We were trying to figure out what it means to be a faithful Christian in the context of work, and are there examples of people who do it well?” Daniels said. “I really want people to think about business as a calling and the potential for business to be something that God is actually calling people to.”
The research paved the way for Daniels and Ecklund’s first book, “Religion in a Changing Workplace,” which was not aimed at Christian readers. “ Working for Better,” meanwhile, expands the application of the research to a Christian audience, specifically those working in a variety of fields.
Wheaton College business and economics professor Min-Dong Paul Lee, Daniels’ co-worker, read the book soon after it was published. “I don’t see too many books that blend research, personal reflection and theology together as beautifully,” he said.
Byron Borger, owner of Hearts and Minds, a Christian bookstore located in Pennsylvania, described the book in his “Labor Day Reflection” as “groundbreaking” and both “serious and enjoyable.”
Curtis Chang, author of “The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics,” called the book “a fresh vision of how to integrate faith with work, one that expands beyond tired categories of evangelism, ethics, and excellence.”
