At the Reformation, with monasticism in his mind's eye, Luther rightly declared that Christians could serve God as truly in their daily work as in their Sunday worship. This was a great step forward. But why does this Protestant conception of Christian vocation sound much less convincing today? Because we live in a quite different world from Luther's.
(p. 96, AM Hunter, PT Forsyth)
As a Luther fan you will know it pains me to admit that Hunter has a point. The world of work is different in many ways. In particular:
- Work is less about creating things of clear benefit to people, but more about creating money.
- We are much freer in the choice of career we follow.
- There is much greater tension between benefiting your employer, benefiting your fellow workers, and benefiting the customer. Where do you find the balance?
I'm not sure of that I have a theology of work that is able to answer these newish challenges. I am yet to read or hear anyone else express such a theology either. Any ideas?
For what it's worth, you can read below what Hunter thinks. Writing in the 70s he is unsurprisingly concerned for the worker primarily.
The long and short of it is that Christian ethics cannot now rest content with calling on such people to glorify God in their station. We of the Christian church must seek to promote such a re-organization industry as will give the worker freedom to live as a man should, find joy in his work, be able to maintain his family, and become a responsible partner, to some degree. in the industry of which he is a part.
(ibid, pp.96-97)
You are right on the money in sayign that Luther falls short.
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few attempts at working a new theology of work that is more consistent with Scripture.