The divide between the sacred and the secular life has dogged Christians for centuries. Even today, many Christians and church leaders still assume that the workplace is inferior to pastoring, Bible study, mission trips, and the like. This volume provides a different approach: it surveys the persistence of the sacred-secular divide in Christian history to develop a more robust theology of vocation while engaging with both the Old and New Testament. Charles offers a vision for numerous ways Christians are called to live faithfully in the so-called secular world.
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Church in Society – Why the Marketplace Matters
Chapter 2: The Church’s Great Neglect – Work, Vocation, and the Marketplace
Chapter 3: Theological Perspectives on Work, Vocation, and Stewardship – Tracing the Implications of Creation and Human Design
Chapter 4: A Renewal of Work, Vocation, and the Marketplace – The Lutheran Breakthrough
Chapter 5: A “Wisdom” Perspective on Work – Unexpected Insights from the Book of Ecclesiastes
Chapter 6: A “Wisdom” Perspective on Vocation – Uniting God’s (Providential) Calling and Our Response
Chapter 7: The Matter of Guidance
Chapter 8: Conclusion: The Impact of the Ordinary – Taking Seriously Our Calling to the World
The divide between the sacred and the secular life has dogged Christians for centuries. Even today, many Christians and church leaders still assume that the workplace is inferior to pastoring, Bible study, mission trips, and the like. This volume provides a different approach: it surveys the persistence of the sacred-secular divide in Christian history to develop a more robust theology of vocation while engaging with both the Old and New Testament. Charles offers a vision for numerous ways Christians are called to live faithfully in the so-called secular world.
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Church in Society – Why the Marketplace Matters
Chapter 2: The Church’s Great Neglect – Work, Vocation, and the Marketplace
Chapter 3: Theological Perspectives on Work, Vocation, and Stewardship – Tracing the Implications of Creation and Human Design
Chapter 4: A Renewal of Work, Vocation, and the Marketplace – The Lutheran Breakthrough
Chapter 5: A “Wisdom” Perspective on Work – Unexpected Insights from the Book of Ecclesiastes
Chapter 6: A “Wisdom” Perspective on Vocation – Uniting God’s (Providential) Calling and Our Response
Chapter 7: The Matter of Guidance
Chapter 8: Conclusion: The Impact of the Ordinary – Taking Seriously Our Calling to the World
