Course Project

Religion and Theology Course Project

Evaluation of Faith and Work

The religion study often investigates rituals, beliefs and practices and the manifestation of this investigation in one's sphere of life. One of the spheres is a workplace which emerges as a field of inquiry. The role of religious values and faith is increasing in work related learning and practical interest. For many of us, faith is only what that informs and shapes our ethics, leadership, value system, character and our attitude for the work (Carter, 2007). The recent time research indicates that many workers, leaders, students, marketplace professionals wish to live a life that could help them to integrate the work and faith with other things. The dilemma regarding to the workplace issues is based on the vocation, ethics, purpose, values, meanings and how one lives in the absence of faith in this pluralistic world (Lewis, Rapoport & Gambles, 2003). The conflicts between work and faith arise in many marketplace topics like poverty and wealth creation, inclusion and diversity, global competition and its consequences, social responsibility and stakeholders conflicting interests (Huckins, 2002).

Adam Smith has expressed the relationship between work and faith. According to him the functions of work are sources to earn and attain ease and wealth. But, as a Christian we try to put our faith at the center of every work we do i.e. integrate work and faith. While we integrate our work and faith some important ethical behaviors rule are imposed by our faith on the work practices that we follow like customer's respect, fairness, honesty, trustworthiness etc. we should try to evangelize at work, either implicitly or explicitly (Lewis et.al, 2003).

There is substantial overlap of ethics between secular law and religious. A superficial connection between faith and work is established by the ethics, where the ethical behavior is considered to work within the boundaries provided by the faith. But there is no influence of faith on what that happens in the boundaries (Carter, 2007). Ethics obliges you to do without explaining and telling the reason. That is why, when a person is financially hurts it becomes difficult to comply with the ethical values. It may be sometimes against the company's rule to evangelize at workplace. If a person hopes that by providing an example that will attract the non-believers towards the Christianity, is a noble work but due to workload, conflicts and stress may make it a poor example (Huckins, 2002).

For many Christians, among the thorniest problems is the problem of contradiction, which appears in the Bible, between James and Paul. According to the Romans, 5:1-2, Paul writes that we are justified by faith, and we are in peace, through our lord Christ and our faith, with God; and we take pride in the hope of God's glory (Huckins, 2002). While in its opposition James says that a man is justified by his work and not by faith only.

Personal Values and Integration of Faith and Work

At a workplace, the employee may encounter managers who possess ...