A theology of everyday work

Abstract

The thoughtful Christian in South East Asia today encounters a variety of different perspectives on ordinary work. Given the clear Confucian legacy in most of the countries of S.E. Asia, he certainly becomes aware of Confucianism's very positive attitude to work and other ideas associated with that positive attitude. Again, given the world-wide currency of Jacques Ellul's many books (they are freely available in Singapore's Christian book shops) and the respect in which he is held in the Christian church today, the South East Asian Christian may well have considered Ellul's very negative perspective on work. In addition to these two thoroughly developed systems of thought, the Christian in S.E. Asia will also come across a number of other fragmentary popular ideas and attitudes towards work, emanating from sources as diverse as Western individualism, secular sociology, evangelistic organizations, and individual preachers. All of the above make up the context in which S.E. Asian Christians approach their daily work, the matrix of ideas and values which surrounds them. It is my intention in this thesis to outline these current perspectives and ideas in some detail in the Introduction, and then in succeeding chapters to set out, over against these, what I believe to be the Christian understanding of work, deriving this from the Old and New Test aments and also from the reflection upon the scriptural material undertaken by the Reformers and some modern Christian thinkers. I will also offer my own evaluations and my suggestions as to the application of this Christian view to the world of work today.