"Towards a Theology of Work Based on the Bible and Social Teachings of the Church"

by Mascarenhas, Oswald A J; D’Souza, Doris; D’Silva, Nelson A (2019)

Abstract

Work in the globalized world has gradually become dehumanizing. Human work, on the other hand, is the fulfilment of human dignity that empowers to engage in and cooperate with the creative work of God. Business has become a means to domination, control and amassing wealth. This creates an imbalance. In the Bible, God works and creates the universe in various stages and invites humankind to continue in the process of creation, procreation, innovation and adventure. Following the Bible, the Catholic Social Teaching holds that work is a calling, is dignified, an intrinsic good, and that workers must always be respected and valued. Work is not a punishment or necessary evil, nor is it our means of accumulating control, power and wealth. All these ideas are contrary to the biblical view of work. Work is something intrinsically good because we are co-creators of God’s world and work is part of our contribution to society, ecology and sustainability. A strong theme and tradition in Catholic Social Thought is support for trade unions and state measures to ensure concrete safeguards to restore the imbalance. This paper on the theology of work builds its argument from two sources: the Bible and the Catholic Social Teaching as presented in some Papal Social Encyclicals, and based on a theological and philosophical understanding of human beings and human dignity. We discuss managerial implications especially for a theology of work and workplace spirituality and cosmic sustainability as a sure foundation for human resource management (HRM).

Keywords

Theology, Sustainability, Theology Of Work, Social Thought, Catholic, Catholic Social Thought, Religion

Themes

Religious Views on Work

Links to Reference

• https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6972-8_7
• http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6972-8_7
• https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-13-6972-8_7

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