A Theology of Work

by Darrell T Cosden, Jïrgen Moltmann (Foreword by)

Overview

Given that so much of our contemporary lives are spent working and that so many major decisions and issues in life revolve around our work, it is surprising just how little serious theological reflection there is on the subject. A Theology of Work: Work and the New Creation makes work itself the subject of theological enquiry. From within Christian doctrine it asks the pressing questions 'what is work and work's place in God's economy and thus, how should we be carrying out our work?' Through dialogue with Jurgen Moltmann, Pope John Paul II and others, this book develops a genitive 'theology of work'. It offers a normative theological definition of work and a model for a theological ethics of work that shows work's nature, value and meaning now, and, quite uniquely, eschatologically related to the new creation. Throughout the book it is argued that work in its essence is about transformation and, as such, it is an activity consisting of three dynamically interrelated dimensions: the instrumental, relational, and ontological. 'This careful, well informed and interesting book offers an important thesis that work is of the essence of human being, including the eschatological dimension: it will provide a significant focus for much theological debate of a neglected topic.' Timothy Bradshaw, Senior Tutor, Regent's Park College, Oxford, UK 'Cosden's A Thelogy of Work is a substantial new contribution to the field. He highlights the enduring significance of human work in light of the Christian hope of the New Creation and the Kingdom of God. I heartily recommend it to all who are concerned to integrate their work with Christian faith.' John Jefferson Davis, Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, USA 'The widespread sense felt by so many of us that we are continually on the verge of burn out indicates how much we need to be informed by fresh attempts to understand work from a thoroughly biblical and theological perspective. Darrell Cosden offers just such a promising engagement. Rather than limiting the theological basis for understanding work to a human vocation entrusted to us in the primordial past, Cosden wisely and helpfully directs our attention as well to the future. Thereby, he provides an eternal vantage point that, if taken to heart, can transform our attitude toward the work that we are called to do in the present.' Stanley J. Grenz, Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology, Carey Theological College, Vancouver, BC, Canada, and Professor of Theological Studies, Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle, WA, USA Darrell Cosden (BA Bryan College, MDiv Denver Seminary, PhD St Andrews, Scotland) is Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at the International Christian College in Glasgow, Scotland. He has served in pastoral ministry and with International Teams in Russia and Ukraine as a Lecturer and academic dean at Donetsk Christian University.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597527576
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	10/19/2006
Series:	Paternoster Theological Monographs
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Darrell Cosden (BA Bryan College, MDiv Denver Seminary, PhD St Andrews, Scotland) is Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at the International Christian College in Glasgow, Scotland. He has served in pastoral ministry and with International Teams in Russia and Ukraine as a Lecturer and academic dean at Donetsk Christian University.

Table of Contents

Foreword     xiii
Preface     xv
Work in Christian Theology: The Threefold Nature of Work
Introduction     3
Toward a Christian Theology of Work     4
A Deepening Theological Understanding of Work     4
The Concept of a Theology of Work: A Genitive Theology     4
Focusing Explorations for this Theology of Work     5
Work and the New Creation     6
Work and Theological Anthropology     7
The Criteria for Our Christian Theology of Work     7
What is Work     9
The Quest for a Theological Definition of Work     10
The Threefold Nature of Work: Instrumental, Relational, and Ontological     10
The Ontology of Work     13
Karl Marx on Work     13
The Ontology of Work in this Book     17
Modern Roman Catholic Social Teaching and Work     19
Developments in Official Catholic Teaching on Work: 1891-1981     19
Laborem Exercens     24
The Instrumental Aspect of Work     26
The Relational Aspect of Work     27
The Ontological Aspect of Work     28
Modern Protestant Understandings of Work     37
Classifying the Literary Sources     37
Systematic Theology     38
Focused Studies     38
Ethical / Contextual Studies     39
Directions Old and New: Methodologies Considered     39
Re-appropriations of the Vocational Model     40
A Focus on the Initial Creation     41
Departures from the Vocation Tradition     42
Contextual Methodologies     43
Sabbath not Vocation     44
Eschatology not Protology     45
Jurgen Moltmann on Work     47
Work Begins with Play     47
Work as a Right     52
What is the Significance of Work for the Working Person?     58
What is the Significance of Work for the Human Community?     59
What is the Significance of Work for the Meaning of Life?     59
A Critique of Moltmann's Understanding of Work     62
General Contributions     62
Cautions and Limitations     63
Work: Labor or Play?     63
Moltmann's Reflections on Work and My Hypothesis     66
Work's Instrumental Aspect     66
Work's Relational Aspect     72
Work's Ontological Aspect     75
The Way Forward     77
The Ontology of Work: A Proposal
Teleological Foundations for the Ontology of Work     81
Reviving Teleology     84
Theological Teleology     87
Constructing a Teleological Framework for this Project     92
Theological Anthropology: An Historical and Contemporary Appraisal     101
The Doctrinal Foundations     101
The Image of God     102
The Substantive View     103
The Functional View     106
The Relational View     111
Colin Gunton' s Relational Anthropology     112
The Ontology of Work in Dialogue with Jurgen Moltmann's Theological Anthropology     127
Introduction     127
Human Purpose in the Initial Creation     130
Anthropocentric Versus Theocentric Conceptions of Nature     132
Nature as Humanity's 'Home Country'     134
Functional Applications and Implications of the Imago Dei     139
Human Purpose in the New Creation     144
Personhood and Gestalt: Resurrection and the Emerging Vision of Salvation     145
Human Constitution and Gestalt     145
Gestalt, Salvation and 'Transition' in Christ     147
Personal Eschatology and Eternal Livingness     151
Salvation: The Sabbath and Shekinah     157
The End is More Than the Beginning     158
The Sabbath and Shekinah Interrelated     159
The Question of time in God's and Our Eternity     162
The Question of Rest in God's and Our Eternity     167
The Question of the Specific Imagery Associated with God's Eternity and Ours     171
Conclusions Concerning the Ontology of Work     175
Conclusion: The Threefold Definition of Work and its Application     177
A Double Hypothesis Explored     177
Applying the Hypotheses to a Theology and Ethics of Work     178
A Theological Definition of Work     178
This Definition as a Model for Ethically Evaluating Work     179
The Complex Totality of Work     179
The Instrumental Aspect of Work     181
The Relational Aspect of Work     183
The Ontological Aspect of Work     184
The Logical Rather Than Metaphysical Priority of the Ontology of Work     185
Final Comments     187
Bibliography     189
Author Index     203
Subject Index     205

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

'This careful, well informed and interesting book offers an important thesis that work is of the essence of human being, including the eschatological dimension: it will provide a significant focus for much theological debate of a neglected topic.'
Timothy Bradshaw, Senior Tutor, Regent's Park College, Oxford, UK

'Cosden's A Thelogy of Work is a substantial new contribution to the field. He highlights the enduring significance of human work in light of the Christian hope of the New Creation and the Kingdom of God. I heartily recommend it to all who are concerned to integrate their work with Christian faith.'
John Jefferson Davis, Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, USA

'The widespread sense felt by so many of us that we are continually on the verge of "burn out" indicates how much we need to be informed by fresh attempts to understand work from a thoroughly biblical and theological perspective. Darrell Cosden offers just such a promising engagement. Rather than limiting the theological basis for understanding work to a human vocation entrusted to us in the primordial past, Cosden wisely and helpfully directs our attention as well to the future. Thereby, he provides an eternal vantage point that, if taken to heart, can transform our attitude toward the work that we are called to do in the present.'
Stanley J. Grenz, Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology,
Carey Theological College, Vancouver, BC, Canada, and Professor of Theological Studies, Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle, WA, USA

Editorial Reviews

'This careful, well informed and interesting book offers an important thesis that work is of the essence of human being, including the eschatological dimension: it will provide a significant focus for much theological debate of a neglected topic.'
Timothy Bradshaw, Senior Tutor, Regent's Park College, Oxford, UK

'Cosden's A Thelogy of Work is a substantial new contribution to the field. He highlights the enduring significance of human work in light of the Christian hope of the New Creation and the Kingdom of God. I heartily recommend it to all who are concerned to integrate their work with Christian faith.'
John Jefferson Davis, Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, USA

'The widespread sense felt by so many of us that we are continually on the verge of burn out indicates how much we need to be informed by fresh attempts to understand work from a thoroughly biblical and theological perspective. Darrell Cosden offers just such a promising engagement. Rather than limiting the theological basis for understanding work to a human vocation entrusted to us in the primordial past, Cosden wisely and helpfully directs our attention as well to the future. Thereby, he provides an eternal vantage point that, if taken to heart, can transform our attitude toward the work that we are called to do in the present.'
Stanley J. Grenz, Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology,
Carey Theological College, Vancouver, BC, Canada, and Professor of Theological Studies, Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle, WA, USA

From the Publisher