Taking Your Soul to Work: Overcoming the Nine Deadly Sins of the Workplace

by R. Paul Stevens, Alvin Ung, Eugene H. Peterson (Foreword)

Instead of regarding work as a diversion from the spiritual life, R. Paul Stevens and Alvin Ung are convinced that it is an arena and an incentive for spiritual growth. However, they acknowledge that this is not without its challenges.

Work in Progress examines life in the workplace through an innovative exploration of both the seven deadly sins and the ninefold fruit of the Spirit. This approach provides a framework to reveal how the Spirit has given Christians powerful gifts to overcome struggles the face in the challenges of daily work in a globalized world. The authors interact both with one another and with the wisdom of great spiritual writers of history in order to draw out real-life dilemmas and to suggest practical tips for becoming vibrant disciples in the workplace.

In addition to filling a critical need for a resource on spiritual growth at work, Work in Progress has an intercultural approach ― the authors are from Canada and Malaysia ― that is particularly dynamic and engaging.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Business

210 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2010

About the author

R. Paul Stevens is professor emeritus of marketplace theology and leadership at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia, and a marketplace ministry mentor. He has worked as a carpenter and businessman, and served as the pastor of an inner-city church in Montreal. He has written many books and Bible studies, including Doing God's Business, Work Matters, Marriage Spirituality, The Other Six Days and Spiritual Gifts. He is coauthor (with Pete Hammond and Todd Svanoe) of The Marketplace Annotated Bibliography.

Reviews

[Vunny Wijaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best book for worker, explaining clearly about how to deal with the most difficult situations in our daily work.

[SGT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book and written in such a way that keeps the reader fully engaged. I was fortunate enough to have visited the submarine this year.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was growing up in various evangelical communities, most conversations regarding "work and faith" ended up being about "work and evangelism." Granted, this conversation is critical within Christian circles, but this way of thinking of work as a means-to-an-end tended to reduce work to a necessary evil for some higher spiritual purpose.

Stevens and Ung take a refreshing approach approach with "Taking Your Soul to Work." Rather than tackling "work and evangelism" or "work and its greater meaning," the authors focus on the spiritual dimensions of work. Specifically, they focus on how a person is transformed and grows spiritually through the daily grind of work itself.

A unique feature of the book is it's organization: The book is organized according to the "seven deadly sins" (plus two) with corresponding chapters for both the fruits of the spirit and what they call "Outcomes of a Spirit-Led Life." The book can be read straight through, but I found it helpful to read the chapters that are naturally grouped together.

If you read "Taking Your Soul to Work" as a theological treatise on the meaning of work, you're going to be disappointed. This is basically a guidebook for reflection and introspection, a roadmap for the "inner journey" in the workplace.

[Scott Worden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book to show people what they could do to improve their situations at work according to the Bible. The book acknowledged the seven deadly sins that not only affect us in everyday life but also at work as well as other sins that we're not aware of and how to battle against them. It was a very practical book and backed up with many Bible verses.

[Danish]

Although the advice throughout the work is rooted in the wisdom of the Bible, the lessons and stories in Taking your soul can be thought provoking. I consider it worthwhile reading.