As part of our mission to transform our relationship to work, we desire to pass along recommended resources in the faith and work field when we come across new materials.
Below are a few books and podcasts we’ve been listening to lately that we think can encourage you in your day-to-day work:
An Uncommon Guide to Retirement: Finding God’s Purpose for the Next Season of Life by Jeff Haanen
From Denver Institute for Faith & Work Executive Director Jeff Haanen, this book will help answer the question, “Does God have a purpose for your retirement?” The answer is a resounding yes, and Haanen brings this to bear through four core principles: Take a sabbatical rest in early retirement, Listen to God’s voice for their calling in retirement, Rethink “work” in retirement, and Understand family systems and leaving a legacy. If you are entering a season of retirement or someone you know is rethinking their own retirement, Jeff’s book is a great primer on a new way forward for a purposeful retirement.
Praxis Podcast: The Redemptive Edge by Andy Crouch
As part of a new effort from Author Andy Crouch in his new role as Partner of Theology of Culture at Praxis, this podcast features conversations with redemptive entrepreneurs seeking to enhance the common good through their ventures. Seeking a bit of inspiration for your own work? Listening to these thoughtful conversations from Andy and his guests is a good way to stir your imagination for the ways your work can leave the world better than you found it.
Work: Its Purpose, Dignity, and Transformation by Dan Doriani
As Covenant Seminary Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology and Vice President at Large Dr. Dan Doriani states in the introduction of his latest book, “Whether you're teaching children in a preschool, operating a cash register at a fast-food restaurant, or performing complex surgeries in emergency situationsyou have the power to change the world.” These words serve as the bedrock for this excellent primer on the biblical doctrine of work. Doriani’s work is accessible, insightful, inspiring, and robust as it lays out the Bible's teaching on the nature, glory, misery, and eventual restoration of work. If you’re searching for a primer on God’s vision and desire for human work, this is your book.
Gage Arnold is the Communications Director for the Center for Faith & Work Los Angeles. He is currently an M.Div student at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO., and holds a B.S. in Journalism & Electronic Media from the University of Tennessee.