Faith in Business Quarterly Journal Volume 12 No.1 17 Faith, Work and Economic Life

by Philip Giddings

Faith, Work and Economic Life (GS Misc 890B) is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2008 and is reproduced by permission Philip Giddings

he General Synod of the at York this year debated a Tmotion from St. Alban’s Diocese as follows: “That this Synod: a) affirms daily work as essentially a spiritual activity; b) recognises the importance of Christian values within economic life; c) requests the Mission and Public Affairs Council to examine the engagement of the Church of England with the economic sector in this country and to present its findings to Synod” Philips Giddings, as Chair of the Mission and Public Affairs Council of the Church of England, presented this background paper to the Synod in advance of the debate.

1. Introduction activities in the wider Church Board for Social Responsibility entitled, Church and Economy: 1.1 The Mission and Public which address the economic Effective Industrial Mission for the Affairs Council welcomes this sector and people’s working lives. 1990s – itself a follow-up to the motion from the St Albans 1.2 Because economic issues BSR document, Industrial Mission: Diocesan Synod which highlights touch so many aspects of life and An Appraisal which was the report an important area of work within society, many recent Synod of a working party chaired by the Council’s remit. If passed, it debates on public affairs have had Bishop when he was offers the MPA Council an an economic dimension. There . opportunity to evaluate its own have also been important debates engagement with the economic on equipping the laity for mission 1.4 In 1997, the Council of sector; to consider the impact of and ministry which are relevant Churches for Britain and Ireland, with significant Church of economic issues and working life to this motion. on the Church’s mission; to work England input, published the with colleagues in Christian adult 1.3 Synod last addressed the major report Unemployment and education to consider how people Church’s structures for mission the Future of Work which included can be equipped for discipleship at in the economy in July 1989 when a substantial amount of material work, and to map the numerous it debated a report from the on the nature and theology of 18 Faith in Business Quarterly Journal Volume 12 No.1

work. The General Synod debated impact of East European embrace all these activities is this report in July 1997. The migration to Britain; likely to be inadequate, yet the report was produced by an c) Continuing decline in considerable differences between ecumenical working party to manufacturing, mining and them militate against which Mr Andrew Britton acted agricultural jobs and the rise of straightforward generalisations. as Secretary, and it was followed the service sector; All these activities are highly up by a collection of essays d) The impact of significant in the economy and all developing further the theological regeneration programmes on contribute profoundly to human implications.1 the shape of local labour well being. In the debate on Unemployment markets and jobs; 2.2 The location where work and the Future of Work, the motion e) Falling levels of takes place is no more useful as a before Synod included the clause: unemployment from the mid- way of defining what is meant by That this Synod …. 1990s to 2008 – and the “work”, since homeworking (paid (b) re-affirm the Christian unknown impact of the current employment carried out in a understanding of work as a sharing economic downturn; person’s home) is a major feature in God’s creativity, and a means to f) The impact of the of the workforce in both the human flourishing and service to others. Minimum Wage, and the upper and lower remuneration continuing numbers of brackets. A definition of “work” vulnerable workers; and “the workplace” is, perhaps, best approached in relational g) The shift towards more terms – times and places where entrepreneurial models and people enter into relationships of methods in the public and obligation to each other in order voluntary sectors; to achieve shared goals which h) The impact of Information contribute to economic activity. and Communications But it needs to be recognised that Technology on patterns of definitions in this field are, at best, work and the shape of of limited usefulness. University of York, where the Synod was held workplaces; i) Differing interpretations of 2.3 The Christian tradition has 1.5 However, since those “labour market flexibility”, never been satisfied with debates, the context has changed ranging from casualisation and understandings of work which considerably. Whilst a paper of insecurity to family-friendly are limited to economic activity in this nature cannot hope to do work practices and many other any narrow sense. Prayer and justice to all the factors which are aspects of flexibility; worship have often been changing the experience of work understood as part of humanity’s j) “portfolio working” taking in society, below is a list of ten proper work, just as work can be developments which represent the place of “jobs for life”, or even “one job at a time”. understood as part of humanity’s both a deepening of long- worship of God. This is important standing trends and a number of 2. What is “Work”? as it affirms the nature of prayer new phenomena : 2.1 Studies of “work” often and worship as acts of giving as a) Increasing inequality of struggle with definitions in order well as receiving. In contemporary reward between the top and to express the differing social culture, this is an important bottom of the workforce, and roles of, for example, corrective to the consumeristic the changes in the equation entrepreneurship, paid view that religion is merely about between risk and reward; employment, structured benefits for the participants. This b) Increased global migration, volunteering, home-making and places Christian views of work at including the free movement of childcare. Any definition of work odds with the predominant labour within the EU and the which does not, in some way, materialist, cultural understandings. Faith in Business Quarterly Journal Volume 12 No.1 19

3. Work as a Spiritual celebrated (and differentiated work is an expression of Activity from rest on the seventh day). discipleship and enacting God’s Second, in the gospels we see that will for the world. Whilst the 3.1 One has only to look at the God became incarnate in Jesus term may be used specifically of dis-spiriting aspects of unfulfilling who was brought up in the home vocations to ordained ministry or or badly organised work to of a carpenter, and that He called the religious life, ‘vocation’ is recognise the profoundly spiritual His disciples from among the often used much more broadly of dimensions of the ways in which a calling to particular jobs or people work today. Good work – professions such as teaching or work which is good both in its medicine. As a church we need ends and in its methods – not to do more exploration of the only contributes to the spiritual uses of the word “vocation”. We well-being of individuals but also need to think through the affects the relational and implications for Christians and community dimensions of others who find their working spiritual living. lives to be at odds with their 3.2 All economic activity, and discipleship or impossible to all work, is relational. From the Christ in the Carpenter’s Shop square with a sense of God’s call. entrepreneur whose activity Georges de la Tour (1645) 3.7 If human work has so creates work for others, to the much spiritual potential, it follows worker in manufacturing or the fishermen. We also see that the that badly ordered work can be public sector, to the mother with work of others, such as tax profoundly spiritually destructive. children, the volunteer or the collectors and publicans, which In our own culture and worldwide solitary who prays alone – all was regarded as a source of there is a great deal of “bad their work is, or can be, at an shame, can nonetheless be work” which is either directed to important level, directed to the redeemed. In the Gospels, many unworthy ends or so poorly good of others. The ends to of Jesus’ parables are framed managed and regulated that which work is directed are around the working lives of people are harmed by it. This is therefore a reflection of the many ordinary people. not just a factor affecting the ways, seen and unseen, in which poor and vulnerable: the spiritual 3.5 In these and other ways, the Spirit’s life finds expression in consequences of how work is the Biblical account tells us that people’s relationships with one ordered can be felt for good and human work both has the another. for ill among all strata of the potential for enabling us to workforce.2 3.3 Christians will also find in participate in the creative activity their work an opportunity for of God and, at the same time, 3.8 Living Christian values at discipleship. In the Bible we find that work is tainted by sin and work is not always a work presented as both blessing can lead us away from God. This straightforward enterprise. To and curse. Whilst there is no shows us that there is nothing begin with, there are important space here to offer a inherently salvific – or damning – questions to explore about the comprehensive theological about human work: it is the ‘morality of the market’ - the approach to work, there are purposes to which we direct it tension between the frequently several important points we can that give it ethical and spiritual asserted ‘value-neutral’ nature of briefly note. value. the free-market economy and the way in which, to function 3.4 First, in Genesis, we see 3.6 The idea of vocation is effectively, the market nonetheless both that human labour for often used to indicate an attitude requires “players” to exhibit survival is one effect of the Fall, to work which embraces the moral qualities – particularly and that God’s work in the whole person and expresses, for those of truth telling and keeping creation of the world is Christians, the belief that one’s one’s word. 20 Faith in Business Quarterly Journal Volume 12 No.1

3.9 Second, as Christians we challenges to parochial 4.4 Today, in the first decade seek to live lives in which all that understandings of church life. of the 21st century the missiology of Hunter and Wickham may we do is brought together under 4.2 The parish system has, perhaps be most clearly seen in God’s dominion. We therefore however, proved highly adaptable, those Fresh Expressions of face the continuing challenge of and has, for over 150 years, been Church which are consciously how to integrate our work with creatively supplemented by a seeking to engage with sub the rest of our lives, particularly series of mission initiatives cultures in which people feel the given that the way much work is directed to working life and Church is “not for them”. ordered today actually economic structures. For encourages people to example, in the 19th century the 4.5 Those mission initiatives compartmentalise their lives and Navvy Missions broke the do not stand alone. Many other become, almost literally, different ground, along with the Missions church-related groups engage people at work and in the home. to Seafarers. with work and economic life, both However different the things we th theologically and practically. do in different compartments of 4.3 Later, in the mid-20 Century, the Industrial Mission Examples include the work of the life, Christians will strive for the movement as created by Bishop William Temple Foundation in greatest level of moral and Leslie Hunter and the Rev Ted Manchester, the Ridley Hall spiritual integrity. We need more Wickham in Sheffield, sought to Foundation in Cambridge, the – and more specific – resources reconnect with the working London Institute for to support us in this aspect of classes alienated from a Church Contemporary Christianity, and discipleship. which seemed to have mistaken work at Douai Abbey. Within the CofE’s own structures the 4. The Church and middle class values for Christian virtues. The movement still Mission and Public Affairs Economic Life continues, largely in chaplaincy Division in the Archbishops’ “Nine-tenths of the work of the and issue-based modes. In the Council maintains a strong Church in the world is done by interest in economic affairs and Christian people fulfilling the ways in which they touch responsibilities and performing tasks upon almost every aspect of the which in themselves are not part of Division’s work, at home and the official system of the Church at all abroad, in public life and in the …” Archbishop William Temple in church’s own mission priorities. Christianity and Social Order, 4.6 The all-enveloping nature 1942. of economic affairs means that 4.1 Ever since the Industrial much church activity in this field Revolution, and the processes of takes place at all levels, under a urbanisation, the Church of variety of organisational “labels” England, and other denominations – social responsibility teams, in Britain, have recognised diocesan missioners, rural and working life as both an arena for urban affairs advisers, those working with local regeneration mission and also as a problem for Archbishop WilliamTemple which established models of projects. All of these are dealing church life have not always been with the economy and its impact adequate. Just as the parish 1960s a number of clergy upon people and communities. So system came under immense consciously adopted the Worker do innumerable parish clergy and strain from the growth of cities, Priest model, pioneered in France, lay ministers whose ministry the later tendency for work and often persisting in a lonely but takes them “under the skin” of domestic life to be geographically prophetic ministry for the rest of the local community to separated has brought new their lives.3 understand and influence the Faith in Business Quarterly Journal Volume 12 No.1 21 economic factors which help produce a comprehensive survey It would bring together shape the identity of a place and of every economic dimension to theologians, economists, labour its people. the Church’s mission and ministry market analysts and people with would be a huge undertaking and, differing work experiences, and 4.7 We can thus see that since economic issues touch on draw on perspectives from ‘economic life’ is not the preserve every aspect of the Church’s life different areas of church life. Its of any one organisation or in some way, of limited value. objective would be to produce a movement within the church but Moreover, an exhaustive survey collection of writings which is part of the fabric of mission of the changing economic context would add to the resources and ministry for us all. This would not only involve an available for the Church in variety is captured in a recent immense amount of work but thinking about economic life. book drawing together a broad would risk being out of date as There have been a number of picture of the churches’ soon as it was published. Even an recent publications addressing involvement in economic affairs evaluation of the points we have theology and economics, but not through the 20th Century and listed in 3.1 above would produce with an explicit focus on work especially since the Second World enough material for a long run of today.5 There is a gap here War. 4 Synod debates. which an MPA-led project can 4.8 William Temple’s famous 5.2 Rather than attempting a profitably fill. comment from Christianity and comprehensive survey, therefore, 5.5 The second piece of work Social Order is as true today as the Mission and Public Affairs MPA proposes is to examine, in ever. The work of the church on Council believes that there are conjunction with adult education earth is indeed being taken two specific and achievable pieces and other specialists, the forward, for the most part, of work which would take up the resources available for parishes through the faithful lives of its concerns of the motion and be of and congregations to enable their members seeking to live with real value to the Church’s mission members to be better supported integrity, including in their and ministry. in dealing faithfully working lives. The social context Moreover, these with the questions has changed greatly since 1942, pieces of work can and dilemmas which but that principle remains the be done within arise in their same. Not that this is a reason existing budgetary working lives. for complacency. Nearly seventy provision. years on from Temple’s comment, 5.6 A number of there is now an even greater need 5.3 The first is studies have shown for the church to find ways to to give further that many resource lay men and women to consideration to a Christians feel live faithfully in all the theological unable to raise the communities they inhabit – understanding of moral issues of including economic communities work for today. The their work in the and those of the workplace. literature on A rare example of literature context of their theology and work on theology and work! church and that 5. Taking the Work is surprisingly thin ministers and that Forward and little of it relates clearly to lay people often feel ill-equipped to contemporary patterns of work 5.1 The St Albans motion calls help people struggling with and all the diverse activities which upon the Mission and Public ethical matters from the fall under the definition of “work”. Affairs Division to examine the workplace.6 We believe that this engagement of the Church of 5.4 The Council therefore second piece of work we propose England with the economic sector proposes to convene a has the potential to offer some in this country. To attempt to symposium to take this forward. degree of remedy for that 22 Faith in Business Quarterly Journal Volume 12 No.1

situation, both by drawing attention to resources that The Synod already exist and also by encouraging the creation of new materials to help make our Debate churches “safe places” where the questions from work and economic life can be openly addressed and offered to God. by Randell Moll 5.7 Economic questions and issues from working life will not Randell Moll go away – indeed, it could be that General Synod debated the motion written by Randell Moll, and after a time of impending recession will re Faith, Work and Economic life, circulation within a consulting give them a much higher profile. for about an hour and three- group, was revised in the light of The MPA Council believes that an quarters. It was subject to observations made by Simon appropriate response to this several amendments, most of Baynes (General Synod member), important motion would be to which were agreed, and the Canon Dennis Stamps (Ministry undertake these two worthwhile, resulting amended motion received Development Officer) and Arun specific and achievable pieces of overwhelming support in the final Kataria (Communications Officer). work and to report on them to vote. The text of this is given below. The second was provided by the Synod within the next five years. How it came about Mission and Public Affairs (MPA) Council of the General Synod, The motion had been brought into under the name of its Chairman, Notes being and worded by Randell Moll, Dr.Philip Giddings. MPA was 1 CCBI, Unemployment and the Future (then Team Leader of Workplace generally supportive of the of Work: An Enquiry for the Ministry in Herts & Beds), Churches, London: CCBI, 1997. motion and accepted some, but adjusted slightly on the advice of not the whole, of the task asked Malcolm Brown and Peter Sedgwick Susan Pope (Diocesan Secretary), (eds.) Putting Theology to Work: A of it by part (c) of the motion. In Theological Symposium on David Cheetham (Diocesan its paper the Council resisted the Unemployment and the Future of Registrar) and officers of the task of examining “the Work, London: CCBI, 1998. General Synod. It was proposed, engagement of the Church of 2 See, for example, Richard Sennett, as part of a longer motion, at The Corrosion of Character: the England with the economic Personal Consequences of Work in the St.Albans Diocesan Synod in June sector” as being too broad and New Capitalism, N e w Yo r k : W. W. 2007 by Simon Best, (Chair of the ambitious a task for the resources Norton, 1998. Board for Church and Society) it had available. It made two 3 John Mantle, Britain’s First Worker following a presentation of the specific reccommendations Priests, London: SCM, 2000. work of Workplace Ministry in regarding a symposium on the 4 Malcolm Brown and Paul Ballard, Herts and Beds, given by Alan theology of work and a collection The Church and Economic Life – A Harpham, Rev. Tony Ruffell, Rev. Documentary Study: 1945 to the of educational materials relating Present, Peterborough: Epworth Michael Banfield and Rev. Randell to faith and work. Press, 2006. Moll. The motion was passed 5 A good example of contemporary with a large majority in St.Albans The Debate theological reflection on economics Synod and duly sent forward to The motion was proposed by Mr. is: John Atherton and Hannah Skinner (eds.) Through the Eye of a General Synod. Simon Baynes, a General Synod Needle: Theological Conversations over member elected by St.Albans Political Economy, Peterborough: General Synod background Diocese. His introduction to the Epworth Press, 2007. papers issues benefitted from his 6 See for example, Rachel Jenkins, Two background papers to the extensive knowledge of the Changing Times: Unchanging Values? Manchester: The William Temple motion were provided for the business world and from his Foundation, 1991. General Synod. The first was reflections on working life from Faith in Business Quarterly Journal Volume 12 No.1 23 the standpoint of a committed proposing an alternative wording d) requests the Mission and Public Christian. There was a to the original part c) of the Affairs Council to: continuous flow of members motion, thus requesting the MPA (i) convene a symposium on a wishing to speak, but owing to Council to carry out its own two theological understanding of work time constraints, the Chairman suggestions (above). In addition, for today as outlined in sections 5.3 (The ) could not this amendment requested that - 5.4 of GS Misc 890B; allow all to be heard. The tone the MPA Division might (ii) compile a collection of of speeches was broadly undertake the much simplified supportive resource materials for sympathetic to the need for the task of compiling a “concise, church members as outlined in Church to address matters factual, overview of the current section 5.5 of GS Misc 890B. relating to Faith, Work and and readily identifiable Economic Life. The Bishop of engagement of the Church of Conclusion St.Albans, in particular, spoke England with the economic Members of General Synod have powerfully in support of the sector” with the help of the given a warm welcome to the motion motion and also pointed agencies listed in the in principle. Work consequent out that about 90% of paperwork. It also upon it has been agreed. this General Synod’s called for a report back Members of churches should hear business was devoted more of it through reports back. to inward-looking to Synod by the MPA matters and only 10% - Division by July 2010. It is disappointing that the debate which included this Dr.Philip Giddings, ended with no deadline for even motion - was outward- Chair of the MPA, an interim report, but this can be looking. while commending the addressed by questions to the MPA motion in general, Division at future General Synods. Amendments spoke against these Action requested by the General Four amendments had last two provisions, on Synod is now in the remit of the Bishop of St. Albans been submitted prior to grounds that the MPA Division, who will be in the debate. The first, Division was already committed contact with the St.Albans Diocese. in which Canon Professor to five reports to General Synod More thought needs to be put into Anthony Thistleton (Southwell within two years, and its the next steps, by those sympathetic and Nottingham) challenged the resources were insufficient to to the motion, and to the way the wording of part a) of the motion, undertake more than they had gave rise to an inconclusive current work of church agencies suggested. These last two parts in the economic sector can best be discussion about the spirituality of this amendment were lost. of work: the amendment was brought to the attention of church narrowly lost. Mr. Allan Jones The motion as passed by General members, in cooperation with the (Liverpool) won support for his Synod reads thus: MPA Division’s work. To that end, the National Executive Committee amendment, which clarified That this Synod:- “work” in part (a) of the motion, of the Industrial Mission (a) affirms daily work, be it paid or to include both paid and unpaid Association plans, at its next work. Mr. Clive Scowen unpaid, as essentially a spiritual meeting, to consider its role in (London) also won support for his activity; encouraging a productive focus strengthening clause which (b) recognises the importance of for such momentum as has been appears in the final form of the Christian values in economic life; generated by the General Synod motion (below) as part (c). (c) encourages bishops and clergy to debate. Similar organisations are urged to do likewise. The amendment proposed by The give greater priority to equipping and Ven.Hayward Osborne (Chair of resourcing church members through Meanwhile, all concerned with the Churches’ Industry Group teaching, prayer, affirmation and bringing the motion successfully Birmingham) addressed the celebration, to fulfil their vocations, through General Synod are concerns of the MPA Council as ministries and mission in their places grateful for all the support which set out in its support paper, by of work; has been received.