Copyright © 2015 Patrick Brandon Wood All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. BRIDGING THE GAP FROM SUNDAY TO MONDAY: DEVELOPING COMMON GROUND BETWEEN FAITH AND WORK __________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry __________________ by Patrick Brandon Wood December 2015 APPROVAL SHEET BRIDGING THE GAP FROM SUNDAY TO MONDAY: DEVELOPING COMMON GROUND BETWEEN FAITH AND WORK Patrick Brandon Wood Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ Danny R. Bowen (Faculty Supervisor) __________________________________________ John Martin Klaassen Date______________________________ As Johann Sebastian Bach wrote at the bottom of each of his compositions, may this work also be “For the glory of God alone.” TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE ......................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1 Familiarity with the Literature ............................................................................2 Void in the Literature ..........................................................................................8 Thesis ................................................................................................................10 Outline of Chapters ...........................................................................................10 2. THE BIBLICAL MANDATE ..............................................................................12 Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21 The Ten Commandments ........................................................................12 Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:34-40 and Luke 10:25-37 ..................................................................................18 Jesus and the Law .................................................................................... 22 Neighbor .................................................................................................. 24 Implications for Twenty-First Century Christians ................................... 26 Revelation 3:14-20 – The Letter to the Laodiceans ..........................................28 Conclusion ........................................................................................................36 3. CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES OF CALLING AND VOCATION .........................38 Confusion ..........................................................................................................39 Calling ...............................................................................................................41 Distortions Affecting an Understanding of Calling ................................. 42 Corrections to the Two Distortions .......................................................... 44 iv Chapter Page Vocation ............................................................................................................46 Why Must Christians Work? .............................................................................48 Work as Service ....................................................................................... 54 Conclusion ........................................................................................................57 4. LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES FOR CONNECTION BETWEEN FAITH AND WORK........................................................................59 Servant...............................................................................................................59 Steward ..............................................................................................................65 Shepherd ............................................................................................................70 Self-Sacrificial Leadership ...................................................................... 73 Servant Leadership Compared and Contrasted with Self-Sacrificial Leadership ................................................... 76 Shepherding and Self-Sacrificial Leadership as a Workplace Connection for Christians .................................... 80 Teacher ..............................................................................................................80 Teaching as a Workplace Connection for Christians .............................. 84 Team Leader......................................................................................................86 Conclusion ........................................................................................................91 5. IMPLICATIONS FOR CHRISTIANS, THE CHURCH, AND BUSINESS ..................................................................................................94 The Individual Believer.....................................................................................94 Churches and Seminaries ..................................................................................98 Capitalism ................................................................................................ 98 Money .................................................................................................... 101 Language ................................................................................................ 104 Leadership Development ....................................................................... 106 v Page Business ..........................................................................................................110 Conclusion ......................................................................................................112 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 114 vi PREFACE I would like to thank Dr. Michael Wilder, who was involved with the development of this proposal; Coleman Ford, who has spent many hours examining this work; and Dr. Danny Bowen, who was a tremendous advisor and mentor through this process. All three have been instrumental in bringing this work to fruition. I would also like to thank my family, Jen, Caden, and Caylee Grace, who supported me in this academic endeavor by giving up Daddy for many evenings and Saturdays so that I could pursue this goal. Thank you, and I love you with all my heart. Patrick Brandon Wood Richmond, Virginia December 2015 vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION From its very beginning, Christianity has had difficulties practically addressing the issues centering on the interplay between faith and the secular world. The New Testament cannot be read without realizing that early Christians faced many difficulties and issues as they sought to live as the newly redeemed church of Christ. Paul is an example when he writes to the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 addressing the particularly difficult societal issue of the first century church related to eating food sacrificed to idols. In addition, the history of Christianity is full of stories and examples of those who attempted to answer the issue of faith’s relation to culture in a variety of ways. In the fifth century, Simeon the Stylite removed himself from society by sitting on the top of a tall pillar. 1 On a less radical note, the monasteries of the medieval Catholic Church attempted to remove themselves from the stain and sin of a corrupt world by organizing themselves into self-contained entities. In more modern times, various separatist groups removed themselves from society and had significant impact on the early history of the United States. This separatist theme can be followed even into the early twentieth century in response to the debates regarding Darwinism, naturalism, and social progressivism. Clearly, Christians have struggled to find a common answer and unified response to living their faith in a secular world. Not surprisingly, here at the beginning of a new millennium, Christianity continues to struggle with issues regarding faith and culture, and a Christian’s dutiful 1Williston Walker et al., A History of the Christian Church, 4th ed. (New York: Scribner, 1985), 155-56. 1 response in a fallen and sinful world. The society of the West continues to foster the attitude of a separation between faith and culture. As the old saying goes, religion is akin to politics in that it should be kept to oneself and remain a private matter. While study after study continues to observe the basic “religious” nature of those in the United States, it is still clear that the widespread preferred attitude in the culture is one of clear separation between the two spheres of private religion and public secularism. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the issue of faith as it relates to the workplace. Americans spend a large number of their productive hours during the week in a Job or work environment. However, most believers find their workplace to be an arena in which their Christian faith is not considered a relevant factor. Again, faith is viewed as inappropriate or “out of place” in the work environment. While there may be a movement afoot to strengthen the “spirituality” of the workplace, and this should be encouraged by Christians for reasons