Work matters because it is one of the most profound expressions of our humanity.
Consequently, since, for the Christian, humanity is created in God’s image, work is also a
crucial matter of theological concern and investigation.
What, though, is ‘work’? The question is not merely one of definition. There are issues of the nature, value, purpose and extent of work. If work is, in Christian theological terms, a
reflection of the nature and character of God, then work can neither be restricted to paid employment nor to a particular time span. Christian discipleship extends across the whole of life in both dimensions – latitudinally, there is nothing in life which can be excluded from Christian theology and, longitudinally, Christian spirituality extends from the beginning to the end of life. There are also, further questions, around whether work has intrinsic or merely instrumental value and whether the benefits of work extend further than the individual...
