Dr. Timothy Ewest, associate professor of Management in the Archie W. Dunham College of Business, and Sharlene Buszka, associate professor and chair of Business Administration at Daemen College, have published a book on the integration of faith and work, “Integrating Christian Faith and Work: Individual, Occupational, and Organizational Influences and Strategies,” with Palgrave McMillian. Their book is part of the Palgrave Studies in Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment, edited by Satinder Dhiman, editor-in-chief, and Gary Roberts and Joanna Crossman, associate editors. This broader series seeks to precisely map the terrain of the twin fields of Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment in the disciplines of business, psychology, health care, education, and various other allied fields. It reclaims the sacredness of work – work that is mind-enriching, heart-fulfilling, soul-satisfying and financially rewarding. It fills the gap in scholarship in the allied disciplines of Workplace Spirituality and Flourishing. Using a comprehensive schema, it invites contributions from foremost scholars and practitioners that reflect insightful research, practices, and the latest trends on the theme of workplace spirituality and fulfillment.
Though the majority of Americans claim faith in God and adults spend the majority of their time working, these two important dimensions of life are rarely effectively integrated. It is important for people of every faith tradition to consider how, when and if their faith and work are to be integrated. This is especially true as research shows that the integration of faith and spirituality in the workplace results in numerous benefits for individuals, organizations, and society – if done respectfully.
Ewest and Buszka’s book presents core research insights concerning integration influences and strategies for Christians who seek to integrate their faith and their work. Specifically, it discusses how individual, occupational, and organizational factors influence faith-work integration, and suggests diverse ways to integrate the Christian faith at work. The Faith and Work Integration Spheres of Influence Model is presented as a tool to guide individuals in better understanding how to develop their own personal plan for faith-work integration within the context of limiting or enabling occupational and organizational factors. It also suggests areas for further research on this topic. Readers will learn how Christian faith-work integration can be maximized based on individual attributes, occupational characteristics, and organizational factors.
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