Theos Report on Motherhood

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

Dr Madeleine Pennington and Dr Rhiannon McAleer, Motherhood, Inside Out: The Story in Numbers (London: Theos. 2026).

Here’s some brief blurb:

‘Motherhood is one of the most significant transitions a woman can experience. It can reshape identity, relationships, priorities and, for many women, how they see the world itself. Yet it remains surprisingly under–researched and is often undervalued in public life.

‘This report accompanies the Motherhood, Inside Out research project, unpacking its main quantitative findings […]

‘We asked women how they saw the value of, and economic and cultural support for, parenting, before asking the mothers specifically how their thinking and identity had shifted since having children. The findings reveal that motherhood can transform women from the inside out […]

‘Taken as a whole, the findings explored in this report speak to a potentially under-supported social role – but as explored further in our separate qualitative report, they also hint at an existential shift that is far more complex and wide-reaching than is acknowledged in ordinary depictions of motherhood, entailing social, political, and even spiritual impacts on the women who go through it.’

More information about the project is available here, more information about the report is available here, and a pdf of the full report is available here.

Centre for Public Christianity (July 2026)

Among other items, the Centre for Public Christianity has posted a ‘Life and Faith’ podcast here on wine.

From the blurb:

‘Daniel Chaffey Hartwig and Theo Engela are the brothers-in-law behind Chaffey Bros Wine Co. In this celebratory episode of Life & Faith, they talk about the ups and downs of winemaking (mostly the ups), and why they think it’s a natural fit for people of Christian faith like them to be in this business – despite certain stereotypes! Benjamin Franklin famously wrote that wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, and Daniel and Theo can definitely get on board with that idea.’

David Kim on Faith and Work Movements

Here’s a short but stimulating read for those interested in this area:

David Kim, ‘From Ethics to Enlivenment: The Evolving Story of Faith and Work.’

Kim draws up what he admits is an oversimplified attempt to capture changes in the faith and work movement (or movements) in three phases:

Phase One: 1975–1995 – Ethical Distinction – How do I witness the gospel?

This is the era in which ‘the Christian faith was lived out through evangelism in the workplace and the living of ethical lives that testified to this salvific reality. To witness the gospel at work was to live with the ethical distinction that would open the way for evangelistic opportunity.

‘The dismantling of the sacred–secular divide was a meaningful achievement as the gospel needed to go forth into every domain of life. Its focus, though, remained largely individual, as the question of witness was answered by personal conviction and ethical behavior.’

Phase Two: 1996–2015 – Cultural Renewal – How do we transform culture?

‘This phase asked a new question: Can Christians transform the culture itself and turn the tide of its radical secularity?

‘The Christian language shifted accordingly. “Cultural renewal,” “culture making,” and “faithful presence” became the animating phrases… Work was no longer seen merely as a site of personal ethics but as a platform for cultural engagement and transformation.

‘And yet, over time, cracks appeared. The assumption that culture could be “changed” through the right people in the right positions proved more complicated than anticipated.’

Phase Three: 2016–Present – Spiritual Formation – How do I remain grounded?

‘In recent years, a convergence of forces has reshaped both work and the human experience of it. Political polarization, economic instability, a global pandemic, and now the accelerating disruption of artificial intelligence have together produced what researchers at the Institute for the Future describe as a “BANI world”: brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible.

‘In this BANI context, the central question has shifted again, not outward, but inward. How do we remain grounded amidst all the uncertainties of our age? … The gospel does not merely call us to behave differently or to influence culture. It invites us into a transformed way of being.

‘To respond to our world faithfully in this moment requires spiritual competencies that anchor us when the ground feels shaky. This phase invites an attentiveness to God’s presence in the midst of ordinary work. It asks us to listen for God’s voice not only in special seasons of discernment and uncertainty, but in day-to-day life that includes the realities of loss, disorientation, and grief. And it begins to reimagine work itself as something that the gospel can enlivened [sic] from the inside out.’

•••

As Kim notes, ‘the first two are not meant to be cordoned off or discarded. We still need ethical clarity. We still long for cultural renewal. But without spiritual formation, both become unsustainable’. He describes this as ‘enlivened work: work that flows not from excellence or ambition alone, but from a deep awareness of God’s presence’.

Gregorio Guitián et al. on a Theology of Work

Gregorio Guitián (ed.), Theology of Work: New Perspectives, Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies (London: Routledge, 2004).

The above book carries some interesting-looking essays on various perspectives on a theology of work.

Here’s the publisher’s description:

‘Theology of Work: New Perspectives emerges from the necessity to continue theological reflection on work in light of the challenges posed by our contemporary world. The contributions offer a global perspective of the meaning of work, drawing from Trinitarian theology, theology of creation, eschatology, theological anthropology, and Christology. They shed light from the perspective of faith on the integration of different work dimensions, and consider how the theology of work is called to challenge social structures in light of revelation. The volume mostly develops the theology of work from a Catholic perspective, but Protestant and Orthodox approaches are also explicitly explored. The chapters cover different theological areas, such as biblical, dogmatic, patristic, and moral theology, to provide enriching and complementary perspectives. Offering fresh and valuable theological insights on work, this book will be of particular interest to scholars of theology and religious studies.’

Although the provision might not last, the book is currently available at no charge on Kindle and on Apple’s Books app.

David W. Gill on the Faith at Work Movement

The Institute for Marketplace Transformation has published an essay by David W. Gill on ‘The State of the Faith at Work Movement… and An Appeal’.

Here’s the summary:

‘In this essay, veteran Christian ethicist David W. Gill reflects on six decades in the faith-at-work movement, celebrating its growth while identifying four key areas needing deeper attention: theology and ethics of work and technology, broader inclusion of diverse voices and constituencies, more holistic workplace discipleship, and stronger engagement from pastors and seminaries. He argues the movement has become too focused on executives and ministry insiders, neglecting blue-collar workers, the unemployed, students, and other professions. Gill closes with practical pledges for both workers and pastors, urging a more grounded, Scripture-rooted, and community-oriented approach to integrating faith with everyday work life.’

The essay is available from here.

Matt Rusten on Pastoring for Monday

Matt Rusten, Pastoring for Monday: Help Your Congregation Integrate Faith and Work, Made to Flourish Resources (Downers Grove: IVP, 2026).

I read the above book in a couple of sittings. I enjoyed it so much, I took the (unusual for me) step of writing a brief shout-out on goodreads:

‘Excellent! Not just for those in church leadership or who preach regularly, but for those who’d like to go beyond ‘Bible and Work 101’ in reflecting further on integrating faith and work. Lots of fresh insights on old topics and well-worn biblical passages in this area (the final chapter’s reflections on Ecclesiastes through the lenses of unenchantment, enchantment, disenchantment, reenchantment being a case in point). Highly recommended.’

Prayers for Workers

The Global Faith & Work Initiative and Redeemer City to City have published a short document – ‘Prayers for Work: Industry Prayers for the Church and its People’ – with prayers covering various sectors.

According to the blurb:

‘Our hope is that these prayers will help pastors and congregants:

• See this work as part of God’s unfolding plan for the world

• Understand the innate goodness and brokenness in their industries and work

• See the opportunity as the priesthood of all believers to shine light on darkness

• Find ways for their industries to represent God’s goodness’

The document can be downloaded as a pdf here.

Faith in Business Quarterly

Faith in Business Quarterly is the journal of Faith in Business and the Industrial Christian Fellowship (ICF).

It aims to provide ‘a forum to explore and promote the application of the Christian faith and values to working life in business, the professions, the public and voluntary service’.

Articles from several back issues are available from here.

Tim Harford on the Paradox of Work

There’s a short but interesting article here by Tim Harford on what he calls ‘the paradox of work’.

Taking its cue from an analysis of ‘a Depression-era make-work project for white-collar Americans’, it underlines the importance of work and community contributions in addition to family and close relationships.

Basically, whilst work is often ‘the least enjoyable thing’ in people’s lives, ‘there are few more reliable sources of dissatisfaction and disappointment than being unemployed’.

‘The stories people told about themselves, and especially the stories women told about themselves, did indeed often mention friends and family. But they also emphasised, over and over again, the importance of work as a foundation for a meaningful life.’

C.H. Spurgeon on ‘Secular’ Work

On reading through Chris Wright’s commentary on Exodus, he cites an enjoyable portion of a sermon preached by Charles Haddon Spurgeon in 1874, on Paul’s teaching that, in every area of life, we serve Jesus (Colossians 3:24).

As Chris Wright notes, ‘Spurgeon draws heavily on the imagery of the tabernacle and priesthood and applies it to the Bezalels and Oholiabs [see Exodus 31] of today’s world – however humble their calling and labor’.

‘To a man who lives unto God, nothing is secular – everything is sacred! He puts on his workday garment, and it is a vestment to him; he sits down to his meal, and it is a sacrament; he goes forth to his labor, and exercises the office of the priesthood; his breath is incense, and his life a sacrifice; he sleeps on the bosom of God, and lives and moves in the divine presence! To draw a hard and fast line and say, “This is sacred and this is secular,” is, to my mind, diametrically opposed to the teaching of Christ and the spirit of the gospel!

Paul has said, “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself.” … The Lord has cleansed your houses, my brothers and sisters; He has cleansed your bed chambers, your tables, your shops; He has made the bells upon your horses holiness to the Lord! He has made the common pots and pans of your kitchens to be as the bowls before the altar if you know what you are, and live according to your high calling. You housemaids, you cooks, you nurses, you plowmen, you housewives, you traders, you sailors – your labor is holy if you serve the Lord Christ in it, if by living unto Him as you ought to live! The sacred has absorbed the secular! The overarching temple of the Lord covers all your houses and your fields! My brothers and sisters, this ennobles life! … This ensures us a reward for all we do!’

Charles H. Spurgeon, ‘All for Jesus! Sermon #1205,’ Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 20, cited in Christopher J.H. Wright, Exodus, The Story of God Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2021), 544.

Theos Report on Productivity

A new report from Theos has been published:

Nick Spencer, Hannah Rich and Nathan Mladin, More: The Problem with Productivity (London: Theos, 2024).

According to the blurb:

‘There is a relentless emphasis on improving productivity today – and with good reason. Productivity is, economically speaking, extremely important. But productivity is an unexamined idea, one of those words that “think for us”.

‘The challenge posed at the heart of this report is: Productivity of what? What are we trying to produce more of, and why?

‘Productivity at its deepest and most profound level is not a matter of creating more stuff but of forming better “persons”. Improving productivity levels can enable that, but it may not. In particular, when it comes to activities in which the human dimension is central, improving productivity can be counterproductive.

‘As developed economies become ever more service-based, this can become a serious issue. Encouraging people to become productive in such service interactions can undermine the personal, human good inherent in the activity itself.

‘And although AI can boost productivity in many sectors, including the service sector, it is not a solution to the problem of productivity outlined in this report and poses risks to essential human goods and values.

‘Ultimately, as we seek to solve our “productivity problem”, we need to avoid idolising productivity or allowing it to corrode what is most precious to us.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on Love’s Labours

A new report from Theos has been published:

Hannah Rich, Love’s Labours: Good Work, Care Work and a Mutual Economy (London: Theos, 2024).

This is the third report in Theos’ Work Shift series, exploring how a renewed focus on the relational elements of work could improve the labour market.’

According to the blurb:

‘There is a crisis facing the adult social care sector in the UK at present, which is not only economic in nature, but also relational. The devaluation of paid care work in economic terms stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of what care is, what work is and even what love is.

‘Different workspaces, cultures and working conditions have the power to create different kinds of human relationships and forms of human community and in so doing, create different arenas for ‘love’ to flourish. Social care is therefore a key arena for the intersection between ‘love’ and ‘work’.

‘The intersection between love, work and care offers a way of reimagining how caring professions are valued. Further, the integration of Christian theological ideas of love and dignity allows a broader, more holistic policy debate than the current economistic one.

‘Drawing together sociological and theological literature with the first-hand experiences of those working in the social care sector, this report explores what ‘love’ means in this context and how rediscovering it might lead us to value care work differently and more highly.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on Work-Life Integration

A new report from Theos has been published:

Paul Bickley, Working Five to Nine: How We Can Deliver Work-Life Integration (London: Theos, 2024).

This is the second report in Theos’ Work Shift series, exploring how a renewed focus on the relational elements of work could improve the labour market.’

According to the blurb:

‘We have fallen out of love with work. Rates of economic activity remain stubbornly high in the UK, while in other countries they have reverted to pre-pandemic downward trends. While this is being driven by ill health, our values around work have also shifted. Recent World Values Survey data show that the UK public are the least likely of 24 countries to say that work is very/rather important in their life (73% in the UK, compared to 96% in Italy, 94% in France, or 80% in the United States). Millennials in particular have shifted in their attitudes: in 2009, 41% felt that work should always come first. By 2022, this had fallen to 14%.

‘This report argues that, to address this, we need to pay attention to what Catholic Social Teaching calls “the subjective dimension” of work – that whatever else we say about it, we’re always talking about something people do. Work should contribute to human flourishing and development at the individual and corporate levels. We also need to recognise a growing appetite for greater freedom to fulfil what, from a Christian perspective, are also kinds of work, albeit unpaid. These can be as varied as caring responsibilities, civil and political actions, and personal development and education.

‘This is not a call for less employment, but to think about how we can ease the conflict between the goods of employment and the goods of all the unpaid work we do. In our public conversation, policy, and practice, we prioritise the former – but how can we give more space to the latter? We argue for the expansion and enforcement of basic worker rights, further use of four-day weeks, and maintaining and extending the used [sic] of thoughtful hybrid working.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on the Rise of Insecure and Lone Working and the Search for Mutual Bonds

A new report from Theos has been published:

Tim Thorlby, The Ties That Bind: The Rise of Insecure and Lone Working and the Search for Mutual Bonds (London: Theos, 2024).

This is the first report in Theos’ Work Shift series, exploring how a renewed focus on the relational elements of work could improve the labour market.’

According to the blurb:

‘This report draws together evidence on the health and social impacts of two significant trends transforming the labour market in the UK – the rise of lone working and the rise of insecure work – to argue that a loss of mutuality in the workplace has made millions of us both poor and ill. More than half of the UK workforce now work alone for all or part of the week, while nearly one in five UK workers are now in insecure work – over half of whom are in work that is both insecure and low paid.

‘The report draws upon Christian thinking to argue that greater attention to “the ties that bind” is needed to ensure that increasingly flexible working arrangements can also be dignified, fair, well-connected and healthy.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.