God and Man at Work: Doing Well and Doing Good in the Bible's View of Life

by Udo W. Middelmann

Publisher:

Wipf and Stock

, 2013

Overview

In God and Man at Work Udo Middelmann argues that our ideas about daily activities are linked directly to our conception of the world. It is acquired by habit from the surrounding community as well as by reflection and personal preference. A person's attitude about the world explains the reason for most choices they make in work, love, and life. The biblical view of reality clarifies such empirical observations and frees them from sentimental assent.
Communal faith may be colorful, but is mostly light in answers and repetitive in form. It lacks the substance to convince and to encourage. Religious cultural habits bind people through poetry and symbols. Many pastors, development workers, and business leaders are often long on devotional fervor but short on holistic connections to the whole of Scripture and rarely address intellectual fear and human suffering. God and Man at Work counters that with an appeal to the Bible's uniquely reasoned discourse and practical encouragement for people in the "imago Dei" to argue with nature and culture, and do well by doing good in every manual and intellectual endeavor. That moral effort will free them from religious enslavement and nature's indifference towards social and material improvement.

Praise for God and Man at Work

"As a businessman committed to living a fully integrated life, Francis Schaeffer provided early help to me in thinking through my calling. In this book, Middelmann builds on that legacy, providing much-needed clarity in applying Christian worldview to the workplace. It is my hope this book can inform a new generation of Christian businessmen to live out their faith consistently in a business world inimical to such an endeavor."
--Douglas H. Kiesewetter, Founder and CEO, Brightleaf Technologies Inc.

"Udo Middelmann's latest book firmly and clearly shows the implications of the lordship of Christ over all of life. He sees well beyond the merely devotional life to a truly holistic view of the all-consuming rule of the God of the Bible--all rooted in the gospel."
--Marvin Padgett, Retired Editor and Publishing Administrator

"An outstanding resource that develops a comprehensive biblical framework affirming all of life as well as God's passionate desire to partner with human beings in the compassionate work of repairing our damaged world and improving life and work. An exceptional book written with unusual depth and insight that deserves to be read with great care. Be prepared for a challenge to engage the world in new and courageous ways."
--Bill McDonald, McDonald Appraisal Company

"In an age of real challenges, Udo Middelmann's book provides a worldview framework for human engagement that encourages real solutions, whether the challenges are personal or corporate."
--Phil Lund, Entrepreneur and Educator

Product Details

• Title : God and Man at Work: Doing Well and Doing Good in the Bible's View of Life
• Author: Middelmann, Udo W.
• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Publication Date: 2013
• ISBN: 9781621897316

About the Author

Udo Middelmann is the President of the Francis A. Schaeffer Foundation and currently the International Scholar at the Center for Global Engagement, Nyack College in New York. He is the author of Neither Necessary nor Inevitable: History Needn't Have Been Like That.