Being a Christian businessperson is about more than considering the ethics of business. We hope you will explore a few of these resources as you consider and pursue your education, vocation, passions, and calling. May you experience the joy of integrating faith, work, and practice.
Theological Foundations
Businesspeople can draw much insight from these biblical and historical works that build a theological framework for thinking about Christian faith in the workplace.
Addington, Thomas and Stephen Graves. The Cornerstone for Life at Work: Case for Character, Skill, Serving, and Calling. Nashville: Word, 1997.
Cosden, Darrell. The Heavenly Good of Earthly Work. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006.
Grudem, Wayne. Business for the Glory of God: The Bible's Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2003.
Hardy, Lee. The Fabric of This World: Inquiries into Calling, Career Choice and the Design of Human Work. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990.
Novak, Michael. Business as Calling: Work and the Examined Life. New York: Free Press, 1996.
Pollard, C. William. The Heart of a Business Ethic. Lanham, Md: University Press of American, 2005.
Ryken, Leland. Redeeming the Time: A Christian Approach to Work and Leisure. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker, 1995.
Sherman, Doug and William Hendricks. Your Work Matters to God. Colorado Springs: Navpress Publishing Group, 1987.
Stevens, R. Paul. Doing God's Business: Meaning and Motivation for the Marketplace. Grand Rapids, Mich: Eerdmans, 2006.
Stevens, R. Paul. The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective. Grand Rapid, Mich: Eerdmans, 1999.
Ethics
Here are our recommended books addressing the ethical challenges businesspeople face and some strategies we can use to meet them.
Chewning, Richard C., ed. Biblical Principles & Business: The Foundation. Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1989.
Cafferky, Michael E., Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective: A Comprehensive Introduction. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Pres, 2015.
Clements, Phil; Lillback, Peter; Grudem, Wayne. Business Ethics Today: Stealing.
Cloud, Henry. Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality. New York: Collins, 2006.
Frederick, Robert, ed. A Companion to Business Ethics. Oxford: Blackwell, 2002.
Gill, David W. Becoming Good: Building Moral Character. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Gill, David W. It's about Excellence: Building Ethically Healthy Organizations.
Hill, Alexander. Just Business: Christian Ethics for the Marketplace. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1997.
Nash, Laura L. Believers in Business: Resolving the Tensions Between Christian Faith, Business Ethics, Competition and Our Definition of Success. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994.
Stackhouse, Max L., et. al. On Moral Business: Classical and Contemporary Resources for Ethics in Economics. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1995.
Stapleford, John E. Bulls, Bears & Golden Calves: Applying Christian Ethics in Economics. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2002.
Practicing faith in the workplace
We need theoretical frameworks to help keep us oriented, but then we need to flesh them out in practical ways day to day.
Banks, Robert and R. Paul Stevens, eds. The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity: An A-to-Z Guide to Following Christ in Every Aspect of Life. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1997.
Banks, Robert and Kimberly Powell, eds. Faith in Leadership: How Leaders Live Out Their Faith in Their Work and Why it Matters. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.
Batstone, David B. Saving the Corporate Soul and (Who Knows?) Maybe Your Own: Eight Principles for Creating and Preserving Wealth and Well-Being for You and Your Company Without Selling Out.
Beckett, John D. Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul (Expanded Edition). Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2006.
Beckett, John D. Mastering Monday: A Guide to Integrating Faith and Work. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2006.
Burkett, Larry. Business by the Book: The Complete Guide of Biblical Principles for the Workplace. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998.
Cafferky, Michael E. "Witnessing at Work: When It's Taboo to Talk about Religion." Christian Business Review, Issue 8. (Fall 2019): 13-25.
Campbell, Regi. About My Father's Business: Taking Your Faith to Work.
Diehl, William E. The Monday Connection: On Being an Authentic Christian in a Weekday World. New York: Harper, 1991.
Ellul, Jacques. The Presence of the Kingdom.
Geisler, Norman L. Bringing Your Faith to Work: Answers for Break-room Skeptics.
Graves, Stephen R. and Thomas G. Addington. The Fourth Frontier: Exploring the New World of Work. Nashville: Word Publishing, 2000.
Guinness, Os. The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life. Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998.
Humphreys, Kent. Lasting Investments: A Pastor's Guide for Equipping Workplace Leaders to Leave a Spiritual Legacy. Colorado Springs: Navpress Publishing Group, 2004.
Humphreys, Kent and Davidene. Show and then Tell: Presenting the Gospel Through Daily Encounters.
Kilgore, Randy. Talking About God in the 21st Century Workplace.
Pieper, Josef. Leisure, the Basis of Culture.
Mouw, Richard. Called to Holy Worldliness.
Nash, Laura L. and Scotty McLennan. Church on Sunday, Work on Monday: The Challenge of Fusing Business Values with Christian Life. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2001.
Peel, William Carr; Walt Larimore M.D. Going Public with Your Faith: Becoming a Spiritual Influence at Work.
Pollard, C. William. Serving Two Masters? Reflections on God and Profit. New York: HarperCollins, 2006.
Veith, Gene Edward Jr. God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2002.
Zigarelli, Michael A. Christianity 9 to 5: Living Your Faith at Work. Kansas City, Mo.: Beacon Hill Press, 1998.
Leadership
Businesspeople play important roles as leaders around the world. Learn to lead well from the examples of proven leaders.
Alford, Hellen J. & Michael J. Naughton. Managing as if Faith Mattered.
Arbinger Institute. Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2009.
Cafferky, Michael E. Management: A Faith-based Perspective. Pearson, 2012.
Clinton, J. Robert. The Making of a Leader: Recognizing the Lessons and Stages of Leadership Development.
DePree, Max. Leadership Is An Art. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1989.
Heifetz, Ronald A. and Martin Linsky. Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading. Cambridge: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
Maxwell, John, Ken Blanchard, and Mark Miller. The Secret: What Great Leaders Know And Do. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2004.
Robinson, William. Leading People from the Middle: The Universal Mission of Heart and Mind. Executive Excellence Publishing, 2002.
Business-as-Mission
Business well-practiced ought to seek the economic, social, and spiritual flourishing of communities around the world.
Befus, David. Where There Are No Jobs: Enterprise Solutions for Employment and "Public Goods" for the Poor. Miami: Latin America Mission, 2005.
Befus, David. Kingdom Business: The Ministry of Promoting Economic Development. Miami: Latin America Mission, 2001.
Danker, William J. Profit for the Lord: The Economic History of the Moravian Missions and the Basel Trading Mission. Eugene, Oreg: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2002.
Eldred, Kenneth A. God Is at Work. Venture, Cal: Regal Books, 2006.
Feldhahn, Shaunti. The Male Factor: The Unwritten Rules, Misperceptions, and Secret Beliefs of Men in the Workplace.
Hyun, Jane. Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: : Career Strategies for Asians.
Lai, Patrick. Tentmaking: Business as Missions. William Carey International University Press, 2005.
Lausane Occasional Papers: Marketplace Ministry (#40), Business as Mission (#59).
Malloch, Theodore Roosevelt. Doing Virtuous Business.
Miller, David. God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement.
Rundle, Steve, and Tom Stefen. Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role of Business in Missions. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2003.
Silvoso, Ed. Anointed for Business: How Christians Can Use Their Influence in the Marketplace to Change the World. Venture, Cal: Regal Books, 2002.
Swarr, Sharon B. and Dwight Nordstrom. Transform the World: Biblical Vision and Purpose for Business. Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development of the University of the Nations, 1999.
Thomas, Shundrawn; Cliff Goins IV. Start Planting!: A Spiritual Guide to Wealth Creation and Successful Investing.
Yamamori, Tetsunao, and Kenneth A. Eldred. On Kingdom Business: Transforming Missions through Entrepreneurial Strategies. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books, 2003.
Van Duzer, Jeff. Why Business Matters to God (And What Still Needs to Be Fixed).
Van Engen, Charles. God's Missionary People: Rethinking the Purpose of the Local Church. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 1991.
Wong, Kenman L. & Scott B. Ra. Business for the Common Good.
Economic Development and Poverty
The books highlighted here focus on the role of business in improving the lives of the poor.
Maranz, David E. African Friends and Money Matters. Dallas: International Academic Bookstore, 2001.
Sachs, Jeffrey. The End of Poverty. New York: Penguin Group, 2005.
Small-group Guides and Devotionals
Participating in a small group of fellow students or colleagues can enrich us immeasurably for Christian life in the business world.
Cleek, Corey. Devotional Ventures: 60 Inspiring Devotions for the Business Professional. Venture, Cal: Regal Books, 2007.
Kilgore, Randy. On his website Made to Matter Randy has multiple free Bible studies designed for business leaders.
Patterson, Ben. Work: Serving God by What We Do. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1994.
Starting an MBA Fellowship, an online step-by-step resource from InterVarsity.
Stevens, R. Paul & Gerry Scholberg. Satisfying Work: Christian Living from Nine to Five. Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw Publications, 1989.
Christian Formation
Calhoun, Adele. The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook.
Eldred, Ken. The Integrated Life: Experience the Powerful Advantage of Integrating Your Faith and Work.
Michael, Chester P. & Norrisey, Marie C. Prayer and Temperament: Different Prayer Forms for Different Personality Types.
Paddison, Diane. Work, Love, Pray: Practical Wisdom for Young Professional Christian Women.
Patterson, Tom. Living the Life You Were Meant to Live.
Thomas, Shundrawn. Ridiculous Faith: Ordinary People Living Extraordinary Lives.
Thomas, Shundrawn. Driving Under the Influence: Finding Your Way on the Road of Life.
Annotated Bibliographies
What books have we skipped here? Not only is the following book more comprehensive than this selected list, but it offers summaries and comments as well.
Hammond, Pete, R. Paul Stevens, and Todd Svanoe. The Marketplace Annotated Bibliography: A Christian Guide to Books on Work, Business and Vocation. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2002.
Periodicals and Websites
A couple of newsletters and websites are especially useful, addressing the current climate facing Christian businesspeople and offering an ongoing resource.
Bloomberg Business: List of business schools.
Christian Business Academy Review: Focusing on Research in Business Education, Creative Instruction, Curriculum Development, and Professional Issues.
Christian Businessmen's Connection: Directory of Business Ministries
Christianity9to5.org: Free case studies, self-assessment tools, articles, and more.
Ethix: The bi-monthly bulletin of the Institute for Business, Ethics, & Technology. Selections from the current issue are available online.
Journal of Biblical Integration in Business: serves as a refereed forum for discussing faith-learning-life links in business and includes a searchable database.
madetomatter.org: Free workplace Bible studies and other resources.
The Marketplace: An award-winning magazine about faith and work published by the Mennonite Economic Development Association. Selections from current and former issues available online.
Mennonite Economic Development Association
Repurposing Business Transforming Society
Right Now
Transformational Business Network
The Trinity Forum
Work as Worship Network: Directory of Business Ministries
Yale Center for Faith and Culture
We hope you find these resources helpful. Many thanks to the Mockler Center for Faith & Ethics in the Workplace for help in contributing to this list.
Photo of Trinity Church on Wall Street courtesy of Dmytro Kochetov on flickr.
