Religion & Liberty Online

‘Unfolding the Creator’s work’: What is the Catholic work ethic?

Max Weber made an historic impact with his magnum opus on the Protestant work ethic at the turn of the twentieth century. Yet more than a century later, the full dimensions of the Catholic work ethic often go unnoticed in Catholic literature. Many writers on the Catholic work life omit the value of work, writes David Cusimano, a new contributor at the Acton Institute’s Religion & Liberty Transatlantic website, in a new essay.

Cusimano, a business advisor and entrepreneur who teaches at the University of Navarra in Spain, has spent decades defining the intersection of faith and work. He writes:

[M]any contributors frame the Catholic work ethic as teaching that work is merely a means to leisure and the beauty that is enjoyable in leisure. While these are good things, writers who dwell exclusively on them miss the opportunity to remind Catholics that holiness can be lived out in the workplace. … Yes, work does afford people leisure and can provide compensation that allows more time with family and friends, but that is not its purpose.

Read his full article here.

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Rev. Ben Johnson

Rev. Ben Johnson is an Eastern Orthodox priest and served as executive editor of the Acton Institute from 2016 to 2021. His work has appeared in a wide variety of publications, including National Review, the American Spectator, The Guardian, National Catholic Register, Providence, Jewish World Review, Human Events, and the American Orthodox Institute. His personal websites are therightswriter.com and RevBenJohnson.com. You can find him on X: @therightswriter.