dekoster

April 07, 2016

Finding meaning and beauty as a fast food worker

“This is not what I thought I’d be doing at twenty-seven.” So says Stephen Williams, who, while enjoying and appreciating much of his daily work at his local Chick-fil-A, continues to feel the various pressures of status, mobility, and vocational aspiration. Continue Reading...

September 11, 2015

Now Available: Lester DeKoster’s ‘Work,’ Re-Issued with New Afterword

Originally written in 1982, Lester DeKoster’s small book, Work: The Meaning of Your Life, has had a tremendous impact on the hearts and minds of many, reorienting our attitudes and amplifying our visions about all that, at first, might seem mundane. Continue Reading...

September 10, 2015

These Prisoners Are Finding Purpose Through Welding (And So Could You)

With the rise of the information economy, many millennials have steered clear from blue-collar jobs and manual labor, often prodded by their parents to pursue a “real education” and “a better life. Continue Reading...

March 18, 2015

Stop Trying to Inject Your Work With Meaning (Hint: It’s Already There)

In a recent piece for the Wall Street Journal, Rachel Feintzeig sets her sights on the latest trends in corporate “mission statements,” focusing on a variety of employer campaigns to “inject meaning into the daily grind, connecting profit-driven endeavors to grand consequences for mankind.” Continue Reading...

December 17, 2013

Donors vs. Owners in ‘Business as Mission’ (and Beyond)

“Do economic incentives help or hinder ‘business as mission’ (BAM) practitioners?” In a forthcoming study, Dr. Steven Rundle of Biola University explores the question through empirical research. Unsatisfied with the evidence thus far, consisting mostly of case studies and anecdotes, Rundle conducted an anonymous survey of 119 “business as mission” practitioners, focusing on a variety of factors, including (1) “the source of their salary (does it come from the revenues of the business or from donors?),” Continue Reading...

July 02, 2013

5 Basic Principles of Christian Stewardship

In Faithful in All God’s House: Stewardship and the Christian Life, Lester DeKoster and Gerard Berghoef explore the range and reach of Christian stewardship, emphasizing that the practice of stewardship extends far beyond the handling of our money, stretching into life and time and destiny. Continue Reading...

June 05, 2013

Radicaltarianism: Toward an Economics of Possibility and Grace

Over at Rough Trade, the always intriguing James Poulos celebrates the increased attention now being given to the “relationship between economic and religious life,” pointing to the Acton Institute’s very own Samuel Gregg to kick things off. Continue Reading...

December 22, 2011

Margaret Thatcher on Business as Mission

Mats Tunehag has written a blog highlighting the increased popularity and momentum of business as mission throughout the world. He cites an example that probably would not be the first to come to your mind, but is someone we are very familiar with here at Acton. Continue Reading...