We were created to work, and our work provides unique meaning and purpose in our lives. Yet today we are living in a crisis of apathy and ignorance regarding workâs theological and existential nature.
There is no shortage of books pleading with people to work less, to find âbalance,â to think less of career and more of the things that bring them âhappiness.â Likewise, there is no shortage of books making the case that work matters a great dealâthat good things come from fruitful labor. This book belongs in neither of those categories.
In Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life, David Bahnsen makes the case that our understanding of work and its role in our lives is deeply flawedâwe are unmoored from what he calls âcreated purpose.â He argues that the time has come to stop tip-toeing around the issues that matter, that separating oneâs identity from what they do is demonstrably false, and that this era of alienation is for many a direct result of a low view of work. It is in workâeffort, service, strivingâof every kind that we discover our meaning and purpose; a significant and successful life is one rooted in full-time productivity and cultivation of Godâs created world.
This book is not your normal âdefense of workâ book. Whether you are a leader, a follower, a boss, an employee, in a white collar or blue collar job, highly paid or âjust getting by,â this book is for you. A life of meaning is right under your nose, and with it the joy and peace of a life well-lived.
âDavid Bahnsen is a theologically grounded, vocationally minded, and Biblically focused man with a vision to make work a gift to the world. In this book, he does just that. Combining thoughtful cultural analysis, conservative economic theory, and practical application for how to live these ideas out in the real world, I am grateful for the keen insights he lays out here. This book is a great combination of ideas and application that I think will serve many well.â âJon Tyson, Author, Pastor, Church of the City NYC
âFar too many of us believe that we need to work in order to be able to live, and thatâs it. We need to eat, and so we work. David Bahnsenâs new book leans heavily in the opposite direction, meaning that God gave us the gift of life so that we might have the grace and privilege of working. Highly recommended.â âPastor Douglas Wilson, Christ Church