Lake Lambert, author of the new book, Spirituality, Inc., speaks to BiblEconomy about the growing trend to bring spirituality into the workplace. The professor of religion shares his favorite economic lessons from the Bible. Who is the model of a visionary and gifted manager? Do the Bible’s teachings encourage capitalism or socialism?

What did you set out to achieve in writing Spirituality, Inc.?
I wanted to understand this new religious movement.  Christianity has long talked about “vocation,” but the workplace spirituality movement is related yet different.  It responds to the growing importance of work in the lives of many Americans.  Those in white collar jobs actually work more than they did a generation ago!  Spirituality is also changing business cultures, and a renewed focus on Christian vocation might allow churches to engage more adults as they seek meaningful lives.

What surprised you most about the presence of religion in the workplace? 
The biggest surprise for me was the rapid rise in religious discrimination complaints over the last 15 years.  I think this is a sign of two important developments.  First, the United States is more religiously diverse, and most Americans are religiously illiterate.  We don’t understand how our neighbors practice their faith, and we may have little tolerance for it.  Second, companies themselves are starting to include spiritual practices as part of professional development, team building and as the authentic religious identity of owners and managers.

Is faith at work good for business and/or for employees?
No one should be forced to abandon their faith at work, but this was a long-standing view.  People treated work like the separation of church and state with an insurmountable wall.  However, employers often fear religious diversity because they think it will be divisive.   What we see today is an emerging effort to be more open to faith at work, and this is definitely good for employees.  It can also be good for employers if it makes workplaces more hospitable and thus more productive.  The problems arise when the employer attempts to “provide” the faith through professional development programs or chaplains.  Employees often appreciate these efforts, but they can be manipulative and make faith into an employee benefit like good health insurance.

At companies like Tyson and Chick-fil-A where a devotion to Christianity is emphasized, how are employees who practice other faiths treated? Do they feel a fundamental disadvantage or discrimination?
Chick-fil-A has been charged with religious discrimination in the past.  Tyson has been more religiously inclusive in its chaplaincy program.  The real tension is between the right of an employer to run a company according to his or her faith compared to an employee’s right not to be discriminated against.  It is illegal to hire, fire, promote, or demote based on religion, but there is no law (nor should there be) that mandates a secular workplace.

What is your favorite Old Testament lesson for the world of business?

The story of Joseph in Genesis 39:1-41:57 is a great story of a gifted manager who is blessed by God.  In Potiphar’s house he rises to a position of responsibility only to fall into prison by the treachery of Potiphar’s wife.  But Joseph rises again, literally because he is a visionary.  He can decipher Pharaoh’s dreams, and Pharaoh makes him responsible for everything in his kingdom.  While most of us do not have the gift of interpreting dreams, both “dreaming big” and being a good manager are crucial skills in business.

What is your favorite New Testament lesson for the world of business? 

I have always been fascinated by the story of Demetrius the silversmith in Acts 19:23-41.  When Paul comes to preach in Ephesus, Demetrius leads a riot because he understands that the spread Christianity will mean the end of his idol making business.  I think all Christians should reflect on their work and consider whether they are serving God or making idols.

Does the Bible at its core encourage capitalism or socialism?
The Bible says a great deal about the distribution of resources, but it says very little about their production.  As an expression of Christian faith, sharing and generosity are neither capitalist nor socialist.  Some Christians have mistakenly concluded that the Jerusalem church in Acts (Acts 4:32-5:11) was socialist, but they were just generous.  Many Christians in the 1800s sought to live a truly socialist ideal when they gathered together into communities that would share in  both productive work and the distribution of work’s products.  This was a form of Christian socialism.  I live in Iowa, and one community like that was the Amana Colonies.  I describe in the book how many evangelical Christians in the early 20th century began to affirm capitalism primarily because socialism and communism were, in their Marxist forms, godless.  One of the exciting developments in recent years is Christian efforts to assure that all people have access to productive resources. 

Lake Lambert is Professor of Religion and Board of Regents Chair in Ethics at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.  His book Spirituality, Inc.: Religion in the American Workplace was recently published by New York University Press. 

Searching for meaning in the Haiti earthquake, author Rev. Mary McQueen writes about the Bible’s call for compassion and charity. Instead of asking “Why” such a terrible event occurred, it’s perhaps more productive to think about “How” we can help. She writes:

The Bible book of Ecclesiastes, (known as part of “Wisdom Literature”) focuses again and again on the simple fact that true blessings are found in how we live our lives with others more than in the “things” we are blessed to have. It IS more blessed to give than receive.

The Los Angeles Times looks at a new film “Sympathy for Delicious,” the directorial debut for Mark Ruffalo. Written by Christopher Thornton, the story revolves around a paralyzed DJ struggling on the streets of L.A. He turns to faith healing and mysteriously develops the ability to heal the sick, yet he can’t cure himself. Is this inability a result of how quickly he exploits his gift to reach his goal of rock stardom?

There is faith, the showy display of religiosity that is the trick-of-the-trade of faith healers, and then there is faith, a kind of belief in a transcendent reality. In a plain Hollywood church, both were on display last February, as actor-turned-director Mark Ruffalo finished filming on his directorial debut “Sympathy for Delicious,” an unusual story about a jaded, homeless, paraplegic disc jockey, “Delicious” Dean O’Dwyer, who suddenly finds he has the power to heal, although he can’t heal himself. On stage, John Carroll Lynch, playing a kind of cut-rate faith healer (in the mold of televangelist Benny Hinn) is exhorting “that the holy spirit is upon you” to a congregation of would-be believers, including several rows of men and women in wheelchairs. Among the handicapped is writer-star Christopher Thornton,with grimy dark hair, several days of stubble and an air of furious desperation.

It’s unclear if those behind the film are believers themselves. The LA Times said both director and writer, “take a dim view of the possibility of miracles. ‘That’s all a crock,’ Ruffalo says. ‘I’ve never experienced a miraculous healing. For me, the theme of the movie is that you get the healing that you need. Not the healing that you want.’”
What’s certain is that there’s a trend to tap into the faith of ticket-buyers.

The Michigan defense contractor we reported on last week will voluntarily stop stamping references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights made for the U.S. military.

The references to Bible passages raised concerns that the citations break a government rule that bars proselytizing by American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, which are predominantly Muslim countries.

But a new book suggests the proselytizing usually goes the other way around. Beer, Bacon and Bullets: Culture in Coalition Warfare from Gallipoli to Iraq by Gal Luft examines how culture can impact the relations between Western militaries and their non-Western allies. Lots of tension has characterized these working relations. Luft investigates five case studies of military cooperation between dissimilar cultures, including how American generals in Saudi Arabia bent over backwards to curry favor with their hosts in the 1991 war against Iraq.

In fact, the Saudis openly proselytized the U.S. soldiers:

They made no effort to hide their missionary efforts among the thousands of young men and women who were stationed in their land. Efforts to convert U.S. soldiers to Islam were explicit and were even a source of pride among the Saudis.  Saudi lecturers appeared before U.S. troops with the aim of explaining the fundamentals of Islam, the customs and the rituals. With them came missionaries who offered gifts and money to potential converts. 

The Saudi efforts paid off. More than 2,000 American servicemen and women converted to Islam during the 1991 Gulf War.

That’s what the  new book, “Spirituality, Inc.” by Lake Lambert III explores. In a Wall Street Journal Review :

… Lake Lambert III explains in “Spirituality, Inc.,” religious faith is on display in American business as perhaps never before, from Tyson Foods’ “workplace chaplains [who] roam the corporate halls and processing floors” to the never-open-on-Sunday Chick-fil-A’s policy of dedicating each new restaurant to God’s glory. The rise of companies with an explicitly religious underpinning has been accompanied by an increase of general spiritual awareness in the workplace, Mr. Lambert says. “Corporations like Ford and Xerox sponsor spiritual retreats to spark creativity.” Even companies with no overt religious or spiritual interests may be the site of spiritual expression, whether that means a Bible study in a conference room or a weekly meeting hosted by the Spiritual Unfoldment Society at the World Bank.Workplace spirituality, then, can take many forms, but its overall theme, Mr. Lambert says, is an attempt to transform business “from an egotistic survival of the fittest built around greed to a new vision of commerce grounded in compassion and enlightened self-interest that is, at its heart, a spiritual phenomenon.”

Here’s a glowing review of the new film “The Book of Eli.” It depicts a time after war leading to an apocalypse, where - among the vast destruction - nearly all of the Bibles have been destroyed. One Bible remains and it is held by Eli, played by Denzel Washington who travels west and from there must decide what to do with the book. More from the review:

But Eli runs across others during his travels, and along the way he comes across a town that’s controlled by a man named Carnegie. Carnegie is desperate to get a hold of a Bible because he knows what  power the Bible has and what it can inspire among people who have no more hope.

If you go see the film, think of this: Eli means “My God” - El (God) li (my). 

ABC’s investigative correspondent Brian Ross reports that coded references to Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military. The scopes - manufactured by a Michigan company - are used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and in training Iraqi and Afghan soldiers. “The maker of the sights, Trijicon, has a $660 million multi-year contract to provide up to 800,000 sights to the Marine Corps, and additional contracts to provide sights to the U.S. Army,” said the ABC report.

One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Other references include citations from the books of Revelation, Matthew and John dealing with Jesus as “the light of the world.” John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The company states its vision on its Web site:

“We believe that America is great when its people are good,” says the Web site. “This goodness has been based on Biblical standards throughout our history, and we will strive to follow those morals.”

A PR release for Christian “Faith Gatherings” next month that are focused on merging faith and work cites a high number:

“The Bible mentions work more than 800 times,” explains Gerard Long, executive director for Alpha USA. “You’re not supposed to turn off a switch when you leave church on Sunday. God wants to walk with us 24/7 in every area of our lives - especially our work.”

“Combining inspiration and practical application, these gatherings will help people to see work as a higher calling,” says the press release.

Some evidence found that the Bible may be centuries older than previously thought.

Biblical Studies Professor Gershon Galil, of Haifa University in Israel, deciphered ancient text found on a shard of pottery in Israel. Turns out this is the earliest known example of Hebrew writing. LiveScience.com reports:

Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further. But the newly de nociphered Hebrew text is about four centuries older, scientists announced this month. “It indicates that the Kingdom of Israel already existed in the 10th century BCE and that at least some of the biblical texts were written hundreds of years before the dates presented in current research,” said Gershon Galil…