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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Following up on our earlier posting on USA Today misleading on mainstream church support for a minimum wage hike — apparently USA Today has a history of obscuring minimum wage activists. And the paper is not alone in its lack of transparency.
Three years ago, a full-page story and photo essay told how hard it was to [...]

USA Today is not exactly being transparent when it reports churches are pushing for a hike to the federal minimum wage. Though its headline blares “Churches push for $10 minimum wage by 2010,” a simple check of the website of the group advocating a $10 federal minimum wage — the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign [...]

The Wall Street Journal examines the economic crisis’ dichotomous impact on houses of worship: fewer dollars coming in, while  more being asked of them. This impossible situation reflecting individual family budgets.
Across the country, congregations of all sizes and denominations are struggling with issues of faith and finance as the recession grinds on. Churches are scouring [...]

Graduating divinity students are feeling trepidation as the contracting economy has led congregations across the religious spectrum to cut or downsize clergy positions, according to The New York Times.
The anecdotal evidence collected by the Association of Theological Schools, which covers 250 graduate institutions in the United States and Canada, has found job listings for ministerial positions down by about one-third [...]

One North Carolina church  is worried about reaching those who work on Sundays. “We know that people don’t have Sundays off like they used to,” said the Rev. Anna Mandelstamm, so they came up with the idea “Work on Sunday? Worship with us on Monday!”
Mandelstamm said she initially worried there would be some backlash from outsiders [...]

One more rite of passage the economy is impacting: Latinos are downsizing their daughters’
15th birthday bashes, also known as quinceañeras.

Interesting analogy by a freshman Congressman comparing the “bailout bonanza” to the Crusades:
The entire mess reminds me of the tale of Emperor Alexius I of Byzantine Empire, who called forth the Christian kings of Western Europe to help him hold off the Turks at his gates. “Help us,” he said. “Prevent the heathens from taking [...]