Welcome to the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics (IFWE) Blog – a discussion space for a variety of voices on the topics of faith, work, and economics.
We’ve chosen to call our blog “Creativity. Purpose. Freedom.” These are three words that convey who we are as an organization and what we want to accomplish. They are concepts that excite us. They serve as our three core pillars under which all of our research on the integration of faith, work, and economics is pursued.
Creativity
We believe that each person is created in God’s image and, like Him, has a desire to be creative and fulfilled using their God-given talents through work.
I don’t know about you, but I used to think of creativity as something that Rembrandt, Bono, and Scorsese alone have. Not true. Every one of us is wired by our Creator with creativity and can find great satisfaction in utilizing it – whether we are an artist, a dentist, or an assembly-line worker.
Dr. Glenn Sunshine writes in The Christian Worldview Journal:
In every area of life, at our home, in our work, and in our recreation, creativity plays a major role. The reason is simple: part of our nature as image bearers of God the Creator is to be sub-creators, and so to carry out our original mandate which God gave us in the Garden, to create culture as a function of our stewardship of the world.
The truth about our creative design will play a key role in our understanding both of our own vocational calling and our view of economics.
Purpose
As we explore a comprehensive Biblical view of work, we will see that our work – whether paid or volunteer – matters to God and is an integral part of His purpose in this world. For many of us, this is a paradigm shift in how we view work.
When I was a business guy working in the IT industry, I wrestled with how to make sense of my faith and my work. Did my work have any value to God?
That question launched me on a seven year journey to figure it out. I wound up leaving the business world to head up Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. and to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Theology. The end result was How Then Should We Work?, a book on faith and work released in the spring of 2012.
I’m eager to share with you my journey and pursue some of the same questions together through our research here at IFWE. What I found was that God’s call to Christians is to pursue excellence throughout the week – not just on Sundays – stewarding all that we’ve been given for the good of others and God’s glory.
Freedom
Our three pillars are interdependent. Without the pillar of “freedom,” the other two pillars of “creativity” and “purpose” will suffer. As we rediscover the Biblical doctrine of work, we will begin to cherish an economic environment that not only provides us the freedom to flourish in our work but also reflects the dignity of our creative design.
Approaching economics through the lens of faith and work is what makes our organization unique and is what we believe will help individuals understand economics on a personal level in a new and practical way.
Join the conversation today! Sign up to receive daily updates from the blog, and engage with us as together we work to advance creativity, purpose, and freedom.
About Hugh Whelchel
Hugh Whelchel is Executive Director of the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics and author of "How Then Should We Work?: Rediscovering the Biblical Doctrine of Work." Hugh has a Master of Arts in Religion and brings over 30 years of diverse business experience to his leadership at IFWE. Read More...
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