Hope, Faith and Love: Engaging the Heart in the World of Business

Abstract

Modern management theory and practice have been dominated by mindsets, systems and processes stemming from a scientific view of the world and a mechanical view of the organization as a means of production to create profit. Heavily quantitative in nature, this view of the world creates a business environment that is not readily conducive to Christian perspectives. Attempts to create a ‘marketplace theology’ as the basis for Christian reflection and education about the business world have tended to focus on a narrow band of issues around the edges of business life, rather than the core ‘operating model’ that drives most corporate experience. This prevailing worldview is, however, based on a limited epistemology. It is generally quite effective in solving a particular class of ‘tame’ problems, with largely technical or logistical characteristics, but does not address the more complex ‘wicked’ problems that affect large human systems (organizations, communities and societies) (Rittel and Webber 1973). The most urgent concerns of many leadership teams are exactly these ‘wicked’ problems that arise in the course of guiding their organizations through inherently ambiguous situations, amid disruptive market forces, into an unpredictable future. Recognizing this important distinction opens up a whole new domain of relevance and opportunity to explore how Christian heart dispositions such as hope, faith and love could connect with the work and experience of business leaders and management teams. This article explores the relevance of a number of points of resonance between these important Biblical themes and mainstream business activities and makes some recommendations for how Christian educators could adapt their approach to move their focus from the edges to the core of business life.