Technical Spirituality at Work

Abstract

The authors assess the current state of workplace spirituality from the philosophical perspective of Jacques Ellul and show how the workplace spirituality movement has not escaped the infiltration and pervasiveness of technique. First, they describe Ellul's notion of technique. They then demonstrate how the workplace spirituality movement presently displays the hallmarks of technique in its quest for results and facts, in its use of experts, and in the broadening and hence dissolution of the notion of spirituality. The authors highlight several scholars who have raised concerns and critiques of the movement in its technical form. They suggest some possibilities for moving toward an authentic spirituality at work followed by some implications for undertaking scholarly research on workplace spirituality that explicitly recognizes technical dominance in spirituality. It is incumbent on those of us involved in workplace spirituality to resist its domination and find ways of fostering authenticity in spirituality at work.