Marketplace

Can business be good? Or even godly? Alexander Hill think so and advocates Christians to have just businesses.

Hill starts the book by discussing crucial topics of his book. Within it, he talks about holiness, justice and law. Hill akin these to a 3-legged stool, all 3 are important to have a christian ethics for business. If one lack of them, there is a possibility that we will have a skewed ethics for business.

Next, he talks about the law, morality and agency. I especially appreciated how Hill talks about what agency is. He informs readers that we are responsible towards the actions we take in the workspace. And this certainly is deeply related to how we hold ourselves at work and how we related to others.

Next, Hill talks about the various topics one will face at a marketplace. I enjoyed how Hill uses many case studies to illustrate the difficulty and complexity of how christians can live out their christian ethics at work. Although Hill does not give us model answers to follow, his discussions on the topic is always enlightening and seeks to explore all aspect of the subject. For someone still very new in the marketplace, I have found this book useful for my own growth in this area. Business owners will find this book especially helpful as Hill also help employers think through some ethical issues within their companies.

Far too often, books target the employees but not the employers. This book helps readers see things from both perspectives. He helps employers see what kinds of ethical dilemmas their employees deal with in their workplace. But also helps employees understand the responsibility and burden the employers have when making ethical decisions.

If you are a pastor who have not worked in the marketplace. This will be a helpful book for you to understand the situations your congregation faces everyday. You’ll begin to understand the complexity and nuances that each situation have. This will help you see that there may not be clear answers in every situation, but we many a times we are called to wrestle through these situations prayerfully.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

If you are interested, you can get it here and here (free international shipping), kindle.

Are you a christians who is currently NOT serving in a full-time ministry, and probably DO NOT feel called to serve in a full-time ministry? Congratulations! You ARE the majority of the christians in church. Far too often, churches do shepherd christian who are serving well in the marketplace. This has to be a failure of the church.

This is a book that seeks to minister to the majority who are serving full-time in the marketplace. As a christian who has started work a year ago, I am thankful that Robert E. Fraser has given much thought to this area. Too often those who excel or enjoy being in the marketplace feel so neglected within their church. But Fraser wants to help them serve God within the market place.

Fraser points out many relevant points that full-time pastors ought to take note.
For example “Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m so passionate for Jesus, I just have to go into business”? Why don’t we hear that? Because, without ever saying so, most Christians believe

that a marketplace vocation and passion for Jesus are mutually exclusive”

Too often, if pastors are not careful this impression sticks with the congregation: “The message is that marketplace activities are devoid of spiritual purpose. Christians can best express their love for Jesus, they are told, by coming to church meetings, volunteering with the youth, teaching Sunday school, ushering, greeting and so on.”

However, Fraser also highlights the danger of being suck into the rut of the marketplace. He calls christians to be careful to seek what is eternal and not what is temporal:
“Imagine that the U.S. government announced that at the end of the month green dollars would be worthless, and new red dollars would be our currency. We would be fools to keep green dollars. In the same way, God gives us the opportunity to trade the worthless for the eternal.”

There can be no doubt that is book is written especially for those who are working in the marketplace. Pastors would also be wise to consult this book, especially those who have not had any experience working in the marketplace. This will help you grow in your empathy for your congregation and also to be careful in the way you minister to them.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

If you are interested, you can get this book here and here (free international shipping).

Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review