Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work

by Elaine Howard Ecklund, Denise Daniels

Elevate Your Every Day

In a world where workplaces are becoming increasingly diverse, Working for Better by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels offers a timely guide for Christians navigating the modern faith-at-work landscape. Drawing from over twenty years of research and personal insights, Working for Better presents a groundbreaking exploration of how to express Christian faith in professional settings without compromising beliefs or alienating others.

Through detailed studies involving focus groups, surveys of more than 15,000 workers, and interviews with over 300 individuals, Ecklund and Daniels identify five key tensions in the faith-at-work movement. With compelling stories and practical applications, Working for Better addresses the need for Christian workers and leaders to adapt to cultural shifts, offering guidance for a more redemptive presence at work. Each chapter concludes with thought-provoking questions for individual reflection or group discussion, making this book an essential resource for anyone seeking to integrate faith with their professional life. Whether you're a Christian worker, workplace leader, or pastor guiding others, Working for Better invites you to consider how to flourish in a rapidly changing world.

As workplaces continue to evolve, the ability to maintain one’s spiritual values while contributing positively to the organizational culture becomes ever more crucial. Working for Better not only equips readers with the wisdom and tools needed to face such challenges but also inspires them to become agents of change, promoting a more inclusive and harmonious work environment.

240 pages, Paperback

Published August 26, 2025

About the author

Elaine Howard Ecklund is the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology at Rice University, as well as founding director of the Religion and Public Life Program. Her current research addresses how individuals use race, gender, and religious identities to bring changes to religious and scientific institutions. She is the author of dozens of research articles and four books. She has received grants from the National Science Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, John Templeton Foundation, Templeton World Charity Foundation, and Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Her research has been cited thousands of times by local, national, and international media. In 2013, she received Rice University's Charles O. Duncan Award for Most Outstanding Academic Achievement and Teaching and in 2018 she will give the Gifford Lecture in Scotland. She has directed over 70 undergraduates in conducting research.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A paradigm-shifting approach for integrating faith and work. The chapters on Principled Pluralism and Rest transformed my thinking. I now consider not only how I can integrate my Christian faith and work, but how I can advocate for my co-workers’ non/religious expressions and rest/work rhythms.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

It would appear that the Lord used this book to seemingly subconsciously alter my perspectives of my own work while reading this book. Neat.

Really interesting & insight read & really well done, robust research! #girlpower

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: A data-driven approach to understanding the challenges of fostering faith at work identifying five key tensions.

Christians have been writing about faith in the marketplace for at least fifty years. Much of that writing has been informed both by theological convictions about the nature of work and workplace experience. Much of the latter is either testimonial or drawn from anecdotal evidence. Traditionally, much of this has focused on vocation, service, witness, and righteousness.

Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels are social scientists (at Rice University and Wheaton College, respectively). They have engaged in an extensive research project on faith at work. They surveyed 15,000 workers, interviewed 300 individuals, and worked with several focus groups. Out of this research they identified five tensions in the faith-at-work movement. In paired chapters, they discuss each tension, considering both traditional approaches and newer ways of engagement, based on their research. The five are:

Understanding of Work: While the focus has always been on all work being done in service to God, this is not always widely shared on the ground. They identify four dimensions of calling along axes of intrinsic-extrinsic and within the workplace-beyond the workplace.

Religious Discrimination and Accommodation: They trace the experience of both Christians and those of other faiths in this regard, noting where discrimination and lack of accommodation have occurred. At the same time, they recognize the opportunity for engagement in focusing on the protection of others and not only one’s own rights.

Focus on personal and systemic responsibility: Many Christians have focused, and rightly so, on personal ethics and discussed ways they faced challenges with immorality and ethical compromise. They also explore the opportunities for systemic engagement to address organizational change for ethical behavior for the common good.

Men and Women in the Workplace: They looked at different ways men and women express their faith and the different levels at which each reported unfair treatment in the workplace, including religious workplaces. They consider ways the church can support flourishing for both men and women as well as the support women may be given in terms of harassment and models and mentors.

Expressing Faith in the Workplace: They identify the many ways Christians express faith in the workplace. Given the growing presence of other faiths, they advocate a principled pluralism approach. This means respect for all while not muting the distinctiveness of any.

As the authors conclude, they discuss the practice of rest. What was surprising was the silence of their research results on the subject. They explore healthy rhythms of work and rest on a daily weekly, monthly and longer term basis. And they offer challenges for churches, workplace leaders and all workers.

Summing up, the things I liked the most about this book were its data-driven nature, listening to non-Christian voices, and the expansive vision they cast in each of the five tensions. They focus on moving beyond personal godliness and self-protection to constructive organizational engagement. They offer an attractive and compelling vision for the next season of faith at work.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Working for Better’ takes a very different approach than many faith-at-work books. Rather than offering quick tips, feel-good anecdotes, or a verse-by-verse guide to thriving as a Christian in the workplace, Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels present the results of two decades of research on faith in the U.S. workplace. The result is an academic, thoughtful, and data-driven exploration of what it means to connect faith and work in a meaningful way.

This is not a fast-paced, “10 Ways to Share Your Faith at Work” type of read. Instead, it’s aimed at readers who truly want to understand the broader patterns, challenges, and opportunities surrounding faith in professional life. The focus is not solely on evangelism or defending religious rights, but on seeing every person as made in the image of God, valuing what God values, and loving others well in any vocation.

The authors’ research spans a wide range of contexts—from blue-collar jobs to executive roles—and the tone remains open-minded and thought-provoking throughout. While it can feel a bit dry at times, the depth of the findings will be especially relevant for Christian business leaders, organizational decision-makers, and anyone curious about the intersection of sociology, theology, and workplace culture.

Special thanks to IVP Academic and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Michael Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Working For Better" is a great read for the follower of Jesus Christ interested in integrating faith in their job. Around 200 pages, the book addresses many good topics, including:

- 5 key tensions while integrating faith into the workplace.
- 4 ways for discerning workplace calling.
- Practical ways Christians can integrate faith with work calling.
- How Christians experience discrimination in the workplace (and yes, it does happen).
- While believers have the responsibility to look out for each other in the workplace (it's not just about you!).
- How the believer can practice individual responsibility at work (instead of just passing the buck).
- Preachers and other church leaders need to integrate work with the Bible more regularly (don't just focus on pious platitudes, show church members how the Bible is relevant at work).

The book is a great read, covers a very important topic (people spend much of their lives at work), easy to read and understand, includes a helpful index and many footnotes for further study, and is very relevant in today's workplace.

Highly recommended.

I was given a review copy by IVP in exchange for a fair review and appreciate the opportunity.

[Esmeralda Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for faith leaders, professionals, and any believer seeking to navigate the intersection of faith and work. Ecklund and Daniels use data they gathered in the largest study of its kind to offer a data-driven, hopeful, wise, and timely roadmap for living out our faith in the workplace through a “radical embrace” of difference in a pluralistic society.

The accessible language and reflection questions at the end of each chapter challenge us to think deeply about what it means to live out our faith in diverse workspaces and serves as a practical guide for faith leaders and professionals alike.

[Mira Kadapurath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be a really eye-opening exploration of how religion shows up in the workplace, often in ways we don’t consciously recognize. I especially appreciated how it challenges our assumptions about who faces bias and reminds us that true diversity efforts should include religious pluralism alongside gender and race. The real-world examples make the ideas come alive, and it left me with a lot to think about

[William Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working for Better is an amazing book that provides a groundbreaking, data-driven framework for Christians to live out their faith in a diverse workplace without alienating others. For those who want to be agents of positive change and promote a more inclusive and harmonious work environment, it's a great read.

[Mia Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a leader it’s important to consider how your identity impacts your point of view. This book offered opportunities to reflect on how religion has impacted the way I view work. This book does a great job of highlighting the way we sometimes conflate and compartmentalize our faith and work. I truly enjoyed reading it and I know it will be a text I return to review and reflect.