Theology
A Working Theology of Labor Justice, Dignity, and the Common Good Adam L. Gustine Moving beyond the typical focus on professional and creative classes in faith-and-work discussions, Adam Gustine brings the concerns of working-class laborers, hourly employees, and unpaid workers into the center of theological reflection. Drawing from Scripture and Christian ethics, this book reveals a God who is passionately pro-worker—a God who hears the cries of the marginalized and desires a world where every person’s skill and calling serve the good of all. Gustine challenges readers to see work not merely as an individual vocation but as a communal and structural reality tied to the pursuit of justice and the common good. His book provides a vital framework for courses in theology, ethics, business, and vocation. It will also appeal to anyone seeking to integrate faith, work, and justice in everyday life. “This book covers pressing issues related to human dignity in the marketplace and helps Christians think theologically about the meaning of work and the link between a right theology of labor and the pursuit of justice. Gustine gives us all much to consider.” —Esau McCaulley, Wheaton College “An approachable, loving, and theologically deep dive into the gos- pel perspective on work. It encourages us to see Christ in laborers whom the modern economy ignores and marginalizes. This book will convict you to see ‘all who labor’ the way God sees them.” —Meghan Sullivan, University of Notre Dame; founding director, Institute for Ethics and the Common Good “Evangelical workers once helped to power the rise of the labor movement—and precisely because the Bible told them to do so. A Working Theology of Labor makes the case that contemporary believers have much to learn from their example. Drawing not on party politics but on the very best of evangelical theology and bibli- cal study, Gustine underscores why Jesus followers should resist the siren call of upward mobility and instead rejoin the fight for economic justice. A timely and compelling read.” —Heath W. Carter, Princeton Theological Seminary “Evangelical discourse on work has been contradictory, empha- sizing the intrinsic dignity of work while also allowing exploitative labor conditions to persist. This leads many to leave the church because it seems as if evangelicals side with Pharaoh. Gustine traces the historical and theological origins of the contradiction, charts a faithful theological path forward, and restores evangelical Christian witness.” —Robert Chao Romero, UCLA Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies
OCTOBER 2026 • 208 pp. • $24.99p • 9781540969286
Adam L. Gustine (DMin, Missio Seminary) is director of the pro- gram in virtue ethics, education, and formation at the Notre Dame Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. He is the author of Becoming a Just Church: Cultivating Communities of God’s Shalom and the coauthor of Ecosystems of Jubilee: Economic Ethics for the Neighborhood.
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