Faith at Work: An Empirical Study

For many, work is the single largest time commitment in life. And for many, faith and church community are the most meaningful commitments in life. Understanding how people integrate these two facets of life is the core purpose of this research. Researchers from Rice University and Wheaton College are conducting a groundbreaking and comprehensive study with a broad-based general U.S. population survey on faith and work, as well as focus groups with representation from both professional and working-class participants, as well as between 180 and 200 in-depth, follow-up interviews. The study will provide the first broad baseline that could inform the public about the opportunities for and challenges associated with how individuals understand their faith to inform their work, and what congregations and their leaders might do to support the appropriation of faith to daily work among the laity. The project is led by Elaine Howard Ecklund (PI) and Denise Daniels (co-PI).