The Christian Idea of Work

Abstract:  Introduction In this brief document, I try to explore the question of the meaning of work in the light of the Christian faith, particularly in the modern circumstances of work. Work holds a key to the understanding of the modern world, as is evidentintechnologic al and scienti#c progress. It has often been forgotten, however, that it holds a key to the understanding of the human person, both in itself #what makes a human a person# and in the individual lives of millions of women and men. These re#ections are particularly addressed to you, a student at the distinctively Catholic University of Notre Dame. They are intended to present in a simple way, what the Catholic faith has to say about the question of the role of work in the development of persons and societies. Its sources are primarily Scriptures, the documents of the magisterium of the Church, and writings of contemporary spiritual writers. Finally, they present some spec