Ergasia

In this episode of Ergasia, we conclude our exploration of the book Hard Work Never Killed Anybody: How The Idolisation of Work Sustains This Deadly Lie by John Bottomley by going back to the beginning and exploring the origins of Bottomley's ministry to the world of work. How did Bottomley come to understand the gulf that exists between our beliefs and expectations about work and the sometimes brutal reality? How did this understanding lead him into an awareness of the gap between the Church's theological tradition concerning work and the practice it articulated through its congregation-centric polity? What is Bottomley's understanding of God's call to the Church with respect to its minstry to and within the world of work?   References Bottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anybody: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

When our eyes are opened to the ways in which the idol of hard work disguises its complicity in the deaths of people sacrificed to its demands; and when we see the impact which being forgotten or victimised by the systems which are supposed to protect vulnerable workers or support their bereaved families - how do we make God's governance real in the world of human suffering? What does hope look like in such circumstances? What are the issues facing the Church if it wishes to rise to the challenges posed by modernity's construction of work and economy?   References   Bottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.  

In this episode of Ergasia, we conclude our two-part examination of the ways in which the experience of those who have been harmed by modernity's construction of work and economy can be integrated with the Scriptural witness of God's love for humanity and call to the Church to engage in a ministry of prophetic solidarity with suffering humanity. How does the idolatry of hard work deflect attention away from the harm it causes by misleading its own victims into finding someone else to blame? How does the biblical account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead critique our own culturally ingrained fear of death, thereby encouraging us to persist in our false belief in the centrality of hard work in human life? How is the Church called to repent of its own participation in the idolatry of hard work and the living death it imposes on humanity? References Bottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

If the prophetic imagination is evoked by the process of deep listening, how can the wisdom gained by this listening result in the integration of the experience of work-related suffering with the witness of Scripture? How does Scripture continue to speak into modernity's construction of work and economy, and the false promises of the ideology of hard work? How does this process of integration challenge the Church to reflect upon its own identity as an employer, and its own co-option by the division of human life into the spheres of public and private>   References Bottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

After a long delay, Ergasia is back - and in this episode, we continue our exploration of the book Hard Work Never Killed AnyBody: How The Idolisation of Work Sustains This Deadly Lie, by John Bottomley, published by Morning Star Publishing in 2015. In particular we will begin the examination of how work and life can be renewed through the prophetic imagination, beginning with the need for deep listening to the pain of both the victims and the perpetrators of injustice   References Bottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anybody: How The Idolisation Of Work Sustains This Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

How is the silencing of the justice claims of those harmed by modernity's construction of work and economy linked to a widespread culture of forgetting injustice? How is this culture linked to the injustice perpetrated by colonial society against indigenous Australians? How is the church complicit in injustice through its own captivity to the assumptions of modernity, and the forgetting of injustice in its own history? How can worship and the prophetic imagination it articulates become a ground for resistance to the idolatry of hard work? References Bottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anybody: How The Idolisation Of Work Sustains This Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

In today's episode of Ergasia, we look at the economic factors operating within work-related trauma, injury, and death. Who bears the economic cost when workers are injured or killed at work? How does the adversarial legal system within which workers' compensation systems are enmeshed affect grieving families? What are the broader human longings that might be better served by the process of restorative justice? What are the ideological purposes which the idolatry of work serves with respect to the economic factors of work-related harm?References Bottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How The Idolisation Of Work Sustains This Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

In today’s episode, we will look at the underlying principles that often govern the church’s approach to pastoral care, and how the often congregation-centric assumptions underlying these principles blind the church to it's calling to both the ministry of God's governance in the world of work, and the care of those harmed by work-related grief. References Bottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

In this episode of Ergasia, we continue the exploration of the book Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie by John Bottomley, published by Morning Star Publishing in 2015. How do modernity's beliefs about work silence the victims of work related harm? How does modernity's understanding of and response to trauma pathologize the victims of injustice and label them as "sick"? How does the self-helpism of traditional support groups lead to the victims of work related harm being co-opted by the very idolatry by which they have been victimised? How does the companioning model of grief support break this cycle and enable "wounded healers" to bring a new freedom to both the bereaved and their carers? References Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

In this episode of Ergasia, we continue the exploration of the book Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie by John Bottomley, published by Morning Star Publishing in 2015. What is the starting point of any prophetic ministry? How does our experience of injustice open us to the need to listen to the suffering of others? What role does God's judgement and redemptive grace play in this process?ReferencesBottomley, John  Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

In this episode of Ergasia, we continue the exploration of the book  Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie by John Bottomley, published by Morning Star Publishing in 2015.What is the true relationship between work and humanity? What are the hidden truths disclosed by the silence cast by the ideology of work on the suffering and injustice manifest in work-related harm? How has the ideology of work become idolatrous? These are the questions we will explore as we continue our exploration of this text and its examination of modernity's construction of work and economy. References Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

In this episode of Ergasia, we begin an exploration of the book Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie, by John Bottomley, published by Morning Star Publishing in 2015. What are the beliefs that underpin modernity's construction of work and economy? How did these beliefs come into being? What is the role of ideology in this process? How are modernity's beliefs about work and what constitutes the legitimate spheres for the expression of human emotion sustained? These are the questions we explore as we start this new series. References Bottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anyone: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015.

In this episode of Ergasia Special, your host, Brendan Byrne, sets out his vision for the podcast as he continues to explore the intersection of faith and work. What are the essential elements which a theology of work must contain in order to be properly Christian? What are the traps and pitfalls it must avoid? What, afterall, is the point and purpose of this podcast and the issues it explores? References Bloomquist, Karen L The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990. Byrne, Brendan E., "Work and Faith: the prophetic imperative. A response to Graham Hooper". Engage.Mail, Ethos Centre for Christianity and Society, located at http://www.ethos.org.au/online-resources/Engage-Mail/work-and-faith-the-prophetic-imperative  

In this episode of Ergasia, we conclude our exploration of the book The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class by Lutheran scholar Karen L Bloomquist. Having taken us through the dilemma faced by the working class under the oppressive reign of neoliberalism, and having likewise identified both the sin lying at the heart of that oppression as well as the Church's contribution to the betrayal of working class hopes, Bloomquist issues a call to the Church to become a community of resistance that enables the structural injustices of corporatist capitalism to be identified, challenged, and transformed. References Bloomquist, Karen L., The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class. Minneapolis; Fortress Press, 1990 

In this episode of Ergasia we continue our exploration of the book The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class by Lutheran scholar Karen L Bloomquist. In this episode, Bloomquist considers the question of how the Church can proclaim the Gospel of God's redemption in way that takes into account the reality of working class oppression, and which empowers the working class to resist the structures of domination and injustice by which their lives are controlled. References The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.

In this episode of Ergasia, we continue our exploration of the book The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class by Karen L Bloomquist, published by Fortress Press. Bloomquist asks: what are the ways in which sin manifests itself in the structures of dominance and control that enslave working class life? How are these structures upheld by our conceptions of what sin is? And what is the relevance of the Gospel proclamation of grace, both to the realities of working class life and as a mechanism for liberation? References Bloomquist, Karen L The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.

In this episode of Ergasia Special, your host Brendan Byrne concludes his conversation with trade unionist Chris Hughes. Together, they explore how the privatisation of faith and the withdrawal of the church from the world of work might be reversed in order to both articulate the Good News of the Gospel and discern what an alternate future to the status quo might look like.

In this second installment of Ergasia Special Episode No.2, the host of Ergasia, Brendan Byrne, continues his conversation with Australian trade unionist Chris Hughes. How does the relationship between religious faith and organised labour operate? Where are its synergies and frictions? And what is the future for both unionism and the church in an ever-changing world?

In this Ergasia Special episode, your host, Brendan Byrne, speaks with an Australian trade unionist from a Quaker background about faith, work, and how being a Christian and a labour activist do - and sometimes don't - go together. 

In this epsode of Ergasia, we continue our exploration of the book The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class by Karen L Bloomquist (Fortress Press, 1990). What are the theological perspectives that have attempted to address the realities of modernity and the dilemma of the working class? Is it even possible for theology to successfuly undertake this project? What are the counterveiling declarations about human life which are made by the idolatrous ideology of modernity? References Bloomquist, Karen L The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.

In this week's episode: the difficulty of accessing parental leave; artists asked to work for free; the "lost" generation of those born after 1973; the push to criminalise "wage theft"; and the fallout from the Financial Services Royal Commission. What are the theological implications of these realities -how do they speak of our understanding of justice, and of the distortions of "partiality".References Lufkin, Bryan "Dealing With Clients Who Expect You To Work For Free", located at http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180411-dealing-with-clients-who-expect-you-to-work-for-free Hoffman,  Michael "Japan faces up to the prospect of losing a middle class war", located at https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/04/14/national/media-national/japan-faces-prospect-losing-middle-class-war/#.WtQKOkxuJfw McCrostie, James "Court cases shine a light on Japan's problem with paternity leave" located at https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2018/01/28/issues/court-cases-shine-light-japans-problem-paternity-leave/#.WtQM3UxuJfw Schneiders, Ben and Millar, Royce "Push to jail employers for up to 10 years for 'wage theft'", located at https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/push-to-jail-employers-for-up-to-10-years-for-wage-theft-20180407-p4z8ap.html Author Unknown "Banking royal commission revelations 'worse than I thought', says former ACCC boss" located at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-20/banking-royal-commission-allan-fells-accc-reaction/9679182 Carey, Alexis "Financial Services Royal Commission begins public hearings" located at http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/banking/financial-services-royal-commission-begins-public-hearings/news-story/070535cef877ff7c27cc82faf3dc3350 Yaxley, Louise "Malcolm Turnbull conceeds banking royal commission should have been called sooner", located at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-23/banks-royal-commission-shouldve-been-called-sooner-turnbull-says/9686596

In this epsode of Ergasia, we continue our exploration of the book The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class by Karen L Bloomquist (Fortress Press). What are the ways in which the Church deepens the wounds of classism as they are inflicted by the failed dream of neoliberalism? What does the "religion" of the working class look like, and to what hopes and griefs does it give voice? How does the idol of neoliberalism continue its hold over the working class despite their experience of its frustrations and failures? References Bloomquist, Karen L The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.

In this edition of Ergasia Digest, we examine ongoing moves in the US to destroy the ability of labour unions to collectively bargain, the consequences of so-called "crypto-colonialism", the state of Australian workplace culture, and what happens when unions and governments support workplace agreements that have potentially negative human rights implications. Through it all, we'll pose the question: whose interest is being served - the network of human digniy Christianity understands as covenantal relationship, or the dehumanising powers of political and institutional prerogative? References Irvine, Jessica, "'Shocking' levels of sexual harassment at work, study reveals", located at https://www.theage.com.au/business/careers/shocking-levels-of-sexual-harassment-at-work-study-reveals-20180305-p4z2wn.html Yarovaya, Larisa and Lucey, Brian "Should Bitcoin be used to help countries hit by disaster?" located at http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180305-should-bitcoin-be-used-to-help-countries-hit-by-disaster McNicholas, Celine; Mokhiber, Zane; and von Wilpert, Marni "Janus and fair share fees: The organizations financing the attack on unions’ ability to represent workers" located at http://www.epi.org/publication/janus-and-fair-share-fees-the-organizations-financing-the-attack-on-unions-ability-to-represent-workers/ Hinchliffe, Joe "Victorian government calls for biggest minimum wage boost since 2010" located at https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victorian-government-calls-for-biggest-minimum-wage-boost-since-2010-20180311-p4z3ui.html McKenzie, Nick; Tomazin, Farrah; and Baker, Richard "The report the firefighters' union did not want you to see", located at https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/the-report-the-firefighters-union-did-not-want-you-to-see-20180305-p4z2xy.html Olekains, Mara "How to ask for a pay rise" located at https://theconversation.com/how-to-ask-for-a-pay-rise-797560

In this second part of the first ever Ergasia Special Episode, your host Brendan Byrne continues his review of the Work As Worship Retreat and concludes with his thoughts on the event as a whole - including the urgent message for the so-called "mainstream church" implicit in this event.

Announcing the first ever Ergasia Special Episode! A new initiative of the Ergasia podcast, bringing you ocassional interviews, events, and other matters relevant to the interconnection between faith and work that are not covered in either Ergasia or Ergasia Digest. For this first ever Ergasia Special Episode, your host Brendan Byrne details his recent participation in the Work As Worship retreat, which brought together speakers from the world of church and business.

Welcome to Ergasia Digest #5. In this episode, we examine the effect of the Trump administration's corporate tax cuts, reveal the potential impact of proposed labour reforms in Japan, and note the ongoing efforts by governments in the Asia-Pacific region to revive the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And through it all, ask the question: what do Christ's teachings call Christians to do in response to these developments? References Author Unknown, "Abe apologizes again after 117 flaws found in labor study", located at http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201802230046.html Author Unknown, "Billionaire reports record quarterly and annual profit for Berkshire Hathaway, in large part due to Congress’s tax code changes", located at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/24/warren-buffett-says-republican-tax-cut-delivered-29bn-to-his-company Wearden, Graeme and Elliott, Larry "Reforms may threaten recovery and lead to bigger US budget deficit, says Christine Lagarde", located at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/26/imf-chief-warns-trumps-tax-cuts-could-destabilise-global-economy Author Unknown, "Revised TPP faces obstacles on road to ratification", located at https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Revised-TPP-faces-obstacles-on-road-to-ratification Author Unknown, "Vatican magazine denounces nuns’ servitude", located at http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004278870 Author Unknown, "Abe to remove controversial plan", located at http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004275653 Author Unknown, "Japanese reporter died after 159 hours of overtime", located at https://tribune.com.pk/story/1524391/japanese-reporter-died-159-hours-overtime/  

Welcome to Ergasia Digest #4, the first roundup of news from the world of work, faith, theology, and economics for 2018. This week: what does a theology of work say about ideological blindness, and the responsibility of Christians when confronted by political and social policies that impact on the poor and the powerless in favour of the wealthy and the powerful. References Jones, Janelle and Zipperer, Ben "Unfulfilled promises: Amazon fulfillment centers do not generate broad-based employment growth", located at http://www.epi.org/publication/unfulfilled-promises-amazon-warehouses-do-not-generate-broad-based-employment-growth/ Hultgreen, Anna Kristina "What Call Centres Can Tell Us About Sexism", located at http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180208-the-female-ghetto-of-workplaces Eslake, Saul "Is Faster Profit Growth Essential For A Pick Up In Wages Growth?", located at https://theconversation.com/is-faster-profit-growth-essential-for-a-pick-up-in-wages-growth-83819 Butler, Sarah "Apocalypse Now For Britain's Retailers As Low Wages and the Web Cause Ruin", located at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/17/uk-retail-industry--gloom-high-street-shift-consumers Blair, Hunter "The Trump administration’s infrastructure plan remains empty talk and will be paid for by cuts to programs that help working people", located at http://www.epi.org/blog/the-trump-administrations-infrastructure-plan-remains-empty-talk-and-will-be-paid-for-by-cuts-to-programs-that-help-working-people/  

In this episode of Ergasia, we begin an examination of the relationship between the Church and the working class through the book The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class by the Lutheran pastor and theologian, Karen L Bloomquist. Bloomquist begins by identifying the central dilemma of the working class in modernity: their betrayal by the neoliberal dream of upward social and economic mobility in return for a lifetime of hard work. But she also begins setting the scene for how the Church often fails to respond to the reality of that dilemma; and how it can develop a theology of incarnational ministry that propetically challenges the prevailing order, instead of merely helping individuals in distress. References Bloomquist, Karen L., The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.

Welcome to Ergasia Digest #3, a roundup of the news from the world of faith, work, economics and theology. This week: what happens when corporations and unions, or corporations and governments, conspire to promote their own self-interest instead of the interest of the wider community; and how does adherence to economic ideology and political expediency impact the poorest and most vulnerable workers in the community?References Schneiders, Ben and Millar, Royce “Secret Woolworths deal with Shoppies union cuts wages”. Located at http://www.theage.com.au/national/investigations/secret-woolworths-deal-with-shoppies-union-cuts-wages-20171216-h05t1p.html Pegg, David “Paradise Papers prompt criminal complaint against Glencore”. Located at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/21/paradise-papers-prompt-criminal-complaint-against-glencore Shierholz, Heidi; Cooper, David; and Wolfe, Julia “Employers would pocket $5.8 billion of workers’ tips under Trump administration’s proposed ‘tip stealing’ rule”. Located at http://www.epi.org/publication/employers-would-pocket-workers-tips-under-trump-administrations-proposed-tip-stealing-rule/ Jones, Janelle “18 states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, benefitting 4.5 million workers” http://www.epi.org/publication/18-states-will-increase-their-minimum-wages-on-january-1-benefitting-4-5-million-workers/ Author Unknown, “Loss of EU trade benefits could cost Cambodia $700m annually” Located at https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Loss-of-EU-trade-benefits-could-cost-Cambodia-700m-annually

Welcome to Ergasia Digest #2, a roundup of the news from the world of faith, work, economics and theology. This week: the initial impacts of cutting penalty rates on employment opportunity and economic activity; the correlation (if any) between employment vacancies, employment rates, and wages growth; and productivity, human health, and hours of work.References   Bagshaw, Erik “Penalty rate cut fails to stimulate jobs, survey shows”. Located at http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/penalty-rate-cut-fails-to-stimulate-jobs-survey-shows-20171213-h04csj.html Elliott, Larry “Fall in employment rate spells end of UK jobs boom”. Locate at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/13/fall-in-employment-rate-spells-end-of-uk-jobs-boom Ferguson, Adele and Danckert, Sarah “'Don't speak out': franchise giant RFG warns against complaining publicly”. Located at http://www.theage.com.au/business/retail/dont-speak-out-franchise-giant-rfg-warns-against-complaining-publicly-20171209-h01y1i.html Hutchens, Gareth “Penalty rate cuts followed by weakest consumer spending since 2008”. Located at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/12/penalty-rate-cuts-followed-by-weakest-consumer-spending-since-2008 Ruggeri, Amanda “The compelling case for working a lot less”. Located at http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20171204-the-compelling-case-for-working-a-lot-less

Welcome to Ergasia Digest #1 - a weekly round-up of news from the world of faith, work, theology, and economics. This is a new initiative of the Ergasia podcast, bringing real news stories into contact with theological reflection, posing questions from the perspective of a Christian theology of work.   References Martin, Peter  "Big firms including News Corp, Exxon and Chevron paid no tax in 2016, Tax Office says". Located at http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/big-firms-including-news-corp-exxon-and-chevron-paid-no-tax-in-2016-tax-office-says-20171208-h01kxq.html  Kaine, Sarah and Josserand, Emmanuel "Amazon's track record may signal a change in Australian industrial relations". Located at https://theconversation.com/amazons-track-record-may-signal-a-change-in-australian-industrial-relations-88146  Partington, Richard "Gig economy workers in UK risk missing out on £22,000 of pension." Located at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/07/gig-economy-workers-uk-missing-out-22200-status-workplace-pension Butler, Sarah "Sports Direct and its staffing agencies paid workers £1m too little". Located at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/08/sports-direct-and-its-staffing-agencies-paid-workers-1m-too-little Kawase, Tomoshizu "Japan's taxman tightens scrutiny on wealthy". Located at https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Japan-s-taxman-tightens-scrutiny-on-wealthy  

In this episode of Ergasia, we conclude our exploration of Dead Man Working by Carl Cederstrom and Peter Fleming (Zero Books, 2012). Does Cederstrom and Fleming's idea of the child as the helpless but ultimate subversive of the zombie apocalypse of post-industrial capitalism have merit? What is the response of a Christian theology of work to this idea? What do either suggest about how humanity can liberate its essence - and the essence of human work - from the clutches of an oppressive and controlling paradigm?References Cederstrom, Carl and Fleming, Peter Dead Man Working. Alresford: Zero Books, 2012.  

In this episode, the host of Ergasia, Brendan Byrne, offers a theological reflection on the book Dead Man Working by Carl Cederstrom and Peter Fleming (Zero Books, 2012).  In particular, he focuses on Cederstrom and Fleming's characterisation of the world of post-industrial work as a "land of the living dead", one in which human life has been appropriated in the interests of an oppressive and self-sustaining system; and views their analysis through the lens of the Christian understanding of work's role and meaning in human life, and Jesus' own critique of secular and religious powers that exist absent the human need they are meant to serve. References Cederstrom, Carl and Fleming, Peter Dead Man Working. Alresford: Zero Books, 2012Sedlacek, Tomas The Economics of Good and Evil: The Quest for Economic Meaning from Gilgamesh to Wall Street. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2011 Quiggan, John Zombie Economics: How Dead Ideas Still Walk Among Us. Revised Updated Edition. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2012

In this episode, we conclude our exploration of the book Dead Man Working by Carl Cederstrom and Peter Fleming (Zero Books, 2012) with an examination of the ways and means that people use to escape the life-consuming tyranny of corporatised labour - strategies that range from the absurd to the futile to the tragic.CONTENT ADVISORY/WARNING: This episode includes a discussion of death - specifically suicide - as a response to the traumas of work.  If listening to this discussion will cause problematic thoughts and feelings, please either skip that part of this episode, or skip this episode altogether. Australian listeners requiring support should contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. International listeners should contact a qualified medical practitioner or counselling service in their area. References Cederstrom, Carl and Fleming, Peter Dead Man Working. Alresford: Zero Books, 2012  

In this episode, we continue our exploration of some of the secular critiques of corporatised work as articulated in the book Dead Man Working by Carl Cederstrom and Peter Fleming. In particular, we examine the emergence of "emotional labour" and the phenomenon of the "girlfriend effect" to which it has given rise: the phoney reality of work-as-life that consumes the whole of our humanity, creating a fake identity which we can no longer distinguish from who we really are. References Cederstrom, Carl and Fleming, Peter, Dead Man Working. Alresford; Zero Books, 2012. 

In this episode, we begin a new series exploring some contemporary critiques of work based on the book Dead Man Working by Carl Cederstrom and Peter Fleming. Cederstrom and Fleming describe the world of corporatised work as the "land of the living dead" in which the motifs and symbols of resistance to work - as well as biopower, the key characteristic of our humanity - have been co-opted by corporatism to trap humans in an endless regime of pointless and unfulfilling labour.ReferencesCederstrom, Carl, and Fleming, Peter, Dead Man Working.  Alresford; Zero Books, 2012. 

In this episode, we conclude our investigation of the question What Is Work? by reviewing the theologians whose work we've been examining in the last three episodes, by drawing some conclusions of our own, and proposing what a Christian definition of work might look like.

In this episode, we continue our exploration of the question What Is Work? by examing the argument for the "threefold nature of work" set out by the theologian Darrell Cosden in his book A Theology of Work. What does Cosden's conception of the "ontological character" of work tell us about work itself, and how does it relate to the views of work articulated by Volf and Jensen? References Cosden, Darrell A Theology of Work: Work and the New Creation. Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2004.

In this episode, we continue our exploration of the question What Is Work? by examining the concept of work as "obligation", as proposed by the theologian David H Jensen in his book Responsive Labor. We unpack Jensen's conception of obligation, examine its similarities and departures from Volf's understanding of work as instrumental activity, and analyse whether it progresses our understanding of work's nature and place in human life. References Jensen, David H Responsive Labour: A Theology of Work. Louisville & London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006

In this episode, we continue our exploration of the question What Is Work? by examining the definition of work articulated by the theologian Miroslav Volf in his book Work In The Spirit. We'll examine the characteristics which Volf assigns to work, and debate the extent to which Volf' definition does - or does not - further our understanding of what work is.   References Volf, Miroslav Work In The Spirit: Toward a Theology of Work. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001 

In this episode, we begin our exploration of the question What is Work? Along the way, we'll discover it's not as straight-forward a question as we might imagine, and that many caveats and complexities make finding an answer a tricky business indeed!ReferencesBottomley, John Hard Work Never Killed Anybody: How the Idolisation of Work Sustains this Deadly Lie. Northcote: Morning Star Publishing, 2015. Cosden, Darrell A Theology of Work: Work and the New Creation. Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2004. Fleming, Peter Resisting Work: The Corporatization of Life and its Discontents. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2015. Hannam, James God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science. Duxford: Icon Books Ltd, 2010. Jensen, David H. Responsive Labor: A Theology of Work. Louisville & London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006 Volf, Miroslav Work In The Spirit: Toward a Theology of Work. Eugene: Wif and Stock Publisher, 2001

In this episode we will explore the necessity for the Church to develop a systematic theology of work, using as our lens an encounter between Jesus and a crippled woman as told in The Gospel According to Luke.   References Bloomquist, Karen L. The Dream Betrayed: Religious Challenge of the Working Class. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1990. Dunlop, Tim Why The Future Is Workless. Sydney: NewSouth Publishing, 2016. Volf, Miroslav Work In The Spirit: Toward A Theology of Work. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001.

In this introductory episode, we learn the meaning of Ergasia, unpack some of the basic motivations behind this podcast, and sketch an outline of future episodes.