Soul at Work: Reflections a Spirituality of Working

Over the past year, a number of books have explored the connections between work and spirituality. Here, Episcopal priest Smith-Moran combines the wisdom of the Bible and the insights of priest and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in a spiritual handbook designed to provide a path for integrating work and spirituality. Smith-Moran has developed a six-week retreat that focuses on such issues as the mission of work, vocation and calling and God's ability to transform the working life. In each chapter, she offers methods for folding the techniques of spiritual retreat into personal life and into business life. Smith-Moran's use of Teilhard's emphasis on Christ's infusion of all existence with divine presence enables her to demonstrate the degree to which the workplace is imbued with the spiritual. Each section opens with a quotation from Teilhard's writing and a reference to a particular biblical text, and the author provides probing questions to help guide reflection. Written in a crisp and lively style, Smith-Moran's book generates deep insights into the relationship between spirituality and work. (Feb.)