Christian Formation at Work: Scripture, Science, Spiritual Experience, and Ethical Vocation in African Contexts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65655/ocp.ojbt.159Abstract
Workplace spirituality research increasingly recognizes religion as a source of identity and ethical motivation, yet generic constructs of spirituality leave unresolved how tradition-specific norms should govern contested spiritual experience. This article develops a Scripture-governed account of Christian formation for African workplaces through an integrative review, a bounded OpenAlex evidence map (142 records; 24 core records), biblical-theological analysis, and contextual ethical synthesis. It distinguishes theological normativity from fallible experience, cultural interpretation, and empirically tractable mechanisms. In dialogue with psychology, anthropology, organizational studies, labor data, and debates about methodological naturalism, the article argues that Christian formation should neither reduce spiritual claims to naturalistic explanations nor treat dreams, witchcraft attributions, prosperity, or suffering as self-authenticating revelation. The proposed Scripture-Governed Formation-at-Work model integrates four constraints: normative asymmetry, causal humility, ethical externality, and non-instrumentality. Together they order vocation toward truthful discernment, neighbor-love, worker dignity, justice, contentment, and Christlike faithfulness.
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