Baptizing Business: Evangelical Executives and the Sacred Pursuit of Profit

by Bradley C. Smith

Overview

Baptizing Business sifts through popular perceptions regarding the relationship between business and religion and the agenda of conservative Christian business leaders, drawing on personal interviews with the most diverse group of evangelical executives yet studied. While stereotypes and previous research both emphasize the perceived incompatibility of religious mandates and business objectives, Bradley C. Smith argues that evangelical executives experience tension not because business and religion are inherently opposed, but because they are made to feel like second-class citizens by members of their own faith communities. Indeed, in cases of apparent conflict between faith and business, evangelical executives insist that it is faith, not business, that must be reconceived. Smith reveals that evangelical business leaders are as inclined to export business concepts into other domains as to import religious objectives into business contexts, prompting us to reconsider the direction of influence between religious and economic life. Baptizing Business is filled with compelling stories that paint a nuanced, unbiased picture of the increasing influence of intensely religious business leaders. The "spirit of capitalism," defined by Max Weber as a positive attitude toward work and wealth, finds ongoing embrace and new expression in evangelical executives and their accounts, with implications for our understanding of the faith at work movement, evangelicalism, and the role of religion among elites.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190055790
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/27/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Bradley C. Smith is a multi-disciplinary executive with Wall Street and corporate experience and expertise in finance, strategy, and investor relations. A Princeton-trained sociologist with a master's degree in theology, Smith's academic and professional background affords an ideal vantage point from which to investigate the intersection of business and religion.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction: In Search of the Christian Mafia Chapter 1: Rethinking the Conflict Narrative Chapter 2: A Place for Saints Chapter 3: Affirmative Religion Chapter 4: Success to Significance Chapter 5: Islands of Influence Chapter 6: Into the Headwind Conclusion: Baptizing Business Appendix References

Editorial Reviews

"This is a book everyone should read. So many today mistakenly assume that politics is the primary realm of evangelical activity, but the marketplace is where evangelicals dedicate more time and energy. Smith's scholarly account represents a fresh perspective on the nexus of Christianity and commerce and a significant contribution to our understanding of the contemporary evangelicalism, while also offering helpful insights for those who want the faith and work movement to advance in the days ahead." — D. Michael Lindsay , author of Faith in the Halls of Power

"Whether you are an academic who at some point has read Max Weber's treatise on Protestantism and capitalism or are a non-academic interested in evangelicals and the '1 percent,' this book is a must read. Baptizing Business is filled with rich insights drawn from the author's impressive research and provides a compelling argument about the contemporary connections of faith and business." — Robert Wuthnow, Professor of Sociology, Princeton University

"Baptizing Business is a nuanced, well-written deep dive into the lives of evangelical Christian business leaders; this is a book that should be read by social scientists who study religion, business leaders, and anyone who cares about faith in the workplace. Smith turns much of the existing practitioner and scholarly literature on faith in the workplace on its head." — Elaine Howard Ecklund, co-author of Secularity and Science: What Scientists around the World Really Think about Religion(OUP, 2019)

From the Publisher