Animal Laborans and Homo Faber: Reflections on a Theology of Work

ANIMAL LABORANS AND HOMO FABER: REFLECTIONS ON A THEOLOGY OF WORK T HE EXPRESSION, "the theology of work," is of rather recent vintage. According to the noted Dominican theologian, M. D. Chenu, it appeared for the first time at the beginning of the 1950's.1 Chenu suggests that the subject of human work was not a matter of concern for theologians until this time primarily because an awareness of the theological significance of work had not developed prior to the tremendous advance in industrial technology achieved during the last century of man's existence. These advances compelled theologians to recognize that work confronts man, "physically and spiritually, with a new reality, the conditions and structure of which profoundly affect not only his standard of living but also his whole way of life." 2 Later we shall see precisely why recent technological achievements have endowed human work with a " new reality " compelling theological attention ; our purpose here is merely to note that a theological investigation of the reality we call " work " is still in its infancy and that the literature on the topic is primarily in the form of essays and tentative explorations.3 1 M. D. Chenu, The Theology of Work. Translated by Lilian Soiron (Chicago: Regnery Logos Books, 1963). This book was originally published in 1955 under the title Pour une Theologie du Travail by Editions du Seuil, Paris. On p. 4 of the English translation Chenu says that " the expression itself may be said to be quite recent; for, although the phrase ' morality of work ' has been current since the nineteenth century, and ' mystique of work' for some twenty years, the term ' theology of work ' appeared for the first time only five or six years ago." This would place the use of the expression toward the end of the 1940's or the beginning of the 1950's- • Ibid., p. 6. 3 The lengthiest book on the subject in English is Edward Kaiser, Theology of Work (Westminster, Md.: Newman, 1963). This volume runs to 5~1 pages. 626 REFLECTIONS ON A THEOLOGY OF WORK 627 Before looking at the new character that " work " has acquired during the past century, however, it seems imperative to make some initial observations about work itself. Here the first thing to note is that the English language (and every European language for that matter) contains two distinct words relating to work that must be taken into account and given serious consideration. These are the words labo·r and work. Although the two words are frequently used synonymously or interchangeably, it is important to note their differences and the analogical character of the human reality they are used to designate. Etymologically the two words are quite distinct, and some of the theologians who have written about work-among them Chenu 4 and Kaiser 5-have drawn attenHowever Kaiser's work contains little that is directly applicable to the " theology of work '' in the sense intended by Chenu, Schoonenberg, and other writers on the subject. Kaiser's work is nevertheless a valuable study. The first five parts (pp. 1-244) deal with the background and history of work from pagan antiquity until the present. Part Six is concerned with theological perspectives, but it is primarily a discussion of the dignity and discipline of work, the values of human association and virtuous activity to which work can contribute. The seventh and eighth parts (pp. 817-467) are devoted to a discussion of the contemporary moral issues centering around such topics as the right to strike, the just wage, etc., and to a consideration of papal social teachings. Louis Savary, S. J., in Man: His World and His Work (New York: Paulist Press, 1967) provides us with a useful anthology on the subject of work. He includes representative passages from the writings of economists, sociologists, anthropologists, educators, philosophers, and theologians. The " theology of work " represented in this volume consists of two articles by Joseph Thomas, S. J. that originally appeared in Revue de l'action populaire in 1968 and an article by Savary himself. Thomas's articles sketch the general outlines of a "penitential," a "creationist" (or what others have called an "incarnational ") and an "eschatological...