Abstract
As a teacher of business ethics at a Christian university, the title of A.J. Morris’ book caught my attention: Religion and Business; or, Spiritual Life in One of its Secular Departments. For me, the title suggested secular/sacred compartmentalization at its finest, reinforcing the erroneous notion that business is a secular pursuit that exists, in part, to fund the spiritual work of the Church. Originally published in the 19th century but recently reprinted, the book is based on a series of sermons Morris preached—not because he wanted to, but because, as Morris states, “scarcely anyone else” had addressed the topic. I’m glad he did. For a business ethicist who uses texts like Van Duzer’s Why Business Matters to God and Stevens’ Doing God’s Business, it is always interesting to hear a voice from the past wrestle with issues we continue to address today.
