Center on Religion & the Professions

Improving religious literacy among professionals.

Overview: Books

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  • Religion and the Workplace: Pluralism, Spirituality, Leadership by Douglas A. Hicks (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2003).
  • An Educator’s Classroom Guide to America’s Religious Beliefs and Practices by Benjamin J. Hubbard, John T. Hatfield and James A. Santucci (Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2007).
  • The Illustrated Guide to World Religions by Michael D. Coogan (U.S.A: Oxford University Press, 2003).
  • Ethical Issues in Six Religious Traditions by Peggy Morgan and Clive Lawton (Edinburgh University Press, 2006).
  • Ethics and World Religions: Cross-Cultural Case Studies by Regina Wentzel Wolfe and Christine E. Gudorf (Orbis Books, 1999).
  • A Guide to New Religious Movements by Ronald Enroth (editor). (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2005).
  • God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement by David W. Miller (New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2007).
  • Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – And Doesn’t by Stephen Prothero (New York, New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2007).
  • The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations by Jonathan Sacks (New York, New York: Continuum, 2002).
  • The Handy Religion Answer Book by John Renard (Detroit, Michigan: Visible Ink Press, 2002).
  • How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook by Stuart M. Matlins and Arthur J. Magida (editors) (Woodstock, Vermont: Skylight Paths Publishing, 2003).
  • An Employer’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
  • Believers and Beliefs: A Practical Guide to Religious Etiquette for Business and Social Occasions by Gayle Colquitt White (Berkeley Trade, 1997).
  • A New Religious America: How a “Christian” Country Has Become the World’s Most Religiously Diverse Nation by Diana Eck (United States: HarperOne, 2002).
  • The Workplace and Spirituality: New Perspectives on Research and Practice. Joan Marques, Satinder Dhiman; Richard King. Skylight Paths Publishing, 2009.
  • Spirituality in the Workplace: What It Is, Why It Matters, How to Make It Work for You. Joan Marques, Satinder Dhiman, Richard King. Personhood Press, May 2007.
  • Religion, Morality and the Professions in America. The Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions, Indiana University.

Overview: About the discipline

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Overview

The workplace is one of the most common places for people to encounter people of different religions and cultures. Religious beliefs and practices can affect how people interact with others, approach their work, and make professional, economic and social choices. The professions are diverse, and each is related to religion in unique ways.

As workplaces grow more diverse and interaction becomes more global, there is a need for greater knowledge of the role religion plays in the professional realm.

A 2004 survey of more than 400 professionals by the Center on Religion & the Professions found that more than 95 percent had experienced some conflict between their professional practice and their personal faith, or that of the public they serve. The survey queried lawyers, social workers, educators, journalists, physicians and nurses, among others. Most said they were not adequately trained to handle religious differences. More than two-thirds said they are expected to know about and consider religious differences in their practice, while fewer than one-third believe they were adequately trained to prepare them for that responsibility. Resources such as those created and provided by the Center on Religion & the Professions equip professionals and citizens with greater understanding of religion’s influence on numerous professions. Whether it is education , law, health professions, journalism, social work, or others, that knowledge improves the quality of work and service.