Review of Full-Time Work by David Bahnsen
I recently finished “Full-Time Work” by David Bahnsen. Interestingly, the author’s late father was an amazing theologian. I believe it is fair to say that David Bahnsen is informed, in a very good way, by his late father’s work.
The book aims to convince the reader of a couple main propositions.
First, if you are feeling stuck in work (perhaps better described as toil) and cannot wait for the weekend, Bahnsen wants to convince you that the neverending weekend AKA retirement, is not going to solve your dissatisfaction. Bahnsen shows the reader that man was created to work and work for much of their life. Now, this may sound like a certain kind of hell on earth to some of us, but remember, the work that Bahnsen is advocating for is not work outside your God-given gifting. If you have a God-given gift for numbers, being a docent may not be your calling and you can expect to feel frustrated in it. Quitting a miserable job is often a good choice, provided you have another one lined up. I’m a priest now but for almost a decade, I worked in the financial services industry. Ironically, I often functioned much like a pastor, counseling my people to better life choices and encouraging them to considering what God had in mind for them. Not surprisingly, I left my private business career and was ordained to Gospel ministry. Our work is not a contagion to be avoided, but when we make peace with God and discover His plan for our days, we find that He has a fulfilling vocation in mind for each one of us. From my point of view, God’s Word, the Church and trusted friends are the best way to discover your calling. Simply seeking a paycheck and telling yourself you can white-knuckle it until retirement is not a good plan. I believe Bahnsen shares this view.
Secondly, Bahnsen is intent on deconstructing those who believe that something like a Universal Basic Income and loads of leisure time is the path to earthly utopia. And he does this well, showing that having a central command of people (tech companies, government, oligarchs, etc.) establishing a consumption haven for us is not the way forward. The answer to our unhappiness is not to have more free time but to actually obligate ourselves to working more.
Interestingly, some of the people that might take issue with the book’s content the most may never actually read it. Full-Time Work would be a good read for anyone who is beginning to believe that having 16 hours of leisure time a day will make them happier or those that believe the future of Western life is a UBI for all citizens.
I hope this helps you decide if you want to read “Full-Time Work.” If you do decide to read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. God bless you.