Description
In This Issue…
We are delighted to include several articles by female authors, reflecting the increasingly important role played by women in the global economy.
Two inspiring articles feature the profession of accountancy. Lilian Mboya from Kenya offers an admirably comprehensive survey of the challenges and satisfactions experienced by Christian accountants in integrating their faith with their work. Natalie Chan continues her occasional series about notable Christian businesspeople in Hong Kong by showing how EY partner Dilys Chau has set up a church (not just a fellowship) in her workplace.
Eve Poole summarises the thesis of her recent book Robot Souls which takes a novel line, arguing that the threatening aspects of AI can be ameliorated if we return to God’s plan and instil human-like characteristics into AI. Definitely an article that will stimulate your thinking. Phil Jump explores the positive and negative forces of online advertising and social media, with particular reference to recent public violence.
The Faith in Business theme for 2023/24, Working from Rest, is reflected in two further articles. In ‘The Resilience of the Rested’, Sara Minard builds on thoughts shared at the April conference. She shows how Sabbath can be a powerful antidote to many of the social problems that plague our tech-driven market society. Peter Heslam draws attention to the neglected ‘rest ethic’ in mainstream Protestantism and highlights the positive scriptural foundations for this.
Richard Higginson’s move to Bristol is leading to interesting connections in the world of faith in business. His research into a Victorian merchant buried in a nearby cemetery prompted him to reflect on the business of dyeing in relation to Lydia, the ‘dealer in purple’ of Acts 16; and his involvement in a group that prays for business in Bristol led to Tim Simpson sharing a workplace prayer on a topic we all know well: preparing for a difficult business meeting. Richard also interviews Andrew Glover, his successor as Chair of Faith in Business.
Anthony Harrop is retiring as an FiBQ editor and offers some farewell thoughts in ‘Reflections of a Copy Editor’. John and Richard thank him warmly for the immense contribution he has made over the last 8 years. We also pay deserved tribute to one of our founder-editors, David Welbourn, who died in May.
Finally, don’t miss the book reviews: David Steinegger on Chris Gillies’s important book On the way to work, Gary Cundill on a novel about a South Korean bookseller and Marjory Mair on Sarah Holloway’s Discern the Time, about fulfilling our God-given purpose.
The Editors
