Kairos Journal (which is a very good online resource) has a great article about the simultaneous decline of belief and work ethic in Europe. A 2004 report by Harvard history professor, Niall Ferguson, entitled, “The Atheist Sloth Ethic, or Why Europeans Don’t Believe in Work,” is cited. If Ferguson is correct in his assessment (which builds on Max Weber’s famous thesis in The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism), then “the European present is America’s future.”

On this same subject, an excellent book that I highly recommend to every Christian over the age of 14 is Wayne Grudem’s Business for the Glory of God. It demonstrates the biblical foundation of starting and operating businesses that honor God, bless people and earn profit. In the growing anti-business ethos of our day, it provides a much-needed message for believers.