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EP7: An Accidental Theology of Work
· Sabbath

EP7: An Accidental Theology of Work

A software company sat down to ship better products and accidentally wrote a theology of work. In this episode, Josh and Eric bring a biblical imagination to Shape Up, from stewarding time to Sabbath-like cool-downs to honest project tracking.

A software company sat down to figure out how to ship better products — and accidentally wrote a theology of work. In this episode, Josh and Eric step away from interviews for an unscripted experiment: bringing a biblical imagination to bear on Shape Up, the product-development methodology from 37signals that quietly reshaped how they lead teams and do their daily work.

Using the story of Daniel in Babylon as a frame — accept, resist, infuse — they dig into why "how much time is this worth?" beats "how long will this take?", how appetite and the circuit breaker confront our arrogance and covetousness, why cool-downs look a lot like Sabbath, and what honest project tracking has to do with not bearing false witness. It's common grace, finitude, and getting real work done — all in one conversation.


Hosted by

Eric Brandt

Eric Brandt

I believe the work we do Monday through Friday matters to God and to our neighbors. A native Lancastrian with fifteen years in Christian higher education, I co-founded FaithWorks Lancaster to cultivate theologically reflective practice at home.

Josh Swartz

Josh Swartz

I believe any task or job can be worship, a way to reflect God to creation and to our neighbors. A seminary-trained Lancastrian with a decade in Christian higher ed, I co-founded FaithWorks Lancaster to bring this posture into everyday life.