2. www.facebook.com/seatsinc

3. SOM-110 Theology of Money
SOM-110-03 Work
This class will examine the biblical concept of “work.”

4. Trabaho / Work

5. Why Do People Work?
• To make a living
• To be recognized for abilities
• To attain a certain status in society
• To attain a certain lifestyle
• To save enough for retirement
• To meet old-age medical costs
• To finance children’s education

6. Hanapbuhay para Mabuhay
Towards a Filipino Theology of Work
George N. Capaque, Ph.D.

7. • How does a Filipino understand work?
• What meaning does he/she give to it?
• This is an attempt to develop a contextual
understanding of work; a people’s theology of
work using local materials (culture) mutually
interacting with biblical faith

8. A Filipino Concept of Work
Culture Language
Hanapbuhay = hanap + buhay
hanap - “search,” “quest”
buhay - “life”
Literally, hanapbuhay means “search or quest for
life”
Usual English translation, “means of living” or “earn
a living”

9. Filipino Concept of Work
• Hanapbuhaymeans more than just economic
survival
• Synonyms
kabuhayan = ka + buhay +an
ka-an joined to a noun indicate the
qualification or nature of a thing;
lit., “the means by which one lives”

10. Filipino Concept of Work
ikinabubuhay = ika+ in + rep. of first
syllable
ika– the cause or reason for what the
root word says
literally, “to cause or to be the cause of
life”

11. Filipino Concept of Work
• Work in Filipino thought deals with, or relates
to, life.Work and life are intimately connected
• Work affirms and sustains life
• To work is to live
• Work is part of human life; it is life-giving

12. Filipino Concept of Work
The quality of and the attitude to one’s work
determine the kind of person I am

13. Work in the Bible
• “image of God” – relationship; tells us what human
beings are like (God-like) or what is human life.
• Work is an essential expression of God-likeness.
Through work we realize who we are.

14. Work in the Bible
• Human work – to exercise dominion; to take care of
creation. As we do so we preserve& enhance both
the life of human beings& of created beings.
• In the NT, to work is to provide for ourselves, family&
to help the needy (2Th 3:10-13; 1Ti 5:8; Eph 4:28)
• Both testaments affirm that work affirms who we
are& sustains human life

15. The Filipino Concept of Buhay
Loob – the Filipino true or whole self; literally,
“inside”
Kalooban
(inner self)

16. The Filipino Concept of Buhay
• Kaluluwais associated with ginhawa(relief, well-
being, but in other languages, “breath”)
• Essentially, kaluluwa is diwa (= “essence” or “spirit”)
• Diwaholds together the different elements
(physical& spiritual) of existence& integrates them
into one functioning whole called buhay or life
• Diwa is what “endows spiritual status to our earthly
existence,” the “divine in us,” “God within men”

17. The Filipino Concept of Buhay
• Buhay presupposes connection with the divine
• Buhay is used in two ways:
life as existence (buhay)&
animating spirit (buháy =“alive”). Cf. walang
kabuhay-buhay (no life, no vitality or power)
• Buhayis both a natural phenomenon& a spiritual
event
• Work as hanapbuhayhas a spiritual dimension or
meaning.

18. Life in the Bible
• nephesh (soul= “living being”) is the whole person
formed by God from the earth with the divine breath
breathed into him (Ge2:7)
• “eternal life” = life in the kingdom (rule of God in the
world). Kingdom is both personal salvation and
social transformation
• Hebrew shalom – the whole human being dwelling at
peace in all his/her relationships

19. What Makes a Filipino Alive (Buháy)
• Core values = the heart& soul of the Filipino
• Loob is the Filipino whole self experienced as
kalooban (inner self – heart, spirit, but also
relational, ka + loob + an), kaluluwa(vitality,
power),&katawan(embodied, relates with the
material world)

20. Core Values
• The Filipino loob is relationally- oriented
• Kapwa (other, neighbor) is in the loob
• Pakikipagkapwa (personalism) characterizes all
Filipino relationships and emphasizes belongingness
to a social collectivity. It also implies no separation
between task and emotional involvement
• Dama or damdamin (feeling) connects one loobwith
another. Accounts for Filipino sensitivity.
• Dangal (honor, dignity) – synthesizes personalism
and sensitivity

21. Contrasts between Western& Filipino value
orientations (F. LandaJocano)
Western Filipino
Individualistic Personalistic
“emphasis on “emphasis on subjective
objective & concrete &euphemestic
orientation” orientation”
contrasts
Distinctiveness Collectiveness
“personal gain” “group gain”
Accomplishments as basis of Good behavior as the basis of
rewards rewards

22. Some Implications
1. From hanapbuhay to mabuhay (lit., “to
live,” the Filipino greeting). Work affirms&
sustains life.
“May you live”
MABUHAY

23. Implications
2. Being& doing flow from each other. The Filipino worker
brings his/her whole self to the workplace. E.g.,
bayanihan(lit., “to be a hero to each other”)= spirit of
cooperation and collaboration.
cooperation/collaboration makes the Filipino work better

24. Implications
3. From value formation to value transformation
= virtue formation

25. Issues to Consider in Developing
a Biblical Work Ethic
From An Asian Work Ethic: The
Malaysian Perspective
by Wong Siew Li

26. Issues to Consider in Developing a Biblical Work
Ethic
• How do I love my neighbor when their ‘right’
infringes upon my right to fair treatment&
justice?
• How do I inspire an ethic of excellence in the
workplace in the absence of meritocracy?
• Even if I were willing to join the civil service,
can a minority voice change the prevailing
culture of inefficiency?

27. Issues to Consider in Developing a Biblical Work
Ethic
• What can I do about bribery& corruption which
have become systematic problems?
• Can we change our lifestyle& live on less so
that my spouse can quit his/her job to stay
home to parent our children instead of the
maid?

28. Issues to Consider in Developing a Biblical Work
Ethic
• Given the high cost of college education, how
many children can I afford to have?
• If I stay, will I be able to provide a good
education for my children?

29. Issues to Consider in Developing a Biblical Work
Ethic
• How do I maintain a healthy family life with all
the travelling for work?
• How do I balance the competing demands of
work, family and church?

30. Towards a Contextualized Theology of
Work
Called to do my best (Col 3:22-25)
• Look to God our ultimate master
• Called to do our best (‘work at it with all
your heart as working for the Lord’)
• Even if no earthly recognition/reward
• Real boss is God; sure reward

31. Towards a Contextualized Theology of
Work
Called to be salt & light(Mt 5:13-14)
• Choose to stay in country: join civil service
or not-so-lucrative professions
• Commit to bring kingdom values to
transform workplace, community and
society

32. Towards a Contextualized Theology of
Work
Called to love my neighbor (Mt 22:39)
• Look beyond personal concerns (trust God
with them) to the needs of neighbor, society
& nation
• What about those who have fallen through
the cracks?
• In a restrictive environment, how else will
the majority people know Christ?

33. The Way Forward
Multi-pronged approach
• Commitment of individual Christians
• Church to show concern for national
issues (Mic 6:8): pray, speak up, support
and act
• More Christians to participate in
‘political process’ for change (as
politicians; members of NGOs and
media)