Encounter between wealth and discipleship in Luke: Discipling a Filipino Christian business leader

• Main Author: Pabalan, Joanne Marie Grace P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Christian stewardship; Businessmen > Conduct of life; Finance; Personal > Religious aspects > Christianity; Christian leadership > Philippines; Christian life > Biblical teaching
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5667
• Institution: De La Salle University

The scale of global inequality is widening fast. Business as usual for the wealthy is not a cost free option. With this, business leaders have a great responsibility in the decision-making process. They are called to commit themselves for the common good of society. Hence, the researcher looked on how to evangelize the business people and professionals as followers of Christ in their workplace. Business people can put aspiration into practice when they pursue their vocation, motivated by much more than financial success. Recognizing the importance of evangelization in the marketplace, the research explored the theme of discipleship of the rich and wealthy in the Gospel of Luke. This study is concerned with how to make a Filipino Christian Business Leader a genuine disciple of Christ today. To accomplish that goal it became necessary to reach the other goals (understanding the business ethical practices and norms of conduct in the Philippines today and identifying the attributes of a rich disciple of Christ as portrayed in the gospel of Luke) by using the Lasallian Reflection Framework. With LRF's first stage, Masid-Danas, the study assessed the ethical practices and norms of conduct in the business world. The business situation was looked upon based on previous studies, observation and feedback from professionals of different occupation and industry. In the second stage of LRF, Suri-Nilay, this paper identified the themes on wealth and discipleship in the Gospel of Luke. In knowing that Jesus is the point of encounter between wealth and discipleship in the Gospel, the attributes of a rich disciple of Christ are depending on God, detaching oneself from wealth, being a steward of wealth, sharing ones wealth, showing solidarity with the poor, demonstrating repentance and valuing prayer. Consequently, Jesus as a point of such encounter leads Gods call to Christians as Gods agents to their professions and to transform their work into a place of blessing for all those involved. Once these primary steps were achieved, this research was able to go forward and reach the last stage of the LRF which is the Taya-Kilos. Interviews were conducted to the business people of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP). The interview was based on a checklist from Vocation of a Business Leader, A Reflection discussed last February 2011 at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The theological focus of this reflection is the life stories and experiences of the sixteen business people of the BCBP, a Filipino Catholic charismatic group that evangelizes the business people. Through the last stage, the study identified the characteristics of Gods agents in the workplace who are called the Christian business leaders of today.