Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller
Week 2: Chapter 1 — The Design of Work
Read Chapter 1 of Every Good Endeavor. Key Scripture: Genesis 1–2.
Previewing Week 2 of Every Good Endeavor
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Keller begins his theology of work in the beginning — in the Genesis narrative of creation — because he believes you cannot understand what work is for without understanding who you are and who made you.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Keller argues that God himself is portrayed in Genesis 1 as a worker — creating, forming, filling, and evaluating his work as 'good.' How does viewing God as a worker change the way you think about the dignity of human work?
2.The concept of the 'cultural mandate' — God's command to humanity to 'fill the earth and subdue it' (Genesis 1:28) — is central to this chapter. In your own words, what is the cultural mandate, and what does it suggest about the purpose of human creativity and work?
3.Keller uses the image of a 'garden' to illustrate humanity's creative role: Adam and Eve were placed in a garden, and their descendants were to turn that garden into a city — developing the latent potential of creation. How does this image reshape what it means to do your specific job? What 'latent potential' are you helping to cultivate?