Thinking Theologically in the Business World: Part Two

This series is the second of a four-part series following-up on the post titled "Why I chose a master's in theology over an MBA." In each of these four posts, we'll look at techniques for thinking theologically in the workplace. 

If the first step in thinking theologically in the business world is asking "what is happening" in concrete, observable terms, the second step is the exploration of "why."

As with the first question, asking why something is happening may not appear innately theological. The why question does not immediately depend on an understanding of scripture, an awareness of God, or a grounding in Christian ethics. 

This question depends upon a rational look at the actors, actions, and consequences in a given system. We can only bring God, scripture, and ethics back into the conversation once the "why" question is thoroughly vetted. 

In the first post of this series, I suggested that "what is happening" is the most "difficult and vexing step" in all theology. Pivoting from the autopilot of inference towards objectively observable data is seldom easy.  In terms of difficulty, considering why something is happening is a close runner-up. Most of us, myself included, are conditioned to think in terms of proximate causes. Why am I cold in this office building? Because I forgot to bring a sweatshirt today. Why am I hungry at 11:30 AM? Because I need a snack. To be more effective in the workplace, we need to learn to think in terms of ultimate causes.

The task of the theological thinker in the business world is to move past easy answers and simplistic rationale in order to develop a more complete view of the reasons at play in a system. Here, the "Five Whys" technique may be useful. The theological thinker is seldom satisfied by one reason for a particular behavior or action, so they keep asking why - often to a point where it becomes awkward or unconventional. In this way, the theological thinker is akin to a curious four year old, peppering their parents with ever-expansive inquiries into why the sky is blue. 

Why am I cold in this office building? Because I forgot to bring a sweatshirt today. Why? Because it was warm in this building yesterday. Why? Because the sun was brightly shining through my office window. Why? Because it's April in Wisconsin, and we're seeing the sun for the first time in six months. And so on, and so forth. It's only when I understand these many reasons why I am cold that I can think about what I ought to do - not so that I can warm up for a bit, but so that I can affect a lasting, productive change that solves my propensity for frigidness once and for all (though usually, I'm far too warm in the workplace, frequently sweating profusely as I hunch over my keyboard!). 

The relentless pursuit of "why" can be annoying, fatiguing, and tedious, but it is important. When we understand the "why," we can understand the "ought." When we calculate the reasons, we can understand the potential, and when we understand the potential, we can see the need for change. 

Pestering others for the reasons why something is happening facilitates movement away from proximal causes and band-aid level fixes. When we become comfortable searching for the reasons, we train ourselves to think at the level of ultimate causes - and to operate at the level of sustainable, impactful solutions. 

In part three of this series, we'll look at the "Ought" question - step three of thinking theologically in the business world. 

---

Ryan Panzer (@ryanpanzer on Twitter) is a theology blogger and learning and development professional in Madison, WI.

---