Corporate chaplains

Praying for gain

Aug 23rd 2007 | WASHINGTON, D.C.
From The Economist print edition

A fad for piety infiltrates the realm of Mammon

DOES your job seem pointless? Are problems at home draining your zest for work? Is your boss a blithering idiot? Then why not consult the company chaplain?

Corporate chaplains are a booming business in America. There are roughly 4,000 of them (precise numbers are hard to come by) working everywhere from giant multinationals to tiny family firms. And their numbers are growing. America has several thriving rent-a-chaplain companies, and two seminaries that offer degrees in corporate chaplaincy, yet demand still exceeds supply.

Some companies prefer to rely on in-house chaplains. Tyson Foods, a meat-processing giant, employs 128 chaplains to minister to 85,000 employees in the United States, Mexico and Canada. John Tyson, the company's boss, also employs an ordained minister as an executive coach to help him wrestle with ethical questions. Read the whole story here......