Can a Christian Be a Corporate Lawyer? Tracing Corporate Law's Religious Roots and Identifying How We Can Integrate Our Faith and Work

Abstract

The ways in which members of certain professions (ministers, for example) can serve Christ in the workplace are self-evident. For the Christian corporate lawyer, integrating faith and work may require more conscious effort, but is no less possible. This article begins to explore the ways in which a Christian can serve Christ in the corporate law arena. Corporate law’s religious foundations are well-documented, ranging from the biblical principles that underlie equity and fiduciary duties, to the Court of Chancery’s ecclesiastical roots. Further, corporate law, despite popular belief, advances key Christian objectives, including through raising society’s collective wealth and by policing corporate fiduciaries. The Christian corporate lawyer needs to take these doctrinal foundations and the benefits corporate law offers and reinject a Christian presence into the practice of corporate law. That is, Christian corporate lawyers can and must integrate their faith and their work. They can do this by, among other things, acting as a peacemaker and gatekeeper instead of a “hired gun,” and counseling their clients as Jesus counseled his followers. And once Christ is brought into corporate law practice, both attorney and client benefit.

Keywords: Law & Religion, Corporate Law, Christianity