September 2026 | LISLE, IL—InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce that Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work has received the 2026 Outstanding Applied Research Award from the Religious Research Association (RRA). Coauthored by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels, the IVP Academic title was chosen for its innovation in theory and research, accessibility, and potential for impact.
Ecklund said, “This award is particularly meaningful because it is a prestigious scholarly association and more importantly because the award affirms our desire to see the book use the highest quality research explained in an accessible way that is beneficial to religious organizations and leaders.”
Drawing from over twenty years of research and personal insights, Working for Better, which released in August 2025, presents a groundbreaking exploration of how to express Christian faith in professional settings without compromising beliefs or alienating others.
In a 2025 Rice News article, Ecklund said, “Faith is a window into bigger tensions around ethics, identity, belonging and the struggle to feel fully present at work. Designing workplaces that work well for people of faith can teach us about designing work that works better for everyone.”
Through detailed studies involving focus groups, surveys of more than 15,000 workers, and interviews with over 300 individuals, Ecklund and Daniels identify five key tensions in the faith-at-work movement.
Daniels said, “We call on Christians to bring their faith into the workplace by shifting from an emphasis on talking about our beliefs and defending our own rights to empathizing with those who are religiously different, with a particular emphasis on the imago Dei. This core truth demands different practices and ways of expressing our faith in the workplace.”
With compelling stories and practical applications, Working for Better addresses the need for Christian workers and leaders to adapt to cultural shifts, offering guidance for a more redemptive presence at work. Each chapter concludes with thought-provoking questions for individual reflection or group discussion, making this book an essential resource for anyone seeking to integrate faith with their professional life.
“Working for Better is a groundbreaking book,” said Michaela O’Donnell, the Mary and Dale Andringa Executive Director Chair at the Max De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary. “Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels have conducted a seminal study on faith and work—and now they’re leveraging their research findings to help the rest of us untangle how people of faith navigate toward better in the face of workplace issues that often feel complex and divisive in today’s world.”
The Outstanding Applied Research Award will be presented at the RRA’s annual meeting in Denver this fall.
InterVarsity Press serves those in the university, the church, and the world by publishing thoughtful Christian books that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of life. Founded in 1947 as an extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, IVP is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois, and publishes across six imprints: IVP, IVP Academic, IVP Formatio, IVP Español, IVP Bible Studies, and IVP Kids. Learn more at ivpress.com.
Contact: Krista Clayton | kclayton@ivpress.com
