There is no shortage of books pleading with people to work less, to find “balance,” to think less of career and more of the things that bring them “happiness.”

Likewise, there is no shortage of books making the case that work matters a great deal – that good things come from fruitful labor.  This book belongs in neither of those categories.

In Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life, David Bahnsen makes the case that our understanding of work and its role in our lives is deeply flawed – we are unmoored from what he calls “created purpose.” He argues that the time has come to stop tiptoeing around the issues that matter, that separating one’s identity from what they do is demonstrably false, and that this era of alienation is for many a direct result of a low view of work.  It is in work -- effort, service, striving -- of every kind that we discover our meaning and purpose;  a significant and successful life is one rooted in full-time productivity and cultivation of God’s created world.

This book is not your normal “defense of work” book.  Whether you are a leader, a follower, a boss, an employee, in a white collar or blue collar job, highly paid or “just getting by,” this book is for you.  A life of meaning is right under your nose, and with it the joy and peace of a life well-lived.

Available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Heard on the Party Line

  • "Any author who cites pastor Tim Keller, pope John Paul II, and novelist Dorothy Sayers—along with economic data from the Fed and the latest statistics on happiness and mental health—is certainly doing something unique, and potentially uniquely important. David Bahnsen has done both as he explains that our so-called secular jobs matter to God, and that all work can be Kingdom work—and not because it provides the resources to do ministry, but because God wants us to steward creation well. Fulltime: Work and the Meaning of Life should find its way into the hands of every pastor and every worker—that is to say, everyone.”

    - Ryan T. Anderson, Ph.D., President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center

  • “In the beginning, God told Adam and Eve to steward the garden. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his famous “Street Sweeper” speech implored congregants "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michael Angelo painted, or Beethoven composed music.” David Bahnsen captures this essential component of what it means to be created in the image of God and makes it relevant to our daily lives as we think about living, working, and what drives us forward.”

    -Erick Erickson, talk radio host, podcaster, and political columnist

  • “Much mischief in the economic realm will be avoided by theologians and pastors if they will study and take to heart the essentially incarnational argument of David Bahnsen’s thoughtful and practical book, Full-Time. Here they can deepen an understanding of work as the living out of the very image of God - the great and first empresario - who created all things, and desires the human person to bring all things to the final end through their work.”

    -Father Robert Sirico, Acton Institute

  • “David’s book makes the argument that economists must never fail to make: Work is, above all else, about the dignity of the human person. A pro-work economic framework is moral and just, and respects human beings as capable, valuable, and worthy.”

    - Larry Kudlow, Fox Business

  • "Bahnsen’s Full-Time points out that American culture generally, including church culture, undervalues work. Many see work as a means to the end of not working. Many miss the way God created both physical and intellectual work before that tragic day in Eden. The substance is superb and the writing is sharp ... this one is too good to ignore!"

    -Dr. Marvin Olasky, Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute, Editor-in Chief of World magazine from 1992-2022

  • “Did David Bahnsen just say that work is the meaning of life? So outlandish is this in Christian circles that you might conclude that he is a special kind of misanthrope. Ah, but take up and read! In Full Time you will find the most compelling vision for—and defense of—human dignity, satisfaction, and flourishing you are ever likely to encounter. I can promise that you will be personally challenged and even affronted. But it will also leave you inspired.”

    -Brian Mattson, The Square Inch

  • "I honestly don’t know anybody in church history who has written on vocation from this perspective. Bravo. This is the book that needs to be on the shelves of the business section of the airport bookstores and on the book tables at the Christian businessmen’s luncheons."

    - P. Andrew Sandlin, Center for Cultural Leadership

  • “Bahnsen confronts the predominant call for Christians in mid-life to shift from 'success to significance' and challenges them to be successfully significant for their whole lives. He transcends the standard 'faith at work' message that it’s okay for Christians to work and takes it up a notch telling his readers that it’s not okay for Christians to not work. Work is not an option, it is a command, and a joyful one at that.”

    -Jerry Bowyer, Bowyer Research

  • "It's just music to my ears to hear this stuff. What [he is] saying is so important … God makes it clear in the garden that we are to work, that there's value in that. There's something beautiful in that. We don't talk about what is God's view of work and about the dignity of work. This is really good and it's clarifying, and [David has] spent his life being a Christian and being in the marketplace and never seeing this false choice between ministry versus work … This is beautiful and it's important.”

    - Eric Metaxas, The Eric Metaxas Show

  • "See this is an original mind. This is really important what he is saying ... Folks, the name of the book is Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life. A thinking man in business and economics ... David Bahnsen. I hope everybody reads this ... He's really opened my eyes. I had not put two and two together in case. The left's antipathy to work and the sacredness of work in the Judeo-Christian worldview, which is the opposite of the leftist worldview. It's such a good point."

    - Dennis Prager, Salem Communications

  • “In an era where the American dream feels increasingly out of reach, David Bahnsen's Full Time reminds us that the United States remains a beacon of opportunity for resilient individuals who, throughout history, have risen above challenges to carve their path to success. Bahnsen eloquently emphasizes the profound significance of finding dignity in meaningful work, echoing the core values that have shaped our great nation. Now, more than ever, let us champion these ideals and work together to ensure every American has the chance to pursue their dreams with dignity and purpose.”

    -Kevin Roberts, Heritage Foundation

  • “David’s new book is fascinating and very timely! Highly recommended - he’s very wise!”

    -Dana Perino, Fox News

  • “A brilliant, must read for any Christian thinking about the various aspects of work, family, worship, leisure, retirement.   David Bahnsen unapologetically describes work as integral a part of life as anything! His mastery of God’s intention for work and the worker, the practical realities of economics, and the struggles and opportunities life brings is laudatory, and with empirical evidence. Vocation and work are ends in themselves and make life full of joy and purpose. Retirement should be a vision of service, engagement, and activity, not centered on inactivity. Thank you , David, for your life of study and experience, and your ability to communicate so clearly with the written word!”

    - Bob Doll, CEO, Crossmark

About the Author

David L. Bahnsen is the founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm with offices in Newport Beach, New York City, Bend, Nashville, Minneapolis, Austin, and Phoenix, managing over $5.3 billion in client assets.

Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. He is consistently named one of the top financial advisors in America by Barron’s, Forbes, and the Financial Times.

He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, and Fox Business, and is a regular contributor to National Review. He hosts the popular weekly podcast, Capital Record, dedicated to a defense of free enterprise and capital markets. He is a regular lecturer for the Acton Institute and the Center for Cultural Leadership and writes daily investment commentary at www.thedctoday.com and weekly macro commentary at www.dividendcafe.com.

David is a founding Trustee for Pacifica Christian High School of Orange County and serves on the Board of Directors for the Acton Institute.

He is the author of several best-selling books including Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It (2018), The Case for Dividend Growth: Investing in a Post-Crisis World (2019), and There’s No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths (2021). His newest book, Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life, was recently released in February 2024.

David’s true passions include anything related to USC football, the financial markets, politics, and Chinese food. His ultimate passions are his wife of 22+ years, Joleen, their children, Mitchell, Sadie, and Graham, and the life they’ve created together on both coasts.

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