ABSTRACT
The intense social problems that were created in industrializing society teased the interest of some churches because they wished to help workers gain a new role in the everyday life of industrial civilization. Furthermore, those churches tried to remain a reliable protector of the poor against the rapid rise of socialist and communist movements. Using a historical framework, this chapter first describes the Anglo-Saxon experience and the Catholic doctrines pertaining to labor. It then examines the various versions of Christian unions and studies their impact on employee relations in Western countries. In conclusion, it discusses the current perspectives of Christian unionism, while globalized capitalism and neoliberalism seem to threaten the traditional values of Christianity.
