ABSTRACT
In the last decades, both Protestant and Catholic thought have tried to build a “theology of work” by rooting the dignity of work in the divine plan of creation, redemption, and eschatological fulfillment. Especially considering Protestant bibliography on this topic, two questions need further study. First, whether God Himself works, that is, whether creation and redemption can be viewed as God’s work. Second, considering the link between the beginning and the end, should we presume that there will be human work in the new creation? In my analysis two elements are highlighted. First, the attempt to build an ontology of work is a theological progress as it comes from the Protestant area, where traditionally, metaphysics was not well considered. Second, speaking of an ontology of work implies recognizing the role of human cooperation with God in the realization of the new creation. In this sense, I find an interesting nuance in the literature as, among Protestants, it is normally said that through our work, we can anticipate the new creation while, among Catholics, the point is that through work, we help God to build the new creation, that is, we collaborate with His providence in the coming of the Kingdom.
