Why Engineer? — A Biblical Perspective on the Engineering Profession

About Why Engineer? — A Biblical Perspective on the Engineering Profession

Abstract

The alignment of engineering professional functions with biblical calling and purpose will be explored by mapping engineering functions to major biblical themes. There is a human tendency to delineate aspects of life as either “sacred” (dedicated to God) or “secular” (independent of God). This leads to thinking errors and wrong conclusions about one’s purpose and opportunity to serve God. The typical thinking is that a Christian Engineer should simply be a moral engineer or practice engineering “Christianly”. Rather, a fuller understanding is that Engineering is a holy calling in which God calls some of His beloved to serve Him, by serving the needs of mankind. Engineering is not merely a career choice, but rather a divine calling from a God who loves us and will empower us to use the material resources that He has provided, in such a way as to improve the lives of people (all of whom He loves) and bring Him glory. What a magnificent opportunity! Could not God use engineers who thought this way and depended on Him to enable them to greatly improve the world? As Christian engineers and engineering educators it is our privilege to draw out this thinking in our colleagues and students so that we help them fulfill their calling. An Ishikawa (AKA “fishbone” or “cause and effect”) diagram will be used to map aspects of the engineering profession to the biblical themes of 1) Creation, 2) The Fall, 3) Redemption, and 4) The Second Coming (Restoration).