The Hidden Cost of Leaving Faith Outside Work | Elaine Ecklund

May 5, 2026

Elaine Howard Ecklund, sociologist at Rice University who studies religion, work, and science. She explores why workplaces avoid faith, what gets lost when belief is hidden, and how faith shapes calling, ethics, and belonging. Short, sharp conversations on discrimination, the risks of calling, and how designing for faith can improve work for everyone.

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ADVICE

Use Imago Dei To Guide Interfaith Engagement

Use Imago Dei as a practical framework: treat everyone as made in God's image to foster humility and learning in plural workplaces.
Elaine and Denise recommend Christians adopt this doctrine to relate authentically to coworkers of varied beliefs.

INSIGHT

Discrimination Depends On Place And Industry

Experience of discrimination depends on workplace context and geography: Christians feel marginalized in secular tech hubs while Muslims and Jews report high discrimination nationally.
Elaine urges leaders to consider local demography and industry norms.

INSIGHT

Silencing Faith Reduces Employee Commitment

Suppressing faith at work often backfires and makes employees feel they can't bring their whole selves.
Elaine Ecklund's research found workers who can express faith sensitively report greater commitment, better work, and stronger organizational loyalty.

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Most workplaces don’t quite know what to do with faith. It often gets simplified, avoided, or treated as something too divisive to bring into professional life. Elaine Ecklund studies what happens when people try to leave that part of themselves outside the workplace, and what is lost when they do. Her research shows that faith is rarely just about religion. It becomes a window into bigger tensions around ethics, identity, belonging, and the struggle to feel fully present at work.

In this episode, Dart and Elaine discuss how faith shapes the experience of work, why workplaces often misunderstand religion, and what designing for people of faith can teach us about designing work for everyone.

Elaine Ecklund is a sociologist at Rice University and director of the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance. She studies religion, work, science, and how people make meaning in everyday life.

In this episode, Dart and Elaine discuss:
- Why workplaces avoid conversations about faith
- What happens when belief stays hidden
- Faith as part of bringing one's whole self
- How people decide what is ethical at work
- The difference between personal and systems morality
- Why some people see work as a calling
- The risks of feeling called to work
- How minority identity shapes belonging
- Why discrimination depends on workplace context
- How churches shape ideas about work
- How religion and science overlap
- And other topics…

Elaine Howard Ecklund is the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences and professor of sociology at Rice University. She is also the founding director of the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance. Her research explores how people’s deepest beliefs shape work, science, leadership, and civic life. She is the author of several books, including Religion in a Changing Workplace, Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work, and Why Science and Faith Need Each Other: Eight Shared Values That Move Us Beyond Fear.

Resources Mentioned:
Elaine’s Books;
Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Better-Approach-Faith-Work/dp/1514011263
Religion in a Changing Workplace: https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Workplace-Scheitle/dp/0197675018
Why Science and Faith Need Each Other: Eight Shared Values That Move Us Beyond Fear: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Faith-Need-Each-Other/dp/1587434369

Connect with Elaine:
Official website: https://www.elainehowardecklund.com/
Rice University profile: https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/elaine-howard-ecklund
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-howard-ecklund/

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.