Rest, Worship, and Government
By
PARL, Michigan Conference
- April 9, 2025
Rest, Worship, and Government
A faith-driven vision for work and rest raises church-state questions in the future of U.S. labor policy.
"I think this is more a question of state and local law. . . reinvigorating, where possible, Sabbath rest laws. . . this was basically the norm. . . dating back to Constantine. . . you've had a pretty consistent tradition in Western civilization of taking Sunday off from commerce. . . And. . . it's not merely rest in the sense of abstinence from work, but it's rest—for. It's rest for time with God, time worshiping God. It's rest for time with community. . . One of the things that I think has been so harmful to the world of work and how we think about work is the lack of. . . well-defined and shared times for rest." — Jonathan Berry, nominee for Solicitor of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor
Jonathan Berry, recently nominated as Solicitor of Labor for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), outlines a compelling vision in a November 2024 program titled Renewing Labor, hosted by the Catholic Information Center (CIC). He frames work as sacred, drawing on the Book of Genesis, the Hebrew term avodah (meaning both “work” and “worship”), and the teachings of St. John Paul II to argue that public policy should reflect the inherent dignity and purpose of work as service.
While he acknowledges that “not everyone is on the same page” regarding religious texts, his arguments are undeniably grounded in theology. That raises important questions—especially for those committed to protecting religious liberty and upholding the separation of church and state.
For example, Berry supports reviving Sabbath rest laws, citing their deep roots in Christian and Jewish tradition and referencing the legacy of Constantine. While he notes the practical benefits of rest, his primary justification is religious. Similarly, when he states that “faith and reason, as they always should, line up,” it suggests an expectation that public policy ought to reflect certain faith-based worldviews.
To be clear, Berry’s emphasis on restoring dignity to work is meaningful—and shared across many faith traditions. But when policy arguments lean heavily on specific religious frameworks, they risk blurring the line between theological conviction and constitutional duty.
Religious liberty requires more than sincerity. It requires vigilance—to ensure that public institutions serve all people equally, regardless of belief.
“To protect liberty of conscience is the duty of the state, and this is the limit of its authority in matters of religion. Every secular government that attempts to regulate or enforce religious observances by civil authority, is sacrificing the very principle for which the evangelical Christians so nobly struggled.”
God would have us study the events that are taking place around us, and compare them with the predictions of his word, in order that we may understand that we are living in the last days.
Jonathan Berry, nominated as Solicitor of Labor for the U.S. Department of Labor, authored the labor law section of the Project 2025 policy agenda. Among several proposals, he recommends amending the Fair Labor Standards Act to require overtime pay for work performed on the Sabbath—defined as Sunday or another day of religious observance—as a way to honor longstanding religious and cultural traditions around weekly rest. If confirmed, Berry would serve as the DOL’s chief legal officer, with independent authority to enforce over 180 federal labor laws. The Solicitor’s Office, which represents the DOL in courts and administrative tribunals, is the second-largest litigation department in the federal government.
Michigan Conference
of Seventh-day Adventists