"This is not putting churches, or synagogues, or mosques out of business, it's simply a smaller kind of daily delivery of spirituality," notes Laura Nash, a lecturer at Harvard Business School. "People are hungry for that at work."
Corporate America has traditionally maintained a strict separation between church and office. But in a growing number of firms, that wall is coming down.
"We've treated religion or spirituality as a personal thing for so long, when the reality is people do not check their souls at the door when they go to work," says B.J. Gallagher, author of "What Would Buddha Do at Work?"
In fact, you can find a reference to the Book of John on drink cups from fast food chain In-N-Out Burger. And you can also find a religious quotation on shopping bags from fashion retailer Forever 21 — a subtle, yet significant testament to the higher values that guide both companies.
And at Chicago law firm Mauck & Baker, religious values are central to the practice according to attorney John Mauck.
At a time when 98 percent of Americans say they believe in God, and 46 percent of those who work say they are dispirited, it's not surprising that more companies are embracing spiritual or religious values.
But in so doing, companies run a real risk of appearing to pander to customers who are religious, or risk offending those who are not.
By Jerry Cobb
CNBC