Schipper's definition of gongfu as "meritorious action" works in the context of his writings on religion, just as a translation of the term as "martial skill" or "training" would work in the context of an article on martial arts practice. Both meanings are contextual, and are extensions of the base meaning which, as Omar pointed out, is simply "work" or "labor." Yes,
gong 功 does have a specific religious sense, but the term is also cognate with
gong 工, and
gongfu is also found as 工夫. Schipper's research notwithstanding, a good etymological dictionary like
Hanyu da cidian provides numerous examples of early uses of this term that lack any religious connotation or the sense that the
gongfu in question was necessarily a meritorious form of action. Even in early Buddhist texts, where the term occurs with fairly high frequency, it generally refers simply to the effort put into a practice, and rarely, if ever, to any merit accrued thereby, which is usually designated as
gongde 功德.
edit: Here's the
Hanyu da cidian entry. The first definition refers to (conscript) labor; the second to time/effort spent in undertaking a task; the third specifically to a period of time; the fourth to skill and understanding acquired through effort; and the fifth specifically to martial arts skill and practice.
【功夫】1.工程夫役。《三国志·魏志·董卓传》“悉發掘陵墓，取寶物” 裴松之 注引《续汉书》：“又 隴石 取材，功夫不難。 杜陵 南山下有 孝武 故陶處，作塼瓦，一朝可辦。”《三国志·吴志·王肃传》：“聞 曹真 發已踰月而行裁半谷，治道功夫，戰士悉作。是賊偏得以逸而待勞，乃兵家之所憚也。”2.谓作事所费的精力和时间。 唐 元稹 《琵琶歌》：“逢人便請送杯盞，著盡功夫人不知。” 唐 秦韬玉 《燕子》诗：“曾與佳人並頭語，幾回抛却繡功夫。” 王润滋 《卖蟹》：“功夫不负有心人。”3.时间。 唐 元稹 《琵琶》诗：“使君自恨常多事，不得功夫夜夜聽。”《古今小说·滕大尹鬼断家私》：“每日只去查點家財雜物，那有功夫走到父親房裏問安。” 柳青 《铜墙铁壁》第六章：“ 银凤 在门外说没功夫，两个就奔出了大门。”4.本领；造诣。 唐 张彦远 《法书要录》卷一：“ 宋文帝 書自謂不減 王子敬 。時議者云：天然勝 羊欣 ，功夫不及 欣 。” 金 王若虚 《滹南诗话》卷下：“而至 老杜 之地者，亦無事乎‘崑體’功夫。” 秦兆阳 《苏醒》：“他原本有一套祖传的武艺功夫。”5.特指武术。《人民日报》1984.7.31：“也有画 中国 ‘功夫’的，画面上拳击格斗，棍棒相迎，飞脚踢刀，好不热闹。”《深圳特区报》1986.3.13：“ 中国 功夫和西洋拳击，究竟谁优谁劣，这是中外人士均感兴趣的问题。”
