Abstract
The doctrine of calling has occupied a central yet frequently misunderstood place within Christian theology. In contemporary discourse, “calling” is often reduced to career fulfilment, personal ambition, or subjective intuition. This chapter argues that the biblical doctrine of calling is fundamentally theological before it is vocational. Drawing upon Old and New Testament exegesis, historical theology, and selected secular scholarship on vocation, this study distinguishes between primary (effectual) calling and secondary (vocational) calling. Through exegetical analysis of key biblical texts and historical case studies—including Moses, Isaiah, the Apostle Paul, Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther, and William Wilberforce—the chapter establishes that calling is rooted in divine initiative, ordered towards holiness, and embodied in varied historical contexts. The discussion concludes that a properly ordered doctrine of calling integrates soteriology, ecclesiology, and vocation without collapsing sacred and secular distinctions into dualism.
Keywords
Calling; vocation; effectual calling; divine initiative; Protestant theology; holiness; vocation and work; biblical theology; historical theology.
1. Introduction
The language of “calling” pervades Christian spirituality, ecclesial discourse, and vocational reflection. Yet its conceptual boundaries are often blurred. In popular usage, calling frequently denotes personal career satisfaction or subjective passion. In classical Christian theology, however, calling refers primarily to God’s sovereign summons into covenantal relationship (Calvin, 1559/1960). This chapter seeks to recover a biblically grounded and theologically coherent account of calling.
Three research questions guide this enquiry:
- How is calling defined and developed within Scripture?
- How has the doctrine been articulated within historical theology?
- How should calling be distinguished from modern notions of self-directed ambition?
The argument proceeds through biblical exegesis, historical theology, and illustrative case studies.
2. Terminology and Biblical Lexicon
2.1 Old Testament Foundations
The primary Hebrew verb associated with calling is qārāʾ (קָרָא), meaning “to call, summon, proclaim” (Brown, Driver and Briggs, 1907). It conveys both divine initiative and relational intention.
In Exodus 3:4 (KJV),
“God called unto him out of the midst of the bush…”
Here, calling is not vocational strategy but divine interruption. The initiative lies entirely with God.
Similarly, in Isaiah 43:1 (KJV):
“I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”
Calling denotes covenantal possession before commission.
Thus, in the Old Testament, calling is:
- Relational
- Theocentric
- Covenant-bound
It precedes assignment.
2.2 New Testament Development
The Greek verb kaleō (καλέω) and noun klēsis (κλῆσις) shape the New Testament doctrine.
Romans 8:30 (KJV) states:
“Whom he did predestinate, them he also called…”
Paul situates calling within the ordo salutis. Calling is salvific before functional.
1 Corinthians 1:9 (KJV):
“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son…”
Here, calling equals participation in Christ.
Scholars widely interpret Pauline calling as effectual rather than merely invitational (Barth, 1936; Dunn, 1998). It is transformative and constitutive of Christian identity.
Thus, primary calling in the New Testament is:
- Soteriological
- Christocentric
- Ecclesial
Vocational implications follow, but do not define, this calling.
3. Calling in the Old Testament: Case Studies
3.1 Moses (Exodus 3–4)
Moses’ calling demonstrates three theological elements:
- Divine initiative
- Human resistance
- Providential confirmation
Moses does not seek leadership; he resists it. His objections (Exodus 3:11; 4:10) indicate that calling often contradicts personal comfort.
Historically, Augustine interpreted Moses’ reluctance as evidence that true calling humbles rather than inflates (Augustine, City of God).
3.2 Isaiah (Isaiah 6)
Isaiah’s vision reveals a pattern:
- Revelation of divine holiness
- Personal unworthiness
- Commission
“Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8, KJV) follows purification. Calling emerges from encounter.
3.3 Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1)
Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV):
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee…”
This text grounds calling in divine foreknowledge.
Jeremiah’s ministry exemplifies suffering as intrinsic to calling. His lamentations (Jeremiah 20) demonstrate that divine calling does not preclude anguish.
4. Calling in the New Testament: Apostolic Theology
4.1 Pauline Theology of Calling
Paul unites calling with election and sanctification.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 (KJV):
“God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
Calling is moral transformation.
Scholars note that for Paul, calling shapes identity before occupation (Wright, 2013).
4.2 Corporate Calling
Ephesians 4:1 (KJV):
“Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”
The Greek term klēsis here applies to the community.
Calling is not merely individual destiny but communal identity.
5. Historical Theology of Calling
5.1 Augustine
Augustine’s conversion narrative (Confessions VIII) presents calling as inward illumination through Scripture.
His famous phrase, tolle lege, marks divine summons through text.
Augustine links calling to grace, not merit (Augustine, 397/2008).
5.2 Martin Luther and Vocation
Luther dismantled the medieval hierarchy between sacred and secular callings.
In The Freedom of a Christian (1520), he argued that all legitimate work performed in faith is vocation.
This repositioned calling from monastery to marketplace.
5.3 John Calvin and Effectual Calling
Calvin emphasised that calling is evidence of election (Calvin, 1559/1960).
He distinguished:
- External call (preaching)
- Internal call (Spirit’s work)
This distinction became foundational within Reformed theology.
6. Case Studies from History
6.1 William Wilberforce (1759–1833)
Wilberforce discerned political life as divine vocation.
Influenced by evangelical conviction, he pursued abolition for decades.
His calling survived public hostility and legislative failure.
This reflects perseverance beyond ambition.
6.2 Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945)
Bonhoeffer understood theological resistance to Nazism as obedience to divine calling.
His imprisonment and execution reveal that calling may culminate in suffering.
As he wrote in The Cost of Discipleship (1937/2001),
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
7. Theological Synthesis
From biblical and historical analysis, several conclusions emerge:
- Calling originates in God’s sovereign initiative.
- Primary calling concerns salvation and holiness.
- Secondary calling concerns vocation and service.
- Calling often entails suffering.
- Community confirms calling.
- Calling humbles rather than inflates.
Modern reduction of calling to self-actualisation reflects secular individualism rather than biblical theology (Taylor, 1989).
8. Conclusion
The doctrine of calling, properly understood, is fundamentally theological. It begins not with career discernment but with divine summons into fellowship with Christ. Historical theology confirms that authentic calling integrates obedience, perseverance, and service within varied social contexts.
In reclaiming this framework, contemporary discussions of vocation may be reoriented from self-expression to covenantal faithfulness.
References
Augustine (2008) Confessions. Trans. H. Chadwick. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Original work published c. 397)
Barth, K. (1936) Church Dogmatics I/1. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.
Bonhoeffer, D. (2001) The Cost of Discipleship. London: SCM Press. (Original work published 1937)
Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1907) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Calvin, J. (1960) Institutes of the Christian Religion. Trans. F.L. Battles. Philadelphia: Westminster Press. (Original work published 1559)
Dunn, J.D.G. (1998) The Theology of Paul the Apostle. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Luther, M. (1520/1957) The Freedom of a Christian. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.
Taylor, C. (1989) Sources of the Self. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Wright, N.T. (2013) Paul and the Faithfulness of God. London: SPCK.
The Holy Bible, King James Version (1769).