The Way of Life: A Theology of Christian Vocation

by gary-d-badcock

The concept of vocation is often at the heart of religious experience, yet suprisingly few serious theological studies have been written about it. The Way of Life seeks to remedy this oversight and to outline a sane alternative to the more questionable versions of the idea of vocation found at the popular level. Beginning with the Bible, and drawing on theological sources both Protestant and Catholic, Gary Badcock develops a constructive theology of Christian vocation, rescuing it from both secular and sacred distortions. Badcock argues that Christian vocation is essentially the call to love God and neighbor. Through a consideration of several theologians, including in particular Martin Luther and Hans Urs von Balthasar, Badcock links this theme to another ruling idea of Christian spirituality - discipleship in the way of the cross. Viewed theologically, Christian vocation finally comes to be seen as a sharing in the reconciling mission of Jesus. Vocation should be seen as a way of life - indeed, as the way of life, the way which follows Jesus himself. A Christian's vocation is not, therefore, to be confused with with an occupation. Even though work itself is of great significance, vocation is fundamentally less about what one does than about what one is. For those struggling to discover a proper sense of vocation in a society obsessed with prestige and financial gain, this volume provides a solid, readable, and theologically informed account of what it truly means to be "called of God".

Genres: Theology, Religion

147 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book is surprisingly comprehensive in scope and depth, considering many different aspects relating to the question of Christian vocation. The author deals in some depth with many important and influential people such as Luther, Calvin, Weber, Troeltsch, Barth, Von Balthasar, Nygren, the scriptural writers, and their respective works that relate to the difficult question of vocation. At times I wished that the author had provided a more conspicuous running narrative of how the vocation question, through these considerations, was coming into focus. Without such a narrative I was at times left with a sort of fuzziness as to how it all did or didn't fit together. Nevertheless the ride was always quite interesting and stimulating and in the end he seemed to bring it all together in his case that the answer to the question of vocation is more about what sort of person one will become through what one does in fulfilling the call to love God and neighbor in the total life lived, than in the parameters of the specific "vocation" chosen. This seems as timely a book as ever, as the protestant work ethic has for the most part become merely a ghost haunting the lives of people struggling for meaning in their increasingly secularized everyday lives. But with the current emphasis of popular and influential theologians such as N. T. Wright that redemption is intimately related to the restoration of human vocation as elemental to human existence. In other words, it is due time for a new understanding and reformulation of how the gospel relates to the most basic thing that all humans do, overcoming the sacred secular divide that has left most modern/postmodern societies struggling to find meaning in life itself. Therefore I found this book to be quite valuable and highly recommended for updating the "vocation" question for the current situation for the church and the larger culture in the West.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was slightly frustrated, finding I wanted to hear more of what the author had to say about discernment and less about his take on what others have said previously.

I liked the last section, but can’t help but feel like he didn’t really answer the question at hand. Still an enjoyable, thought provoking and informative read.