The Psychology of Work as a Calling in Christian Context: Introduction to the Special Issue (2015)

The belief that God calls people is a basic one for Christians, and has been a topic of much theological discourse over the centuries (Placher, 2005). Theologians commonly suggest that God calls people on multiple levels, pointing to the general or spiritual call to faith in Jesus Christ and to a life of discipleship, the specific or call to a unique vocation or mission in the world, and the immediate call to tasks or duties at the present time (Smith, 1999). Adding to the complexity, a specific calling is not necessarily or even usually singular; multiple callings may exist, both over time and simultaneously within diverse life roles (e.g., worker, church member, parent, spouse; Schuurman, 2004). Often, a sense of calling is used interchangeably with its synonym, vocation, and is discussed within the context of work and career development. The idea that any legitimate area of work can be a calling has a long history within Christianity, dating at least to the Protestant Reformation, when Luther, Calvin, and others challenged the predominant separation of sacred and secular, instead teaching that all legitimate occupations are potentially sacred if pursued in a way that glorifies God and advances the common good. This application of the concept, which the Puritans referred to as one's particular calling, is the focus of this special issue.The special issue comes at a time when research on work as a calling has been rapidly accumulating within vocational psychology, management, and allied fields. Indeed, the number of empirical studies that investigate some aspect of a sense of calling has increased approximately tenfold over the last decade, usually (although not always; see Coulsen, Oades & Stoyles, 2012) focusing on the work role. Within this context, a consensus definition of calling has proven elusive, but most frame the construct as a sense of purpose or direction that leads a person toward a personally fulfilling and/or socially useful engagement within one's work, sometimes referencing God or the transcendent, sometimes an inner passion or giftedness (Dik & Duffy, 2009). Despite the diverse definitions, similar patterns of results have emerged across research studies. A recent review by Duffy and Dik (2013) highlighted the following:*A sense of calling is perhaps surprisingly prevalent. Across diverse samples of students and employees, usually a third to half of participants express that they think of their careers as a calling, and as many as two thirds indicate that the concept is relevant to how they think about their work.* A sense of calling is associated with positive career development outcomes. Research has linked having a calling to career decision selfefficacy, commitment, intrinsic motivation, academic satisfaction, and job satisfaction, among other desirable characteristics.* A sense of calling is also associated with general well-being. Compared to those with other approaches to work, people with callings are happier, more satisfied with life, cope more effectively with challenges, and report a stronger sense of meaning in life.* People with a sense of calling experience the most benefit when they are living it out. Conversely, the link between perceiving a calling and positive work and well-being outcomes is often negligible among those who report they are not living their callings.*A sense of calling may have a dark side. Research on this phenomenon is limited, but suggests that for some, a sense of calling can cause career foreclosure or tunnel vision, vulnerability to workaholism, or even exploitation from employers.Despite the surge of recent attention to the construct within mainstream psychology, research that approaches calling from an explicitly Christian perspective, in explicitly Christian contexts, or with Christian research participants has been sparse. Undoubtedly, this reflects the general lack of attention to work and career concerns within Christian psychology. …