Personal Jesus: Reflections on God's Call

This essay argues that contemporary conceptions of “calling” do not properly reckon with the concept’s biblical and historical foundations. In popular culture, where celebrities and social media influencers wield power, religious language is often extracted from faith traditions without regard for t...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Authors: Wright, J. Lenore 1972- (Author) ; Arterbury, Andrew E. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: MDPI 2022
In: Religions
Year: 2022, Volume: 13, Issue: 11
Further subjects:B Baptists
B Spirituality
B Jesus
B Bible
B Calling
B Discernment
B Christianity
B Vocation
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:This essay argues that contemporary conceptions of “calling” do not properly reckon with the concept’s biblical and historical foundations. In popular culture, where celebrities and social media influencers wield power, religious language is often extracted from faith traditions without regard for the tradition’s identity or communal nature. Calling, in this manner, has become a cultural catch-phrase devoid of vocational meaning. For many young, American Christians, including those taught by the authors, calling primarily bears a psychosocial meaning: calling signifies personal or economic fulfillment. Even students who are zealous for their faith tend to read the concept of “calling” within cultural norms rather than the biblical narratives or the Christian tradition’s theological insights. The authors present the biblical examples of Moses and Saul (or Paul) to critique contemporary cultural assumptions about calling. They argue that calling is and ought to be a process that is thoroughly dialogical (with God and community), embraces challenges rather than seeking personal stability, and foregrounds the simple act of following Christ’s call and example in daily life.
ISSN:2077-1444
Contains:Enthalten in: Religions
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.3390/rel13111095