Gods Call to Humankind: Towards a Theology of Vocation

Laurence J. OConnell
Each individual is a conduit of Gods call to his creation. We are all responsible for responding to it.

Recently, there has been increasing concern regarding the present status and future prospects of religious vocations. Although several studies have been done from the socio-cultural and psychological points of vie , it has become apparent that the !uestion of vocation, must also be addressed theologically. "ndeed, at this critical #uncture in its history, the Christian Church seems to be called to reflect theologically upon the meaning of vocation in todays orld. "n other ords, the contemporary Christian Church faces the challenge of or$ing out a substantially enriched theology of vocation. %laborating a systematic theology of vocation ill demand the time and energies of many men and omen. &his brief article is meant as a modest contribution to that larger pro#ect, as an attempt to lay part of the necessary foundation upon hich Christians may theologi'e as they see$ a deeper, fuller appreciation of hat vocation or (ods call to human$ind means today. Although it is our aim to develop the theme of vocation along theological lines, a brief e)cursion into the etymology of the %nglish term *vocation+ may be helpful. ,hat is the origin of the ord vocation and hat connotations does it carry- "n e)posing the etymological roots of the term vocation, e are placing ourselves in a better position for understanding the theological nuances of the term ithin the conte)t of sacred scripture and tradition. &he etymology of the ord, as e shall see, points to its richness and versatility, something hich is often mas$ed in its %nglish usage. "n sha$ing loose the etymological roots from their Anglo-.a)on soil, e can better appreciate the deeper sense of the term, the broader implications of the hole notion of vocation. ,e can also free ourselves from narro preconceptions concerning the term hich might influence our theological understanding. A fuller appreciation of the varied nuances of the term should inspire speculation and, it is hoped, generate insight into the theological meaning of vocation in our life and times. "t is interesting to note that the ord vocation did not enter the %nglish language until the /0th century. &he original sense of the term, that is *a

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calling to a state of life+, has undergone very little modification since that time. &he term vocation comes to us from the Latin vocare, to call, hich carries several connotations hich are not apparent in the %nglish derivative. "n the simplest sense, vocare means to summon, to call someone over. 3ut it also can mean to call upon in the sense of invo$e. 4oreover, it is used in the sense of *to invite.+ 5inally, the term vocare may also refer to the act of naming or designating, often alluding to the in-depth dimension of the act of naming. 5or e)ample, in calling the baby, 4ary, e name the baby. "n the deeper sense, e give the baby its very mode of e)istence. ,e call it forth as a particular person by naming it. "n calling their baby, 4ary, the .miths actually constitute the person 4ary .mith. .o, in a certain sense, the act of creation is not complete until a child has been named. All of this is connoted in the term vocare. .o e find that our %nglish term *vocation+ hich has been understood in a rather univocal ay since entering the language in the /0th century, is rooted in a decidedly broader term, the Latin vocare hich carries the sense of calling, invo$ing, naming, and designating. "n the Old and 6e &estaments, the 7ebre and (ree$ e!uivalents of the Latin vocare also carry several connotations, connotations hich are very important in reflecting theologically upon the theme of vocation. "ndeed, an investigation of the notion of vocation or call in .acred .cripture is necessary to refine the theological understanding of vocation and set it in perspective.

The Old Testament Motif &he notion of vocation or call is a principal theme in the Old &estament. ,ithout e)aggeration, it might be said to be the central motif hich runs through the entirety of the Old &estament and lin$s it ith the 6e &estament. "n the opening lines of the Old &estament, human$ind is invited 8called9 to d ell in the (arden of %den. And in the closing lines of the 6e &estament human$ind is bec$oned or called to enter the 6e Jerusalem. &hus, the alpha and omega points of (ods interaction ith his creation may be vie ed in terms of vocation or call. "n the opening chapter of (enesis, e find (od calling human$ind into e)istence:
&hen (od said, ;Let us ma$e man in our image, after our li$eness and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the domestic animals, the ild beast, and all the land reptiles. 8(en. /:2<9

7ere (od not only created human$ind, but 7e gave man and oman a specific calling or vocation right from the beginning, namely to cooperate

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ith 7im in the on-going process of creation. Just as (od created human$ind by calling it forth, human$ind as to cooperate ith (od by calling forth the potentialities of (ods initial creation. (od made it clear that human$inds vocation as to share in on-going creation hen he gave man and oman as their first tas$ the naming of the animals. "n naming the animals human$ind shared in the very act of creation. *"n the ancient orld of 7ebre religion, to be called something as tantamount to being it. 5or the ancients, a name as not simply a conventional designation, but rather an e)pression of a beings place in the universe.+ 8(. >ittel, ed., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1ol. """, (rand Rapids, 4ichigan, ,m. 3. %erdmans ?ublishing Co., /@<<, p. AB@.9 Just as the act of creation is, in a certain sense, not complete until a child has been named. (ods creation of the animals as incomplete until man and oman had named them. (od called upon human$ind to help him, to co-create by naming the animals. (od gave human$ind the tas$ of calling forth the animals in their specificity. (enesis 2:/@ reads:
.o the Lord (od molded out of the ground all the ild beasts and all the birds of the air, and brought them to the man to see hat he ould call themC hatever the man should call each living creature that as to be its name.

7uman$ind as called upon to give each animal its place in (ods creation by naming it. &his naming activity of man is symbolic of human$inds primary vocation or fundamental calling hich is co-creation. Creation did not #ust happen. "t is not over and done ith. Creation is an on-going process in hich human$ind plays a $ey role. "n short human$ind is called to be (ods partner. &his partnership of (od and human$ind finds e)pression in the Old &estament theme of covenant. And this theme of covenant contains important elements hich further clarify the notion of call or vocation in the Old &estament. *"n early 7ebre society, ritten documents ere employed little or not at all. "n their place the spo$en ord as invested ith ritual solemnity hich gave it a $ind of concrete reality. &he spo$en ord thus uttered could not be annulled or retracted.+ 8J. 4c>en'ie, Dictionary of the Bible, 4il au$ee, &he 3ruce ?ublishing Co., /@<0, p. /0=.9 Once a verbal commitment had been made, it necessarily had to be acted upon. &his type of verbal agreement hich functioned li$e todays ritten contract as called a covenant. &he covenanting parties bound themselves by a ritual agreement hich included terrible penalties for the party hich should violate the covenant.

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Call to Covenant ,e find these agreements bet een persons throughout a good deal of the Old &estament. 4ore significant, ho ever, is the fact that this understanding of covenant relationship as used to describe the relationship bet een Dah eh and the people of "srael. &hrough a series of covenant agreements, (ods relationship to his people is clarified and made more specific. ,e see (od entering into covenant agreements ith 6oah, Abraham, and 4oses, for e)ample.
*&he parties to a covenant in the Old &estament ere not necessarily e!ualC the stronger could impose his ill upon the ea$er, or the victor upon the van!uishedC or inversely the van!uished or ea$er party could see$ a covenant relationship ith the stronger.+ 8"bid.9

"n the case of (ods covenant relationship ith the people of "srael, the foundation of the covenant is (ods call. 7aving called the "sraelites out of %gypt, Dah eh appeared on .inai, revealed 7imself as the (od of "srael, and imposed the obligations of the covenant upon the sons and daughters of Abraham. "n the Old &estament, the .inai covenant as summed up in the formula: *Dou shall be my people and " ill be your (od.+ (od, the creator, e)plicitly called his people into a covenant relationship. "n 7osea //:/, e read: *,hen "srael as a child, " came to love him, and from %gypt " called him.+ "n ma$ing a covenant ith "srael, (od as specifying and amplifying his initial call to human$ind by e)plicitly calling for the inauguration of 7is >ingdom in "srael, and, through "srael, is called into a deep, interpersonal relationship ith the caring creator. And most of the Old &estament is the tale of human$inds fidelity or infidelity to this calling. "n the Old &estament, then, there is a ealth of information regarding the notion of vocation or call. 3y reflecting upon vocation in the Old &estament, one gains not only a deeper insight into (ods call to human$ind, but a fuller appreciation of the richness of vocation as a theological theme. &he Old &estament ta$es one to the very core of human$inds vocation or calling. "n the Old &estament, vocation or call refers firstly to (ods calling human$ind into e)istence, calling forth man and oman by name. 4oreover, vocation is (ods invitation to human$ind to cooperate ith 7im in the on-going process of creation. 7uman$ind is called to reali'e the potentialities of (ods initial creation. And, finally, vocation refers to (ods calling human$ind into a covenant relationship ith 7imself. "n short, men and omen are called in the Old &estament to be creatures, co-creators and partners in covenant. &his is the meaning of vocation, (ods call to 7umanity in the deepest and most original sense.

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New Testament &he theme of call or vocation also plays an important role in the 6e &estament. "n the 6e &estament, the notion of vocation is lin$ed to the (ree$ term alein hich, though usually translated as *to call+ may also be rendered as *to name+ or *to invite.+ !alein is !uite fre!uently used in the letters of ?aul, in 7ebre s, as ell as first and second ?eter, and usually ith a special nuance in some .ynoptic passages and in !uotations from the Old &estament.+ 8(. >ittel, ed., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1ol. """, p. ABE.9 ,e may al ays translate alein simply as *to call+ but the special nuance suggests the more distinctive sense of vocation or call in a specific sense, that is, in the sense of (ods call to 7uman$ind. Conse!uently, any attempt to place vocation in theological perspective must include a consideration of the 6e &estament usage of alein in order to fi) some of the shades of meaning surrounding itC hile at the same time highlighting its resonance ith and amplification of the Old &estament perspective on vocation. &here is a distinct development of the Old &estament understanding of vocation or call in the opening lines of the 6e &estament. "n 4atthe 2:E e read:
&hen Joseph a o$e and too$ Jesus and 4ary by night and too$ refuge in %gypt to fulfill hat the Lord said by the prophet, ;" called my son from %gypt.

&his te)t refers to 7osea /:// hich e mentioned earlier in connection ith (ods calling the "sraelites out of %gypt and into a covenant alliance ith 7imself. 7ere in 4atthe 2:E, the doctrine of (ods covenant ith human$ind undergoes a radical development. (ods son is no longer the "sraelite nation, but the person of Jesus Christ. As Jeremiah had prophesied, the terms and content of the covenant ere, so to spea$, being renegotiated. &hus, early in the 6e &estament e have the announcement of the 6e Covenant in the person of Jesus Christ. At .inai human$ind recogni'ed and responded to the general tenor of (ods call, but the full content of that call remained in many ays ambiguous and unans ered. Old &estament history and institutions obscurely outlined its characteristics, but the Christ-event gave that concrete, historical visibility. (od unambiguously announced the details of his call to human$ind in the "erbum #ncarnatum, the ,orld "ncarnate ho is Jesus Christ. According to the terms of the 6e Covenant, Jesus Christ is the call, the ,ord "ncarnate, of (od to human$ind. 7enceforth, response to the call of (od as to be directly or indirectly, lin$ed to a response to Jesus Christ. Jesus as sent to call human$ind bac$ to the Creator, the 5ather. "n revealing the call of

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the 5ather, Christ invites a response. Accordingly, Jesus is often referred to in the 6e &estament as the alon, the one ho invites a response.

The Mission of esus Jesus himself describes his mission in terms of calling human$ind to (od. Jesus statesC *" have come to invite . . . the irreligious to repentance.+ "n other ords, Jesus has come to invite or call human$ind bac$ to their original vocation or calling, namely, sharing deeply in the very life of the Creator. .instained human$ind had alienated itself from the Creator, repudiated their calling or vocation. 4en and omen ere forgetful of the fact that they ere called to be creatures, co-creators, and partners in covenant. "n Jesus, (od repeated 7is call to human$ind, offering men and omen the opportunity to repent, to be reconciled, to recall their original *vocation.+ As the %pistle to the 7ebre s tells us, Christ, the 6e Covenant, is our advocate 8advocare9 before the 5ather. &he old covenant as imperfect because it remained on the level of adumbration, revealing only imperfectly (ods interaction ith human$ind. &he ne covenant, ho ever, is perfect because Jesus, our advocate, our mediator, our priest, assures human$ind of everlasting access to the presence of (od. &he obliteration of sin, the reconciliation of creation to the CreatorFthis is hat as effected by Jesus Christ, ho *by the blood of a ne and everlasting covenant+ restored human$inds insight into its fundamental calling of vocation. Christ is the full e)pression of (ods call to human$ind, a call to sonshipFor, if you ill, daughterhoodFa call to the continual enrichment of the 5athers heritage, his creation. "n Christ human$ind has heard (od, the creators call ane :
Come bac$ to 4e ith all your heart. Long have " aited for your coming home to me and living our ne life. &he ilderness ill leave you and to your heart " shall spea$, integrity and #ustice. ,hen tenderness you shall go . . . Long have " aited for your coming bac$ to me. 8&his is a paraphrase of 7osea used in a recording by the mon$s of ,eston, 1t.9

"n Christ human$ind is given a ne lease on life, so to spea$. Christ represents, indeed actually ushers in a ne life, a ne humanity hich recogni'es and responds to its original call as it is revealed in 7im. "n the 6e &estament, those ho accepted the call of Christ ere referred to as alloumenoi, those ho are called. 4en and omen of every race, tongue, people and nation ere among the alloumenoi formed the e lesia, the Church or the assembly of those ho have been called. .o the identity of Jesus himself as ell as the notions of Christian and Church are rooted in the idea of calling or vocation, alein.

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"n 4atthe A:2/ e find Jesus calling disciples, inviting them to follo him in his calling. 7ere e have the birth of the Christian vocation. "n the 6e &estament this Christian vocation is referred to as the leisis, the calling. Jesus called his disciples, and implication, all Christians to continue his revelation of (ods call to his creation. &he Christian is called to reiterate the "erbum #ncarnatum, to go forth to the hole orld and proclaim the (ood 6e s to all creation. Christians are called to progressively *put on Christ,+ as .t. ?aul tells us in (alatians =:2E. Christ is meant *to gro on them+ in a very real senseC they are to intimately identify ith the ob#ectives of Christ as 7e or$s in and through those ho are his Church. "n other ords, the Christian vocation demands that one #oin Christ in calling human$ind bac$ to the 5ather, bac$ to the CreatorC reminding men and omen of their fundamental vocation hich calls for responsible co-creation and fidelity to a covenant of love ith their Creator.

The Christian Vocation &he Christian is assimilated into the life of Christ through 3aptism. "n 3aptism a person responds to (ods call in Christ and, in so doing, accepts a calling of his o n, the Christian vocation. All Christians, then, share a common vocation or calling hich is rooted in their baptismal commitment, a commitment to reveal the 5ather to human$ind in and through the name of Jesus Christ. "n the Old &estament, human$ind as called forth by name and invited to play a formative role in (ods on-going creative activity ithin the conte)t of a loving, covenantal relationship. And, as e all $no , human$ind someho fell some here along the line, repudiating that call. &he call as then repeated in the most radical sense in the person of Jesus Christ, the alon, or the one ho calls. And the call hich as repeated, or better incarnated and completed, in Jesus is to be continually reiterated by the alloumenoi, those ho are called, ithin the conte)t of the e lesia$ the assembly of those ho have been called, the Church. &hus, the entire history of (ods interaction ith human$ind revolves around the notion of call or vocation. (od, our 5ather and Creator, has called human$ind to responsible co-creation, loving covenant, Christian life in the Church, and ultimately to full participation in 7is >ingdom. Creation and the >ingdom of (od represent the alpha and omega points of (ods call to human$ind. .etting the notion of vocation or calling in theological perspective inevitably leads to a theological reflection upon the ay in hich *vocation+has been generally understood in recent times. &he breadth and depth of the scriptural understanding of calling e)cites the suspicion that the modern vie of vocation may be less than ade!uate.

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"t ould be fair to say that vocation has been generally understood as a call to the priesthood or religious life. "n the common parlance, *to have a vocation+ means to have a *religious+ vocation, to be called to the religious sisterhood, brotherhood, or the ordained ministry. Although this understanding of vocation is not rong, it ould not be unreasonable to aver that it is some hat narro and e)clusive hen contrasted ith the fuller meaning of call as set do n in the Old and 6e &estaments. &here has been a general tendency at times to isolate the call to ordained priesthood and vo ed religious life from (ods general call to human$ind in creation in Christ. &he unfortunate conse!uence of this isolationism has been the tendency to e)aggerate the relative significance of the call to *religious+ life andGor priesthood, hile overloo$ing the authentic call-character of other modes of Christian living.

!a"tismal Commitment &he isolation of the call to ordained priesthood and vo ed religious life has, in the popular mind, tended to obscure the demands of the shared Christian vocation hich stems from our baptismal commitment. ?eople ere led to believe that only priests and religious had vocations and that, conse!uently, only priest and religious ere responsible for spreading the (ood 6e s. ,hat should have been vie ed as a personal specification of ones baptismal commitment, namely, choosing priesthood or vo ed religious life, has in fact very often been considered something special. "ndeed, there may be a specific difference bet een ordained priesthoodGreligious life and other modes of Christian livingC but, there is no !ualitative difference. "n short, priesthood and religious life, #ust as any other Christian vocation, are specifications of our common baptismal commitment to go forth to the hole orld and proclaim the (ood 6e s to all creation. ?riesthood and religious life are specific ays of living out ones baptismal commitment to the Christian vocation as addressed to human$ind in Christ and creation. &hey are not, ho ever, special or e)clusive ays of being. .pecific, yesH .pecial, noH &he insight that *religious+ vocations should be situated ithin the conte)t of (ods general call to human$ind in creation and Christ contributes to an enriched theology of vocation in at least t o ays: /9 "t can free us from our tendency to e)aggerate the ob#ectivity of ones call to a specific Christian vocation. 29 "t fosters a vie of vocation hich is consistent ith the *inclusive+ ecclesiology of the .econd 1atican Council.

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"s there in fact an ob#ective, personali'ed call to ordained priesthood, vo ed religious life, marriage, or any other specific mode of Christian living- "s ones specific vocation an a priori, given from on high- Ioes becoming a priest or getting married imply that one has been called to that specific state in life *from his or her mothers omb-+ &he foregoing !uestions have been ans ered in the affirmativeC thereby giving rise to an understanding of vocation hich emphasi'es ob#ective, specific call to individuals. Ioes this understanding of vocation do #ustice to the facts- Ioes vocation involve passive acceptance of an ob#ectively predetermined fiat- Or is it rather a !uestion of response, a specific response to a general call, the Christian vocationC a personal response rooted primarily in ones initiative"f it is a !uestion of a specific response to a general call, the style or specific manner in hich one concretely lives out his or her baptismal commitment, that is, his or her vocation, depends more upon an individuals selfdetermination than may have been heretofore recogni'ed. And it might ell be that the grace connected ith a given vocation is not the so-called vocation itself, but the means of support for living out our o n choice of vocation or our personal response to (ods general call to human$ind in Christ and creation.

# $ersonal %es"onse A theology of vocation should perhaps emphasi'e an active, self-determined response to a general call rather than the passive acceptance of hat might be characteri'ed as a speciously specific call. &his approach ould give recognition to the fact that a vocation is not simply given but is rather constituted through the interplay of (ods general call and the individuals personal response. 7earing (ods general call, the individual ma$es a personal response. "n other ords the !uestion of a specific vocation does not arise primarily on the level of (ods call, but on the level of the individuals personal response. .ituating vocation theologically, that is, ithin the perspective of (ods general call and human$inds specific responses contributes to a theology of vocation by or$ing against the simplistic idea that vocation involves an ob#ective, individuali'ed call to a specific state in life. "n challenging such an understanding of vocation, the call-response pattern outlined above should encourage an investigation of a constitutive or dialogical understanding of vocation. "ndeed, it should encourage nothing less than a serious attempt to or$ out a phenomenology of vocation, that is, a descriptive account of ho a so-called vocation arises ithin personal e)perience.

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.ituating vocation ithin a broad theological conte)t also stimulates !uestions regarding a theology of vocation in reference to ider theological concerns. 5or e)ample, the inherent lin$ bet een e lesia 8Church9 and alloumenoi 8the Called9 hich as established earlier invites a consideration of vocation in light of ecclesiology or the theology of the Church. ,hat is happening in the area of ecclesiology ill inevitably have an impact on a closely related theological theme li$e vocation. &hus, it may be fruitful to e)tend the present reflection to a consideration of hat effect recent trends in ecclesiology might have upon the theology of call or vocation. "ndeed, the understanding of vocation as a specific response rather than a specific call displays a remar$able congeniality ith the so-called inclusive ecclesiology of the .econd 1atican Council. 5or centuries, Roman Catholic ecclesiology, reacting to the Reformation, had conveyed the idea that the Church as essentially a closed society. &he Church as described in terms of its visible structures, especially the rights and po ers of its officers. Refusal to adhere to the visible structure or submit uncritically to the authorities of the Roman Catholic Church resulted in e)clusion from Church life. 1atican "" counterbalanced, to some e)tent, this e)cessively e)clusive ecclesiology by portraying the Church as the ?eople of (od. 1atican "" gave emphatic itness to the fact that all men and omen are called by (od in Christ and creation to a *catholic unity hich prefigures and promotes universal peace.+ 8A.?. 5lannery, ed., The Documents of "atican ##, 6e Dor$: ?illar 3oo$s, /@E0, p. =<0.9 Church life e)ceeds the bounds of the Catholic Church. And ithin the Roman Catholic Church, the life of the Church relates to more than the rights and po ers of its officersC it pertains to *communion ith (od and unity among all men.+ 8"bid., p. =0J.9

&m"lications for Ministry ,hile the ecumenical implications of this shift in ecclesiology are significant and relevant to a broadly conceived theology of vocation, it might be ell to concentrate upon its ramifications ithin the Roman Catholic community. 5or e)ample, the notion of ministry ith the Roman Catholic Church has been significantly influenced by the inclusive ecclesiology of 1atican "". ,hereas post-Reformation ecclesiology tended to identify ministry e)clusively ith ordained ministry, the contemporary theology of the Church understands ministry as a corporate or shared activity hich involves, potentially at least, every member of the community. &he implication here is that everyone is called to reali'e the Churchs mission through ministry,

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hether or not that call is articulated and specified in the life of each and every Christian. An e)tended discussion of the general call to ministry hich is embedded in each Christians baptismal commitment ould be interestingC yet, it is beyond the $en of these remar$s. &he implications of this broadened notion of ministry are, ho ever, !uite relevant to the present discussion of an enriched theology of vocation. "ndeed, the notion of ministry, hich flo s from an inclusive ecclesiology, foster a broad understanding of vocation hich focuses upon (ods general call to human$ind in creation, covenant, Christ and the Church. Just as (ods general call emerges in ever increasing specificity through ongoing revelation in creation, covenant, Christ and the ChurchC so too do the modes of human response become more clearly specified in human$inds response to revelation. Adam and %ve ere called to responsible co-creation and they responded symbolically by naming the animals. "srael as called to loving covenant and she responded by entering into a personal relationship ith Dah eh. Christians have been called by Christ to the ,ay and they have responded by entering in the Church through baptism. And 3aptism in turn invites each Christian to ma$e a personal vocational choice in light of the call addressed to him or her in creation, Christ, and the Church. A broader theological understanding of vocation underscores the callcharacter of all authentic human e)istence. As 1atican "" emphasi'ed:
All men are called to . . . Catholic unity hich prefigures and promotes universal peace. And in different ays to it belong, or are related: the Catholic faithful, others ho believe in Christ, and finally all man$ind, called by (ods grace to salvation.+ 8"bid., p. =<0.9

All men and omen are thus privy to (ods general call and each responds in a specific ay, depending upon his or her o n personal history. &hose outside the pale of so-called revealed religions respond in a general ay through responsible, if usually unnamed, co-creation. Adherents of some revealed religions respond more specifically through a covenant relationship ith the one (od hom they serve in particular ays. &he Christian, ho believes that (ods general call becomes fully articulated in Christ, the "erbum #ncarnatum or >alon, responds by entering the Church of Christ through baptism. And, having entered the Church, further specifies his or her response by sharing in the constitution of his or her o n personal vocation. "n summary, then, ones calling emerges to ards specificity in human$inds corporate history as ell as in the personal history of individuals. &here are no special vocations, only specific states in life hich are not pre-determined but actively constituted through the creative response of individuals at

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hatever stage of specificityFcreation, covenant or the Christian Church they encounter (ods call. "n addition to highlighting the call-character of all authentic human e)istence and serving as an effective antidote to an e)aggerated vie of the relative significance of the call to vo ed religious life andGor ordained priesthood, a broadened theological understanding of vocation also seems consistent ith the ecumenical and trinitarian concerns of contemporary theology. &his suggests other fruitful avenues of e)ploration in the !uest for an enriched theology of vocationFavenues hich ill have to remain une)plored for no . &he foregoing remar$s ill have achieved their aim if they have surfaced the need for or$ing to ards an enriched theological understanding of vocation and if they suggested some lines of in!uiry. &he tas$ of gaining deeper insight into hat (ods call to human$ind means today is indeed formidableC but a failure of nerve in the face of this challenge ould be tantamount to stifling that call since it only achieves visibility in and through the cooperative and cumulative efforts of human$ind. %ach generation, each individual is a vehicle of on-going revelation, a conduit of (ods call to 7is creation. &hus, e are all, in every age, responsible for reflecting upon, responding to, and, more or less specifically, echoing (ods call to us and our fello s.

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