The Way of Life: A Theology of Christian Vocation / Edition 1

by Gary D. Badcock

Overview

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".

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802844903
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	08/10/1998
Pages:	157
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.37(d)

About the Author

Professor of Theology at Huron College in London, Ontario, Canada.

Professor of Theology at Huron College in London, Ontario, Canada.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	x
1.	Vocation and Christian Theology	1
	Vocation as a Religious Question	1
	Vocation in the Bible	3
	Work and Human Dignity	10
2.	Faith and Work	14
	Approaches to God	14
	Action and Meaning	19
	Troeltsch and Weber	21
	Work as Response to God	29
3.	Calling	32
	Luther	32
	Providence and Vocation	39
	The Ethic of the Kingdom	44
4.	Identity	53
	Vocation in the Theology of Karl Barth	54
	Sharing Christ's Mission: Hans Urs von Balthasar	58
	Between Barth and Balthasar	67
5.	The Source	71
	God as Source	71
	The Role of the Bible	74
	The Voice of God	77
	The Will of God	81
6.	Sacred and Secular	84
	The Heavenly Calling	84
	Religious Vocation	89
	The Call to Ministry	93
	Ministry as Service	95
	Lay Ministry	99
	The Secular "Calling"	105
7.	Love	108
	"The Greatest of These"	108
	Love in Theology	110
	Carrying the Cross	113
	Community	116
	Sanctity	121
8.	Choosing	124
	A Parable	124
	Vocation and Career Choice	126
	Virtue Theory and Religious Knowledge	128
	The Struggle	134
	Vocation and Mission	136
	The Way of Life	139
	Select Bibliography	143
	Index	145

Editorial Reviews

Badcock's study on a theology of vocation fills a much needed niche amongst the sociological studies and popular self-help books on gleaning meaning out of work.... This book lends itself to be an excellent study for theological colleges or undergraduate theology courses and contains a good bibliography for further study.

Theological Book Review (U.K.)