Gods Call to Humankind:

Towards a Theology of Vocation

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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 view, it has become apparent that the question of vocation must also be
addressed theologically. Indeed, at this critical juncture in its history, the Christian Church seems to
be called to reflect theologically upon the meaning of vocation in todays world. In other words, the
contemporary Christian Church faces the challenge of working out a substantially enriched theology
of vocation.
Elaborating a systematic theology of vocation will demand the time and energies of many men and
women. This brief article is meant as a modest contribution to that larger project, as an attempt to lay
part of the necessary foundation upon which Christians may theologize as they seek a deeper, fuller
appreciation of what vocation or Gods call to humankind means today.
Although it is our aim to develop the theme of vocation along theological lines, a brief excursion into
the etymology of the English term vocation may be helpful. What is the origin of the word vocation
and what connotations does it carry? In exposing the etymological roots of the term vocation, we are
placing ourselves in a better position for understanding the theological nuances of the term within
the context of sacred scripture and tradition. The etymology of the word, as we shall see, points to its
richness and versatility, something which is often masked in its English usage. In shaking loose the
etymological roots from their Anglo-Saxon soil, we can better appreciate the deeper sense of the
term, the broader implications of the whole notion of vocation. We can also free ourselves from
narrow preconceptions concerning the term which 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.
It is interesting to note that the word vocation did not enter the English language until the 15th
century. The original sense of the term, that is a calling to a state of life, has undergone very little
modification since that time. The term vocation comes to us from the Latin vocare, to call, which
carries several connotations which are not apparent in the English derivative. In the simplest sense,
vocare means to summon, to call someone over. But it also can mean to call upon in the sense of
invoke. Moreover, it is used in the sense of to invite.
Finally, the term vocare may also refer to the act of naming or designating, often alluding to the indepth dimension of the act of naming. For example, in calling the baby, Mary, we name the baby. In
the deeper sense, we give the baby its very mode of existence. We call it forth as a particular person
by naming it. In calling their baby, Mary, the Smiths actually constitute the person Mary Smith. So, 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. So we find that our English term vocation which has been understood in a

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rather univocal way since entering the language in the 15 th century, is rooted in a decidedly broader
term, the Latin vocare which carries the sense of calling, invoking, naming, and designating.
In the Old and New Testaments, the Hebrew and Greek equivalents of the Latin vocare also carry
several connotations, connotations which are very important in reflecting theologically upon the
theme of vocation. Indeed, an investigation of the notion of vocation or call in Sacred Scripture is
necessary to refine the theological understanding of vocation and set it in perspective.
The Old Testament Motif
The notion of vocation or call is a principal theme in the Old Testament. Without exaggeration, it
might be said to be the central motif which runs through the entirety of the Old Testament and links
it with the New Testament. In the opening lines of the Old Testament, humankind is invited (called)
to dwell in the Garden of Eden. And in the closing lines of the New Testament humankind is beckoned
or called to enter the New Jerusalem. Thus, the alpha and omega points of Gods interaction with his
creation may be viewed in terms of vocation or call.
In the opening chapter of Genesis, we find God calling humankind into existence:
Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let him have dominion
over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the domestic animals, the wild beast, and all the
land reptiles. (Gen. 1:26)
Here God not only created humankind, but He gave man and woman a specific calling or vocation
right from the beginning, namely to cooperate with Him in the on-going process of creation. Just as
God created humankind by calling it forth, humankind was to cooperate with God by calling forth the
potentialities of Gods initial creation. God made it clear that humankinds vocation was to share in
on-going creation when he gave man and woman as their first task the naming of the animals. In
naming the animals, humankind shared in the very act of creation.
In the ancient world of Hebrew religion, to be called something was tantamount to being it. For the
ancients, a name was not simply a conventional designation, but rather an expression of a beings
place in the universe. (G. Kittel, ed., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. III, Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1966, p. 489.) Just as the act of creation is, in a
certain sense, not complete until a child has been named, Gods creation of the animals was
incomplete until man and woman had named them. God called upon humankind to help him, to cocreate by naming the animals. God gave humankind the task of calling forth the animals in their
specificity. Genesis 2:19 reads:
So the Lord God molded out of the ground all the wild beasts and all the birds of the air, and
brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man should call
each living creature that was to be its name.
Humankind was called upon to give each animal its place in Gods creation by naming it. This naming
activity of man is symbolic of humankinds primary vocation or fundamental calling which is cocreation. Creation did not just happen. It is not over and done with. Creation is an on-going process in
which humankind plays a key role. In short humankind is called to be Gods partner. This partnership
of God and humankind finds expression in the Old Testament theme of covenant. And this theme of
covenant contains important elements which further clarify the notion of call or vocation in the Old
Testament.

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In early Hebrew society, written documents were employed little or not at all. In their place the
spoken word was invested with ritual solemnity which gave it a kind of concrete reality. The spoken
word thus uttered could not be annulled or retracted. (J. McKenzie, Dictionary of the Bible,
Milwaukee, The Bruce Publishing Co., 1965, p. 153.) Once a verbal commitment had been made, it
necessarily had to be acted upon. This type of verbal agreement which functioned like todays written
contract was called a covenant. The covenanting parties bound themselves by a ritual agreement
which included terrible penalties for the party which should violate the covenant.
Call to Covenant
We find these agreements between persons throughout a good deal of the Old Testament. More
significant, however, is the fact that this understanding of covenant relationship was used to describe
the relationship between Yahweh and the people of Israel. Through a series of covenant agreements,
Gods relationship to his people is clarified and made more specific. We see God entering into
covenant agreements with Noah, Abraham, and Moses, for example.
The parties to a covenant in the Old Testament were not necessarily equal; the stronger
could impose his will upon the weaker, or the victor upon the vanquished; or inversely the
vanquished or weaker party could seek a covenant relationship with the stronger. (Ibid.)
In the case of Gods covenant relationship with the people of Israel, the foundation of the covenant is
Gods call. Having called the Israelites out of Egypt, Yahweh appeared on Sinai, revealed Himself as
the God of Israel, and imposed the obligations of the covenant upon the sons and daughters of
Abraham. In the Old Testament, the Sinai covenant was summed up in the formula: You shall be my
people and I will be your God. God, the creator, explicitly called his people into a covenant
relationship. In Hosea 11:1, we read: When Israel was a child, I came to love him, and from Egypt I
called him.
In making a covenant with Israel, God was specifying and amplifying his initial call to humankind by
explicitly calling for the inauguration of His Kingdom in Israel, and, through Israel, is called into a
deep, interpersonal relationship with the caring creator. And most of the Old Testament is the tale of
humankinds fidelity or infidelity to this calling.
In the Old Testament, then, there is a wealth of information regarding the notion of vocation or call.
By reflecting upon vocation in the Old Testament, one gains not only a deeper insight into Gods call
to humankind, but a fuller appreciation of the richness of vocation as a theological theme. The Old
Testament takes one to the very core of humankinds vocation or calling. In the Old Testament,
vocation or call refers firstly to Gods calling humankind into existence, calling forth man and woman
by name. Moreover, vocation is Gods invitation to humankind to cooperate with Him in the on-going
process of creation. Humankind is called to realize the potentialities of Gods initial creation. And,
finally, vocation refers to Gods calling humankind into a covenant relationship with Himself. In short,
men and women are called in the Old Testament to be creatures, co-creators and partners in
covenant. This is the meaning of vocation, Gods call to Humanity in the deepest and most original
sense.
New Testament
The theme of call or vocation also plays an important role in the New Testament. In the New
Testament, the notion of vocation is linked to the Greek term kalein which, though usually translated

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as to call may also be rendered as to name or to invite. Kalein is quite frequently used in the
letters of Paul, in Hebrews, as well as first and second Peter, and usually with a special nuance in
some Synoptic passages and in quotations from the Old Testament. (G. Kittel, ed., Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. III, p. 487.) We may always translate kalein 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 Gods call to Humankind. Consequently, any attempt to place vocation in theological
perspective must include a consideration of the New Testament usage of kalein in order to fix some
of the shades of meaning surrounding it; while at the same time highlighting its resonance with an
amplification of the Old Testament perspective on vocation.
There is a distinct development of the Old Testament understanding of vocation or call in the opening
lines of the New Testament. In Matthew 2:7 we read:
Then Joseph awoke and took Jesus and Mary by night and took refuge in Egypt to fulfill
what the Lord said by the prophet, I called my son from Egypt.
This text refers to Hosea 1:11 which we mentioned earlier in connection with Gods calling the
Israelites out of Egypt and into a covenant alliance with Himself. Here in Matthew 2:7, the doctrine of
Gods covenant with humankind undergoes a radical development.
Gods son is no longer the Israelite nation, but the person of Jesus Christ. As Jeremiah had prophesied,
the terms and content of the covenant were, so to speak, being renegotiated. Thus, early in the New
Testament we have the announcement of the New Covenant in the person of Jesus Christ. At Sinai
humankind recognized and responded to the general tenor of Gods call, but the full content of that
call remained in many ways ambiguous and unanswered. Old Testament history and institutions
obscurely outlined its characteristics, but the Christ-event gave that concrete, historical visibility.
God unambiguously announced the details of his call to humankind in the Verbum Incarnatum, the
Word Incarnate who is Jesus Christ.
According to the terms of the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is the call, the Word Incarnate, of God to
humankind. Henceforth, response to the call of God was to be directly or indirectly, linked to a
response to Jesus Christ. Jesus was sent to call humankind back to the Creator, the Father. In
revealing the call of the Father, Christ invites a response. Accordingly, Jesus is often referred to in the
New Testament as the kalon, the one who invites a response.
The Mission of Jesus
Jesus himself describes his mission in terms of calling humankind to God. Jesus states; I have come
to invite . . . the irreligious to repentance. In other words, Jesus has come to invite or call humankind
back to their original vocation or calling, namely, sharing deeply in the very life of the Creator. Sinstained humankind had alienated itself from the Creator, repudiated their calling or vocation. Men
and women were forgetful of the fact that they were called to be creatures, co-creators, and partners
in covenant. In Jesus, God repeated His call to humankind, offering men and women the opportunity
to repent, to be reconciled, to recall their original vocation. As the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us,
Christ, the New Covenant, is our advocate (advocare) before the Father. The old covenant was
imperfect because it remained on the level of adumbration, revealing only imperfectly Gods
interaction with humankind. The new covenant, however, is perfect because Jesus, our advocate, our
mediator, our priest, assures humankind of everlasting access to the presence of God. The
obliteration of sin, the reconciliation of creation to the Creatorthis is what was effected by Jesus
Christ, who by the blood of a new and everlasting covenant restored humankinds insight into its
fundamental calling of vocation. Christ is the full expression of Gods call to humankind, a call to

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sonshipor, if you will, daughterhooda call to the continual enrichment of the Fathers heritage,
his creation. In Christ humankind has heard God, the creators call anew:
Come back to Me with all your heart. Long have I waited for your coming home to me and
living our new life. The wilderness will leave you and to your heart I shall speak, integrity
and justice. When tenderness you shall go . . . Long have I waited for your coming back to
me. (This is a paraphrase of Hosea used in a recording by the monks of Weston, Vt.)
In Christ humankind is given a new lease on life, so to speak. Christ represents, indeed actually
ushers in a new life, a new humanity which recognizes and responds to its original call as it is
revealed in Him.
In the New Testament, those who accepted the call of Christ were referred to as kalloumenoi, those
who are called. Men and women of every race, tongue, people and nation were among the
kalloumenoi formed the ekklesia, the Church or the assembly of those who have been called. So the
identity of Jesus himself as well as the notions of Christian and Church are rooted in the idea of
calling or vocation, kalein.
In Matthew 4:21 we find Jesus calling disciples, inviting them to follow him in his calling. Here we
have the birth of the Christian vocation. In the New Testament this Christian vocation is referred to
as the kleisis, the calling. Jesus called his disciples, and implication, all Christians to continue his
revelation of Gods call to his creation. The Christian is called to reiterate the Verbum Incarnatum, to
go forth to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. Christians are called to
progressively put on Christ, as St. Paul tells us in Galatians 3:27. Christ is meant to grow on them
in a very real sense; they are to intimately identify with the objectives of Christ as He works in and
through those who are his Church. In other words, the Christian vocation demands that one join
Christ in calling humankind back to the Father, back to the Creator; reminding men and women of
their fundamental vocation which calls for responsible co-creation and fidelity to a covenant of love
with their Creator.
The Christian Vocation
The Christian is assimilated into the life of Christ through Baptism. In Baptism a person responds to
Gods call in Christ and, in so doing, accepts a calling of his own, the Christian vocation. All Christians,
then, share a common vocation or calling which is rooted in their baptismal commitment, a
commitment to reveal the Father to humankind in and through the name of Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament, humankind was called forth by name and invited to play a formative role in
Gods on-going creative activity within the context of a loving, covenantal relationship. And, as we all
know, humankind somehow fell somewhere along the line, repudiating that call. The call was then
repeated in the most radical sense in the person of Jesus Christ, the kalon, or the one who calls. And
the call which was repeated, or better incarnated and completed, in Jesus is to be continually
reiterated by the kalloumenoi, those who are called, within the context of the ekklesia, the assembly
of those who have been called, the Church. Thus, the entire history of Gods interaction with
humankind revolves around the notion of call or vocation. God, our Father and Creator, has called
humankind to responsible co-creation, loving covenant, Christian life in the Church, and ultimately to
full participation in His Kingdom. Creation and the Kingdom of God represent the alpha and omega
points of Gods call to humankind.
Setting the notion of vocation or calling in theological perspective inevitably leads to a theological
reflection upon the way in which vocation has been generally understood in recent times. The

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breadth and depth of the scriptural understanding of calling excites the suspicion that the modern
view of vocation may be less than adequate.
It would be fair to say that vocation has been generally understood as a call to the priesthood or
religious life. In 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 wrong, it would not be unreasonable to aver that it is somewhat
narrow and exclusive when contrasted with the fuller meaning of call as set down in the Old and New
Testaments.
There has been a general tendency at times to isolate the call to ordained priesthood and vowed
religious life from Gods general call to humankind in creation in Christ. The unfortunate
consequence of this isolationism has been the tendency to exaggerate the relative significance of the
call to religious life and/or priesthood, while overlooking the authentic call-character of other
modes of Christian living.
Baptismal Commitment
The isolation of the call to ordained priesthood and vowed religious life has, in the popular mind,
tended to obscure the demands of the shared Christian vocation which stems from our baptismal
commitment. People were led to believe that only priests and religious had vocations and that,
consequently, only priests and religious were responsible for spreading the Good News. What should
have been viewed as a personal specification of ones baptismal commitment, namely, choosing
priesthood or vowed religious life, has in fact very often been considered something special. Indeed,
there may be a specific difference between ordained priesthood/religious life and other modes of
Christian living; but, there is no qualitative difference.
In short, priesthood and religious life, just as any other Christian vocation, are specifications of our
common baptismal commitment to go forth to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all
creation. Priesthood and religious life are specific ways of living out ones baptismal commitment to
the Christian vocation as addressed to humankind in Christ and creation. They are not, however,
special or exclusive ways of being. Specific, yes! Special, no!
The insight that religious vocations should be situated within the context of Gods general call to
humankind in creation and Christ contributes to an enriched theology of vocation in at least two
ways:
1) It can free us from our tendency to exaggerate the objectivity of ones call to a specific
Christian vocation.
2) It fosters a view of vocation which is consistent with the inclusive ecclesiology of the
Second Vatican Council.
Is there in fact an objective, personalized call to ordained priesthood, vowed religious life, marriage,
or any other specific mode of Christian living? Is ones specific vocation an a priori, given from on
high? Does becoming a priest or getting married imply that one has been called to that specific state
in life from his or her mothers womb?
The foregoing questions have been answered in the affirmative; thereby giving rise to an
understanding of vocation which emphasizes objective, specific call to individuals. Does this
understanding of vocation do justice to the facts? Does vocation involve passive acceptance of an

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objectively pre-determined fiat? Or is it rather a question of response, a specific response to a general

call, the Christian vocation; a personal response rooted primarily in ones initiative?
If it is a question of a specific response to a general call, the style or specific manner in which one
concretely lives out his or her baptismal commitment, that is, his or her vocation, depends more upon
an individuals self-determination than may have been heretofore recognized. And it might well be
that the grace connected with a given vocation is not the so-called vocation itself, but the means of
support for living out our own choice of vocation or our personal response to Gods general call to
humankind in Christ and creation.
A Personal Response
A theology of vocation should perhaps emphasize an active, self-determined response to a general
call rather than the passive acceptance of what might be characterized as a speciously specific call.
This approach would give recognition to the fact that a vocation is not simply given but is rather
constituted through the interplay of Gods general call and the individuals personal response.
Hearing Gods general call, the individual makes a personal response. In other words the question of
a specific vocation does not arise primarily on the level of Gods call, but on the level of the
individuals personal response.
Situating vocation theologically, that is, within the perspective of Gods general call and humankinds
specific responses contributes to a theology of vocation by working against the simplistic idea that
vocation involves an objective, individualized call to a specific state in life. In challenging such an
understanding of vocation, the call-response pattern outlined above should encourage an
investigation of a constitutive or dialogical understanding of vocation. Indeed, it should encourage
nothing less than a serious attempt to work out a phenomenology of vocation, that is, a descriptive
account of how a so-called vocation arises within personal experience.
Situating vocation within a broad theological context also stimulates questions regarding a theology
of vocation in reference to wider theological concerns. For example, the inherent link between
ekklesia (Church) and kalloumenoi (the Called) which was established earlier invites a consideration
of vocation in light of ecclesiology or the theology of the Church. What is happening in the area of
ecclesiology will inevitably have an impact on a closely related theological theme like vocation. Thus,
it may be fruitful to extend the present reflection to a consideration of what effect recent trends in
ecclesiology might have upon the theology of call or vocation.
Indeed, the understanding of vocation as a specific response rather than a specific call displays a
remarkable congeniality with the so-called inclusive ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council. For
centuries, Roman Catholic ecclesiology, reacting to the Reformation, had conveyed the idea that the
Church was essentially a closed society. The Church was described in terms of its visible structures,
especially the rights and powers of its officers. Refusal to adhere to the visible structure or submit
uncritically to the authorities of the Roman Catholic Church resulted in exclusion from Church life.
Vatican II counterbalanced, to some extent, this excessively exclusive ecclesiology by portraying the
Church as the People of God. Vatican II gave emphatic witness to the fact that all men and women are
called by God in Christ and creation to a catholic unity which prefigures and promotes universal
peace. (A.P. Flannery, ed., The Documents of Vatican II, New York: Pillar Books, 1975, p. 365.) Church
life exceeds the bounds of the Catholic Church. And within the Roman Catholic Church, the life of the
Church relates to more than the rights and powers of its officers; it pertains to communion with God
and unity among all men. (Ibid., p. 350.)

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Implications for Ministry

While the ecumenical implications of this shift in ecclesiology are significant and relevant to a
broadly conceived theology of vocation, it might be well to concentrate upon its ramifications within
the Roman Catholic community. For example, the notion of ministry with the Roman Catholic Church
has been significantly influenced by the inclusive ecclesiology of Vatican II. Whereas postReformation ecclesiology tended to identify ministry exclusively with ordained ministry, the
contemporary theology of the Church understands ministry as a corporate or shared activity which
involves, potentially at least, every member of the community. The implication here is that everyone
is called to realize the Churchs mission through ministry, whether or not that call is articulated and
specified in the life of each and every Christian.
An extended discussion of the general call to ministry which is embedded in each Christians
baptismal commitment would be interesting; yet, it is beyond the ken of these remarks. The
implications of this broadened notion of ministry are, however, quite relevant to the present
discussion of an enriched theology of vocation. Indeed, the notion of ministry, which flows from an
inclusive ecclesiology, fosters a broad understanding of vocation which focuses upon Gods general
call to humankind in creation, covenant, Christ and the Church.
Just as Gods general call emerges in ever increasing specificity through on-going revelation in
creation, covenant, Christ and the Church; so too do the modes of human response become more
clearly specified in humankinds response to revelation. Adam and Eve were called to responsible cocreation and they responded symbolically by naming the animals. Israel was called to loving
covenant and she responded by entering into a personal relationship with Yahweh. Christians have
been called by Christ to the Way and they have responded by entering in the Church through
baptism. And Baptism in turn invites each Christian to make 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 call-character of all authentic
human existence. As Vatican II emphasized:
All men are called to . . . Catholic unity which prefigures and promotes universal peace. And
in different ways to it belong, or are related: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in
Christ, and finally all mankind, called by Gods grace to salvation. (Lumen Gentium, p. 365.)
All men and women are thus privy to Gods general call and each responds in a specific way,
depending upon his or her own personal history. Those outside the pale of so-called revealed
religions respond in a general way through responsible, if usually unnamed, co-creation. Adherents
of some revealed religions respond more specifically through a covenant relationship with the one
God whom they serve in particular ways. The Christian, who believes that Gods general call becomes
fully articulated in Christ, the Verbum Incarnatum or Kalon, 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 own personal vocation.
In summary, then, ones calling emerges towards specificity in humankinds corporate history as well
as in the personal history of individuals. There are no special vocations, only specific states in life
which are not pre-determined but actively constituted through the creative response of individuals
at whatever stage of specificitycreation, covenant or the Christian Church they encounter Gods
call.
In addition to highlighting the call-character of all authentic human existence and serving as an
effective antidote to an exaggerated view of the relative significance of the call to vowed religious life

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and/or ordained priesthood, a broadened theological understanding of vocation also seems

consistent with the ecumenical and trinitarian concerns of contemporary theology. This suggests
other fruitful avenues of exploration in the quest for an enriched theology of vocationavenues
which will have to remain unexplored for now.
The foregoing remarks will have achieved their aim if they have surfaced the need for working
towards an enriched theological understanding of vocation and if they suggested some lines of
inquiry. The task of gaining deeper insight into what Gods call to humankind means today is indeed
formidable; but a failure of nerve in the face of this challenge would be tantamount to stifling that call
since it only achieves visibility in and through the cooperative and cumulative efforts of humankind.
Each generation, each individual is a vehicle of on-going revelation, a conduit of Gods call to His
creation. Thus, we are all, in every age, responsible for reflecting upon, responding to, and, more or
less specifically, echoing Gods call to us and our fellows.

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