Page 9 | Volume 2 | The Leadership Journal of Dallas Baptist University

9 Martin Luther debunked the idea that a call was limited to clergy and contended that calling also applied to all forms of work.30 Stressing God made man for community and relationship, Luther perpetuated the idea that calling applied to all Christians and included a call to faith and service to God and others through their work.31 John Calvin expanded on Luther's view of calling and laid the groundwork for a broader view of calling. Calvin identified calling as the work itself chosen through employing one's talents and abilities in service to God and others.32 Under the Calvinist understanding of calling, all work and leisure activities could be a spiritual act of worship.33 The Puritans adapted the Calvinist concept and made calling and vocation synonymous with the work performed. The Puritan view greatly influenced the understanding of calling in industrialized societies and how we view calling today. Christians' interpretations of calling evolved as society changed, but they rely on a common theology of vocation and agree that God remains the source of the call.34 A longing for purpose and meaning produces a universal human quest.35 Calling gives work and life a sense of purpose. Therefore, a concept of calling exists outside a solely religious context.36 The primary distinction between the Christian and secular understandings of calling concerns the origin of the call.37 Duffy, Allan, Bott, and Dik identified three primary themes within the calling literature explaining the origin of calling: external summons, destiny, and perfect fit.38 External summons included a call from God but also included a higher power, family legacy, or the needs of society. Duffy et al. described destiny as a calling leading to work explicitly meant for an individual. Duffy et al. explained, "fulfilling one's destiny through a calling is not necessarily motivated by a higher power nor is it necessarily externally summoned," but a calling could originate from one's internal voice or motivation.39 The third source of calling examined by Duffy et al. involved finding the perfect fit between an individual's talents and interests and a given profession. In a group of 200 predominantly white professionals, Duffy et al. found participants most frequently cited perfect fit as the source HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP, CHRISTIAN COLLEGES, AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT OF CALLING

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