72 Ducere Est Servire: THE LEADERSHIP JOURNAL OF DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY subjects in organizational research, but research on pastoral job satisfaction is relatively sparse when compared to other occupations.10 The current study explores the relationship between job satisfaction and calling among senior pastors. The current study also examines the relationships between the presence of a calling, search for a calling, and the degree to which a calling is being lived among pastors. Summary of Current Research Writers and theologians have discussed the concept of calling for centuries, but only in recent years has empirical research explored the construct and its effect on the lives of people. In the introduction of a special issue of the Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Dik and Domene specifically noted that the construct of calling had recently received an increase in attention within mainstream psychology.11 Still, research on calling within a Christian context is lacking.12 Additional research on calling from the Christian perspective, within Christian contexts, and with Christian participants was solicited by Dik and Domene.13 Likewise, research on pastoral job satisfaction is relatively lacking when compared to other occupations.14 Throughout history, the word calling has been used in several different ways and given mixed definitions. The concept of calling is found in multiple places within the Bible, but the translated words for calling are often used with various meanings and definitions. Even though the biblical use of words such as the verb καλέω (kaleō, G2564) typically referred to a naming, summoning, or inviting, the concept of calling evolved more toward a definition of vocation or work.15 To the ancient Greeks, work or vocation was held in low esteem, seen as an endless burden only necessary for embodied existence.16 Ryken noted that the Greek attitude toward work was maintained and practiced by the Christian church until it was challenged during the Protestant Reformation.17 One of the most challenging aspects of the literature concerning calling is the lack of a clear and unified definition.18 The various definitions that people give to the word calling exemplify the numerous assumptions and beliefs about the role that calling has in their careers and lives.19 One of the main differences in the definitions between secular and religious calling is that secular definitions are oriented within a person’s
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