[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Baker Academic in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
The authors explore the concept of call and calling with regard to the Church in the following ways in this book:
- Contemporary uses of the terms
- Historical survey of uses of the terms and concepts
- Biblical evidence for a concept of “calling,” including a review of the Old Testament, the Gospels and Acts, and the Epistles
- Theological discussions of calling
- Synthesis of information and conclusion
The book launches with a fantastic and engaging look at how “call” is used in contemporary circles and some of the drawbacks to how we use it. I resonated with this chapter a lot – it summarized some of my own questions and wrestling with the idea of calling. Tons of questions are asked, but few are answered directly in the chapter. And I enjoyed that. It left me to think about how *I* would answer the questions, and it made me want to press further into the book.
The subsequent chapters are logically laid out as the authors make their case for a course correction over how the Church, Christians, seminaries, etc., use the concept and language of calling.
Review
This straddles the line between popular resource and textbook fairly well, but if it leans one way it is to the academic side. This is its intention – a feature, not a bug. But while the case is made in a logical, academic fashion, it doesn’t feel like any particular part would bog readers or students down. I didn’t always know the historical figures and theologians mentioned. But I could hang with all of the Biblical examples and enough of the rest to follow the arguments being made. And even for an academic setting, I felt like the authors did a great job of making their case with just enough information or examples without “selling past the close” so to speak.
I work at a university with undergraduate and graduate ministry students, so I could see how this would be a fascinating text in a classroom. As I read, I often wondered what our faculty and students would do with the authors’ assertions and conclusions.
That said, while I was challenged and convinced to reconsider my own engagement with the concept of calling by the work spelled out in this book, I am doubtful that change in the larger Church/Seminary community would come quickly. I can see where individuals would feel attached to their identity and experience of call in such a way that changing their thinking would be complicated. The material here in this resource would be an excellent way to get that conversation started.
If asked, I would definitely recommend this for study purposes either in an academic institution or for individuals or church groups committed to digging deep into the material. I enjoyed the book both for the intellectual exercise as well as for the writing and the topic. And I could see picking up a print copy and reading through it again with highlighter in hand. (TW: reference to sexual abuse in the Church)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.