Callings

Jennifer Herdt, professor of Christian ethics at Yale Divinity School, explores the “call to live well” in her writing, teaching, and research. In our conversation, Jennifer discusses what it means to live a virtuous life and how that grounds our sense of genuine happiness and fulfillment. She challenges us to resist the cultural narrative to “get as much out of life as we can,” but rather to pursue a life that considers our obligation to others and to the world. As we do so, Jennifer suggests we ask this important question “What is worthy of my devotion?” 

Kwame Anthony Appiah is one of the world's most influential philosophers and currently serves as president of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Many know his work from the weekly "Ethicist" column in the New York Times. In this episode, he shares both personal and professional aspects of a vocational journey that has carried him from Ghana to Britain, the United States, and beyond. He reflects on current challenges to liberal education, the value of diversity, the power of symbols and proverbs, and the importance of being alert to life's surprises and opportunities.

Mustafa Akyol is a public intellectual and Muslim reformer who emphasizes the importance of being attentive to others and to the world around us. In this conversation, he shares his vocational journey from Turkey to the U.S. as a journalist, an academic, and a political commentator. As the author of books like The Islamic Jesus and The Islamic Moses, Mustafa reminds us of the hard work of respectful collaboration and mutual learning. He also reflects on religious liberty, the importance and fragility of democracy, and his hopes for peace in the Middle East.

Kiran Singh Sirah, an award-winning storytelling artist and folklorist, explores the overlap between vocation and story. In this conversation, we discuss how storytelling deepens human connection as part of our callings. Kiran reminds us of the beauty of sharing our individual and communal stories, along with the power of an inspiring and complex narrative. Stories help foster curiosity about our “whole selves” so that we can build relationships that bridge divides and reveal an expansive, shared purpose in a “space of welcome.”

Abel Chávez sees our callings through this important question: what type of ancestor do we want to be? As the tenth president of Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, Abel explores the contours of our vocations as change makers in our careers and in our communities. Drawing from his experience with Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), he discusses how we can best serve first-generation students: inviting them to explore new pathways and experiences so that they can return to their home communities to provide leadership. Abel reminds us that education has an obligation to engage with the challenges and structures in civic life to improve them for the benefit of all. He encourages us to “say yes” and to be committed to ganas throughout our lives. 

Caryn Riswold believes that conversations about vocation should give greater attention to issues of social justice, identity, and culture. As a professor of religion at Wartburg College, she reminds us that our callings help us to “be human together, better.”  In this conversation, Caryn describes how her own dual callings as teacher and public theologian help her pursue such goals. But she also suggests that asking good questions is a key for discerning whether our words shed “heat or light” on important and difficult topics in ways that empower others.  

Emmanuel Katongole is known for his work on violence and politics in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as theologies of peacebuilding and reconciliation. As a Catholic priest in Uganda and professor of theology and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame, he confronts the complexities of callings in various contexts. He describes his vocational journey as having carried him across different kinds of boundaries, causing him to ask questions such as “where is home?” and “who are my people?” Such questions sometimes create confusion or even bring us face to face with pain, but they can also lead us to a more expansive understanding of ourselves and the world—and to a deeper sense of joy and hope. 

Bonnie Miller-McLemore's new book, Follow Your Bliss and Other Lies About Calling, brings forward the nuance and complexities of vocational discernment. She explores the ways our callings can be fractured or blocked, relinquished or conflicted, missed or unexpected. By grounding calling in the realities of everyday life, she reminds us of the importance of being kind to ourselves and practicing forgiveness for self and others. As we realize the myriad ways our callings may be difficult, we continue to find that they are worthy of pursuit and consideration. 

Jason Blakely is a political philosopher at Pepperdine University and author of Lost in Ideology: Interpreting Modern Political Life. In this episode, he reflects on his own vocational journey while helping us think about this tumultuous time in modern political life. Through it all, he reminds us that vocations are always based in stories and that political “science” has more in common with literature and the liberal arts than is often assumed.

John Inazu, author of Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect, is Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also a sought-after speaker who speaks about pluralism, the right of assembly, free speech, religious freedom, and related issues. In this episode, he reflects on his vocation as a lawyer and teacher, and shares insights and examples from the classroom to the courtroom. He highlights the importance of honoring the humanity of others and explores how we can all improve in our abilities to navigate diversities and disagree well. 

This bonus episode features highlights from conversations that aired during the fourth season of Callings. In these clips, our guests offer advice for today's students and for anyone who teaches or mentors young adults. Listen to this compilation of insightful and interesting advice from Parker Palmer, Norman Wirzba, Katharine Hayhoe, Shirley Hoogstra, Miroslav Volf, Sarah Bassin, Anantanand Rambachan, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Geoffrey Bateman, and Christi Belcourt.

Christi Belcourt, a Métis artist whose painting “Reverence for Life” appears on the newest volume from the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project, reflects on the vocation of the artist. In our conversation, she explains how walking gently on the earth is part of learning responsibility and leading a life of integrity. From her perspective, vocation is about recognizing the gifts one is born with, as well as living in awe of the mystery and wonder of life and the natural world. Christi shares with us the techniques, the historical and cultural narratives, and the social justice causes that inform her artistic process. She reminds us that “our hope is in each other,” and describes how mentors helped her learn to value who each person is, rather than what they do.

Geoffrey Bateman, a NetVUE faculty fellow and NetVUE scholar, has written extensively on the topic of supporting our LGBTQIA+ students in their vocational journeys. In our conversation, we explore strategies for mentoring queer students and discuss how to build inclusive practices in vocation work, both in classrooms and across campus. By taking action in local environments, listening for shifts in professional pathways, and honoring all facets of identity, educators can help individuals and communities to flourish. As part of the practice of vocational exploration, “walking the talk” by connecting to community groups and organizations can build resilience and foster relationships with those on the margins, supporting the well-being of all.

Kathleen Fitzpatrick, author of Generous Thinking: A Radical Approach to Saving the University, imagines that higher education can innovate for change in ways that allow campuses and communities to flourish. Throughout our conversation, we explore the benefits of public facing scholarship, digital literacy, and discovering new ways for educators, students, and community members to learn and collaborate. Education, as a calling, is a “generous practice” that can be filled with joy when we work to think with others. Vocation, then, invites us to think about the virtues and values we want to see in our work, and about our willingness to transform.

Anantanand Rambachan's career as a teacher, scholar, and activist has been grounded in a “thirst for the sacred.” Anant is a scholar of Hinduism and interreligious studies and is professor emeritus of religion, philosophy, and Asian studies at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. In this conversation, he discusses his experience as a Hindu scholar at a Lutheran institution, the importance of dialogue, wisdom for the different stages of life, and our obligations for justice and the common good. Through it all, Anant's gifts as a teacher are on display through his cultivation of reverence for students and his understanding of the classroom as a sacred space.

 Rabbi Sarah Bassin works for the world's oldest refugee agency, the nonprofit organization HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society). In the episode, Sarah reflects on the paradoxes of leadership as part of the call to live for the sake of others. She speaks to the power of seeing and acknowledging others' pain, even while acknowledging and drawing on one's own pain. Through the lens of social justice, she explores what it means to be a “boundary crosser,” and addresses contemporary events while offering sources of hope in the midst of crisis.

As Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School, and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Miroslav Volf is one of the most influential Christian theologians of this generation. He is also someone who cares deeply about issues of vocation and human flourishing. In this episode, we talk with Miroslav about his latest book, Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most (co-authored with Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz), and the “Life Worth Living” course that they teach at Yale University. In the process, Miroslav reflects on his own life as well as on important vocational themes such as “deep hunger,” the challenge of privilege, and pedagogies of exploration.

Shirley Hoogstra has been an elementary school teacher, a litigator, a vice president for student life at Calvin University and, since 2014, the president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). In this conversation, she discusses vocational pivots, risk taking, effective leadership, the meaning of Christian higher education, and her passion for marginalized and underrepresented populations. She also emphasizes the deep courage and grace that beckon us in our callings and that are desperately needed in today's world.

Katharine Hayhoe's influence on conversations about climate change is known to many through her vibrant and engaging social media presence. As a distinguished professor at Texas Tech University and the author of the recently published Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, she uses her platform to educate and to inform. Katharine speaks openly as a deeply committed Christian about how she is called to be a scientist, using her work to shed light on the ways climate change affects the most vulnerable. Even in the face of crisis, she invites everyone to see that hope is not the same as optimism or wishful thinking; it is a practice that can encourage individuals to act and address pressing issues, including this one. She suggests that we are being called to care for each other and our world.

Well before vocation and calling developed their current popularity, Parker Palmer was recognized as one of the foremost scholars, authors, and speakers on the topic. In this conversation, he shares profound and honest answers about paying attention to our mistakes—along with our achievements—when describing our callings. Parker's commitment to the value of listening, to reflection in community, and to resisting easy answers emerges with humor and grace. His insights about what it means to be human offer listeners ways to think about life deeply and holistically. This conversation with the writer of Let Your Life Speak (and many other books on vocation and calling) emphasizes the importance of acknowledging both the shadow and light as we affirm our connectedness to each other. In his words, “we are all walking each other home.”

Norman Wirzba's research, writing, and teaching explore the overlap between theology and ecology, working to address major environmental issues such as climate crisis and food insecurity. In this conversation, we discuss aspects of agrarian living, freedom and fidelity, and the importance of kinesthetic learning. His emphasis on our relationship to the land as a relationship with others—as an expression of love—reminds us of the communal callings in every aspect of our lives. Vocation is a reflection of our rootedness in place and commitment to others, calling us to be agents of repair in the world. 

This bonus episode features highlights from conversations that aired during the third season of Callings. In these clips, our guests offer advice for today's students and for anyone who teaches or mentors young adults. Listen to this compilation of insightful and interesting advice from Rowan Williams, Thema Bryant, Rainn Wilson, Richard Sévère, Meghan Sullivan, Deanna Thompson, Shaun Casey, and Kristin Kobes Du Mez.

Rainn Wilson—best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on the sitcom The Office—is an actor, comedian, and the author of the recently published Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution. While sharing funny and wise insights about his career and experiences in life, Rainn reflects on the intertwining of one's artistic and spiritual journeys. He also explores the nuances in words such as joy and happiness, and walks us through how failure can also prepare you for a breakthrough—even if you bomb on Broadway (as he claims he did). Rainn believes that education should be about learning widely and deeply, which speaks to his commitment to what he calls “otherishness”—replacing “selfishness” with care for others and curiosity about the world. 

Richard Sévère shares his approach to mentoring, friendship, and vocation in this episode, drawing in part from his work with first-generation students and students from the Black diaspora. As a professor of English and interim associate dean at Valparaiso University, Richard shares how purposefully connecting with colleagues and students to hear their stories can allow a sense of difference to inform vocational discernment. Such intentional conversations foster an exploration of life, identity, and diversity that can build students' confidence and a willingness to explore all aspects of a college experience. In such moments, vocational discernment emerges as an “investment of time.”

Part of our call as educators is to prepare students for a dynamic and complicated world. Paul Hanstedt helps us understand how vocation and pedagogy intersect. He is author of Creating Wicked Students: Designing Courses for a Complex World and directs the Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning at Washington and Lee University. Our conversation explores reflective practices, questioning, and listening in the classroom. He offers ways to disrupt patterns and discover fresh approaches for collaborative learning and exploration. Paul's emphasis on preparing students for the difficulties of life—and engaging in big questions from the first semester through the last—ultimately challenges us to ask students, “what matters?” 

Ever since the publication of her New York Times bestselling book, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation (2020), Kristin Kobes Du Mez has been in the middle of intense public debates about faith, nationalism, and gender in American Evangelicalism. In our conversation, Kristin shares some of the story behind that story, reflecting on the role that historical research plays in public life — as well as the choices, controversies, and hopes that continue to shape her vocational journey. She also reflects on her calling as professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

How does experience with trauma inform, and transform, our vocations? Our guest, Deanna Thompson, helps us understand how suffering shapes us and how our vocational frameworks might integrate sadness. Deanna's journey with incurable cancer informs her role not only as a scholar and writer, but as a professor of religion at St. Olaf College, where she explores with students how vocation can be framed by unresolved questions and the paradoxes of despair and hope. Throughout this conversation, Deanna expands our views of the world—via digital platforms, interfaith friendships, and the communal experience of sadness alongside joy. Deanna poignantly captures what it means to be called to “this” rather than “that,” and how to accept the callings we didn't expect or choose. The conversation evokes the experience of sharing sacred ground.

Meghan Sullivan teaches philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, where she also directs a program on God and the Good Life. Meghan's newest book, co-authored with Paul Blaschko, is titled The Good Life Method: Reasoning through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning. In our conversation, Meghan talks about the philosopher in all of us. She describes how philosophy bridges the active and reflective life, noting how strongly students yearn to explore life's significant questions such as the meaning of work, love, and suffering. She draws on her extensive experience teaching about the good life and reminds all of us how our work can contribute to helping students “care for the soul.”

Rowan Williams is a professor, public theologian, author, poet, and one of the most recognized Christian leaders of our era. Most notably, from 2002 to 2012, he served as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury which is the senior leadership position in the Church of England and the ceremonial head of the Anglican Communion worldwide. In this conversation, Rowan reflects on his vocational development and shares insight and wisdom about public leadership, contemplative practice, dialog, and “common ground.” His insights into teaching and learning, from his years both in the parish and in the academy, emphasize what he sees as the core of education: joy.

Shaun Casey's work explores the overlapping concerns among religion, diplomacy, and public life. Trained as a theologian with an interest in public policy, Shaun held many academic positions before he was called to set up the Office of Religion and Global Affairs at the U.S. State Department by Secretary of State John Kerry. In this conversation, Shaun offers us ways to think about vocations that have a public face and to consider how we might contribute to the major issues of contemporary life. He reflects on the importance of sitting down and talking together to find common ground. He also shares stories from his time at the State Department, some of which he chronicles in his new book, Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom: The Future of Religion in American Diplomacy. A common theme emerges as Shaun discusses his career in higher education, government, and public affairs: hope. 

Thema Bryant is the president-elect of the American Psychological Association, as well as a clinical psychologist, professor, and an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She describes a deep sense of calling in her life in terms of an “overarching theme of healing.” In our conversation, Thema discusses liberation psychology, the relationship between faith and therapy, the healing power of poetry and dance, and the opportunities and limitations of social media in vocational discernment. In all this, she explores what it might mean to find one's home, to heal, and to be a healer.

Meghan Slining, an epidemiologist and public health professor, shares how we might model compassion and love as we address burnout and support vocations that serve the public good. After five semesters marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities are still assessing the impact of the many losses and changes that we have experienced, both individually and collectively. In our conversation with Meghan, we explore how vocations develop at the intersections of diverse disciplines and experiences, as well as how we can help prepare young people for sustainable vocations—what Meghan calls “vocations for the long haul.” She reminds us about the power of pausing, which can allow us to recognize when our heart is hurting for others, even as we keep our hearts wide open in our vocational journey.   

This bonus episode features highlights from conversations that aired during the second season of Callings. Our guests offer advice for students today, but the advice is also helpful for anyone who teaches or mentors young adults. Listen to this compilation of insightful and interesting advice from Andy Chan, Marjorie Hass, Tim Clydesdale, Mary Dana Hinton, Jason Mahn, Patrick Reyes, and Stephanie Johnson. 

Jon Malesic explores the gap between the ideals and reality of work in his new book, The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives. In our conversation, Jon shares how we can imagine new cultural narratives of work and purpose and affirm the dignity of individuals, regardless of the sense of identity that we may gain from paid employment. Jon explains how (what he thought was) his dream job almost ruined his life, how the best spiritual practice may be “just getting over it,” and the complexities of the language of vocation and mission. Jon's emphasis on belonging and innovation—in life and work—reveals why “knowing oneself” can ultimately result in finding radical hope. 

How might literary studies expand our understanding of vocation? In this episode we hear from two English professors who have explored this question in depth. Stephanie Johnson (The College of St. Scholastica) and Erin Van Laningham (Loras College) are co-editors of a new book on the subject: Cultivating Vocation in Literary Studies (Edinburgh University Press, 2022). Together, they observe that the imaginative work required by the close reading of texts can help us as we discern our callings—including those moments that the author George Eliot appreciated as our inevitable “blunders” in life. This new collection of essays, and our conversation, reveal how disciplinary expertise can expand our understanding of what it means to “dwell in possibility.” 

Richard Hughes—whose scholarship ranges across religious history, vocation, and the role of race in American religious culture—joins us for a conversation about some “troublesome questions” that have driven his thinking and scholarly work. An accomplished storyteller, Richard shares with us significant moments of rejection and criticism in his life and how these made him reconsider his most deeply held beliefs. Richard reflects on the influence of Victor Frankl, Robert Bellah, James Noel, and Martin Marty on his life and work. As he unpacks his new “memoir-of-sorts,” The Grace of Troublesome Questions: Vocation, Restoration, and Race, he reminds us of the ways that “losing oneself” can be a gift. Our vocations are not “tickets to the good life,” but rather moments to live into difficulties and challenges—and to hear how we need to change. 

In this interview, Tim Clydesdale talks about living intentionally—and about what it means to serve through one's vocation. Building on his influential book The Purposeful Graduate and his subsequent research on twenty-somethings, Tim shares his expertise and empathy for young adults in their vocational journey. He emphasizes the importance of many conversation partners, understanding our common hopes and interests, and how to affirm those “good citizens” that we meet along the way. Listeners will also be interested in Tim's comments about his tattered copy of Habits of the Heart, New Jersey diners, and how being a young adult today is like trying to navigate the LA freeway system at rush hour. 

Our guest in this episode is Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, who previously served as president of Rhodes College and of Austin College. Her recent book, A Leadership Guide for Women in Higher Education, stems from conversations with women leaders over many years. In her responses to our questions about calling, leadership, and times of personal as well as institutional crisis, Marjorie drew upon a set of images and metaphors from her own Jewish tradition. For her, calling is first and foremost about responsibility—that is, our ability to respond—as Abraham and others did. She reminds us that when Jacob wrestled with the angel, he received the blessing but forever afterward walked with a limp. 

Our guest, Tom Landy, is director of the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. A longtime leader in higher education and vocation-related initiatives, Tom is founder of Collegium, a summer colloquy on faith and intellectual life. He is also co-editor of Becoming Beholders: Cultivating Sacramental Imagination and Action in College Classrooms, which includes various essays on how we can encourage students to develop imagination and reflection in their learning. Our conversation highlights the steady patience that vocational discernment entails, as well as the space vocation programming can provide to consider important questions, such as “what do we need to leave behind in order to become the people we are called to be?” Tom talks about pilgrimages, Max Weber, and how a “hermeneutic of wonder” can prompt imaginative acts that help us better experiment with our callings.  

As a young girl in Kittrell, North Carolina, Mary Dana Hinton never imagined she might one day become the president of a college. Driven by a life-long calling to educational equity, she became the 13th president of Hollins University in August 2020 after serving as president of the College of Saint Benedict for many years. In this conversation she shares that on some days her calling feels heavy, and yet the inspiration of her hard-working mother, the encouragement from early mentors, and the uplifting teachings of the black church keep her going. President Hinton chooses to “lead from the margins,” and speaks about the importance of the balance between strength and vulnerability. 

In this episode, we interview Patrick Reyes about his new book, The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive. Patrick speaks with urgency about our need to lean into the diversity of colleges and universities so that we might be most effective in addressing “the purpose gap” that exists for many students of color. Inviting new metaphors, Patrick suggests that we see our work in vocational exploration in terms of a constellation, operating collaboratively to move entire communities forward (rather than singling out individual “stars”). This process will need to involve significant reflective questioning, an openness to receiving feedback, and above all, love—which Patrick describes as an inheritance from his grandmother and his ancestors.  Patrick's words of advice will resonate with faculty and students alike: be courageous, because future generations depend upon our boldness.

During the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jason Mahn began chronicling his “wondering and wanderings,” which are now published under the title Neighbor Love Through Fearful Days: Finding Purpose and Meaning in a Time of Crisis (Fortress, 2021). In this episode, we talk with Jason about his “in the moment” reflections about how we commit ourselves to loving our neighbors during times of social distancing, quarantine, protest, and social unrest. He writes about the threat of white supremacy, the challenges of repentance, and the importance of mundane acts. He urges us to resist stories that are too tidy in their resolution. Jason Mahn is Conrad Bergendoff Chair in the Humanities and director of the Presidential Center for Faith and Learning at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. He was a contributor to NetVUE's second scholarly resources project volume, Vocation across the Academy, as well as the Vocation Matters blog. He is also a member of the NetVUE Advisory Council.  

In this episode, we talk with Andy Chan, Vice President for Innovation and Career Development at Wake Forest University. We ask Andy about the ways vocation and career overlap, as well as how we might help students rethink success. The provocative title of his TED talk, “Why Career Services Must Die,” is a rallying cry for how the academy can better integrate questions of career and purpose throughout all aspects of the college experience. For Andy, innovation is not just about novelty for its own sake, but about “creating value in new ways that meets the needs of those you serve, and also aligns with who you are and what you value.” Sharing some significant moments in his own vocational journey, Andy emphasizes the importance of “situational mentors” along the way.  Andy helps us see that the categories of mission, core values, and our students' passions can help us reimagine more instrumentalist models of “career services” as forms of vocational exploration and discernment. 

This bonus episode features highlights from conversations that aired during the first season of Callings. We often ask our guests what advice they might offer to young adults today, and their answers are varied as they are thought-provoking. Listen to this compilation of good advice from insightful people, including Darby Ray, Eboo Patel, Amanda Tyler, Rabbi Rachel Mikva, Father Dennis Holtschneider, and Shirley Showalter. 

In this episode we talk with Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee, which is headquartered on Capitol Hill and advocates for religious freedom for all (a mission that now includes confronting the challenge of Christian nationalism). Drawing on her experience as a trial lawyer and a leader in the not-for-profit sector, Amanda shares with us the ways we are called to walk a line between fidelity to the past and stewardship for the future. She also offers sage advice about vocational reflection and discernment, including the value of internships and the need to seek mentors throughout one's life. Our vocations unfold, she observes, as we focus on the next move and not the whole game on the chessboard of life.

After serving for many years as the president of Goshen College, Shirley Showalter has written an engaging memoir about growing up in a Mennonite community and her efforts to negotiate the lures of the “glittering world.” In this conversation, she shares how she came to write Blush, describes what that process taught her about narrative and story, and reflects on the ambiguities of humility and pride. With a forthcoming book (co-written with Marilyn McEntyre) about grandparenting and becoming an elder, Shirley has much to offer about life's transitions, including the importance of daily habits of reflection. She encourages us to be wary of pre-fabricated advice from others: “Your vocation to yourself and to your own spirit is your highest vocation.” 

In this episode, we talk with Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU). Fr. Dennis shares his insights about leadership and our common call to listen to one another — even when we hold strongly opposing views. He also challenges us to consider “interruption stories,” those moments when we are called to respond to a compelling human need. Drawing on his experience as a teacher, university president, and leader in the healthcare industry, Fr. Dennis considers the ethics of care, our duty to one another, and the importance of “being political” for the common good. From our guest's chance encounter with Joe Biden to how C.S. Lewis worked for him as a kind of “gateway drug to the heavier stuff,” we get glimpses into a life that would have been “only half as interesting had it been planned.”

In this episode, we speak with Rabbi Rachel Mikva, longstanding contributor to NetVUE and author of the new book Dangerous Religious Ideas: The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Beacon, 2021). In the book, she probes the ways that the dangers that lurk in our religious identities and convictions can be a force for good or for evil. Rachel unpacks how critique of one's own tradition—what she calls self-critical faith—can help facilitate conversation about religion in the public sphere. When we engage in such self-critique, we can begin to live our commitments and our callings through what she describes as a “hermeneutic of grace.” We talk with Rachel about the book, her own sense of calling, and what vocation can mean when it feels like the world is coming to an end. 

In this new episode, we talk to Paul Wadell and Charlie Pinches, authors of the new book Living Vocationally: The Journey of the Called Life (Cascade Books, 2021). The authors note that, while we live in a moralizing time, we have a limited vocabulary for describing issues of morality and character with any degree of nuance. They turn to the language of the virtues in order to capture the subtleties of the moral life and to help equip us for whatever life may send our way. The virtue of hope, in particular, accompanies us as we journey through a “bigger story” that encompasses all the seasons of our lives. Born out of the authors' longstanding friendship, the book is also enriched by their many years of teaching undergraduates (Paul at St. Norbert College and Charlie at the University of Scranton). Enjoy this hour of reflection and storytelling about what it means to “live vocationally.”

Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), speaks passionately about work as a craft, and about the promises and pitfalls of charismatic leadership. Invoking such diverse sources as James Baldwin, William Carlos Williams, and The Grateful Dead, Patel discusses shifts in his thinking about leadership and listening as president of a non-profit over the course of the last decade. His forthcoming book explores the role of builders as opposed to critics, and he asks, how might colleges and universities help forge a new generation of builders? What can we do to help college students delve deeper into the complex problems of our time? What might students be able to accomplish, if we relieved them of our culture's demand that they “make something of themselves,” and instead encouraged them to make something for others?

Can a person's calling be shaped by driving into a new town on Annual Trash Day? Find out in this episode, which features Darby Ray, Professor of Civic Engagement at Bates College and co-director of the NetVUE faculty seminar. Darby encourages us to undertake what she describes as “necessary homework”—attending to ourselves and to our communities—and thereby emphasizes the importance of cultural humility and awareness. Vocation can offer us an experience of beauty and joy in a dark and harrowing world, prompting the serious work of engaging with others in intentional and mutual partnerships. We also learn about Darby's mid-career call that took her from Mississippi to Maine, and how feminist and liberation theologies inform her work. Darby's essay, “Self, World, and the Space Between: Community Engagement as Vocational Discernment” appeared in the NetVUE volume At This Time and In This Place: Vocation and Higher Education (Oxford UP, 2016). She is the author of Working (2011), Incarnation and Imagination: A Christian Ethic of Ingenuity (2008), and Theology That Matters: Ecology, Economy, and God (2006).