Progressive Ethical Calling View
May 22 2025
Vocation is seen as primarily ethical and social, bringing forth a social transformation, dismantling injustice and promoting equality.
Means of discernment: Reason is important in discerning systems of oppression. Scripture, especially the teachings of Jesus and the Old Testament prophets, lays out principles of social transformation. Prayer may play a role in discernment, but personal or communal prayer practices vary widely based on individual preference and tradition. Direct supernatural revelation is less emphasized, though religious experience can play a role in an individual's vocational choices. The stand against injustice is communal, and communities play a large role in promoting and living out social transformation. Impact is a primary part of calling, but it is not quantified or compared. Impact is understood as societal transformation.
Example: A person with this view might reflect on career decisions by considering how their work can contribute to the dismantling of systemic oppression. They might focus on how their job can contribute to social transformation, whether through direct action or advocacy for change.
Comparison with the CFI view: Similar to the Progressive Ethical Calling View, CFI also emphasizes the ethical and social impact of careers; making a positive change in the world is a primary consideration for career choice in the CFI view. Many of CFI’s top cause areas tackle social problems like poverty or global problems that hit the most vulnerable hardest, like disease, and climate change.
On the other hand, CFI tends to view impact from the perspective of welfare instead of using justice as the primary lens. The two are not separate, though, and injustice is a large part of many problems CFI focuses on. CFI places more emphasis on missions (in the sense of spreading Christian faith) than the Progressive Ethical Calling View does. Some adherents of the Progressive Ethical Calling View may think that changing systems is paramount. CFI is not solely focused on systemic change and is also open to impactful interventions within existing social systems.
The Progressive Ethical Calling View is often connected with progressive Christianity, while CFI is not connected with a particular denomination or group.
Key thinkers: Jim Wallis, Shane Claiborne, Cornel West.