Exploring the concepts of call and vocation in an Australian Anglican context

The past decade has seen a resurgence of interest in the concept of vocation. This trend has been centred in North America and has been accompanied by the emergence of blog spots, Twitter feeds and other social media activity focused on vocation. These discussions seek to grapple with the reality of Christian vocation in its wider sense. In Australia there has also been a renewed interest in vocation. The main thrust has come from the Roman Catholic Church in response to a decline in the number of candidates for ordination. In the Anglican Church of Australia, where there has also been a decline in ordination numbers, concerns have been raised as to whether the number of ordinations can match the retirement rate. 1 Reports from the Roman Catholic Church and the Uniting Church in Australia have attempted to address declining ordination numbers and stimulate responses to the challenge of future leadership. In the Anglican Church the beginnings of a response to this challenge is evident in discussions of the importance of vocational issues to the future of the church. Yet a healthy response to what has been described elsewhere as a crisis in ordained ministry needs to draw on a theology of vocation that does not rely entirely on inherited notions, and that recognises a broad definition of vocation. Are there, for example, unique characteristics in our Australian context that signal a need for a specifically Australian theology of vocation? Additionally, the concepts of call and vocation are now being rediscovered by social scientists. A growing body of literature is now exploring the salience of the concepts of call and vocation in a variety of work and life contexts; and how attention to these factors can enhance purpose and meaningfulness at work, and help sustain vitality on the vocational journey through the lifespan. Evidence from North America indicates that churches can usefully draw on this growing body of knowledge, clarifying our understanding of call and vocation, and, at the same time, stimulate and resource a renewed theology of vocation.