Not Called

Book excerpt: So how do I know what I am supposed to do with my life? I hear from my pastor and the things I read that God calls people to be pastors and missionaries. Some people even talk about being called to be a doctor or a teacher. I think I remember my mom saying she felt called to be a mom. But what am I supposed to do with my life? Has God actually called me to be a high school science teacher? Should I be looking for something else? How will I know if and when he does call me or is that just for people going into ministry, after all? Not Called draws on church history, the evolution of Western societal norms, and biblical revelation to answer these and other related questions in an effort to determine if calling, as it is understood today, retains the meaning it was intended to carry from the beginning. In addition to a biblical and historical assessment of the evolution of the concept, Not Called raises both cultural and practical challenges to the contemporary meaning and use of the concept which all but excludes Christians from a non-Western, first-world cultural context.