Life calling: From religious and philosophical concepts towards a psychological construct

Abstract

The idea of life calling attracts people’s attention since ancient times. Originating in religion and philosophy, at present it gains momentum in both academic and general public discourse. In today’s fragmented and informationally dense world calling could serve as a thread that maintains coherence in life, while simultaneously inspiring creativity and change. The present article traces the emergence of that ancient idea in religious and spiritual traditions, describes its development in different philosophical concepts, as well as early psychology. Finally, it delineates the present state of the art and defines further lines of research.