Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 66:1 (Mar 2023)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

JETS 66:2 (March 2023) p. 163

Book Reviews

What Is My Calling? A Biblical and Theological Exploration of Christian Identity. By William W. Klein and Daniel J. Steiner. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2022, 208 pp., $21.99 paper.

The stress of figuring out one’s calling can produce much anxiety, especially if one views calling as synonymous with vocation. William Klein and Daniel Steiner encourage the readers to think more biblically and theologically about the application of the term “calling” in the life of believers. The premise of their work is that Christians have a calling in Christ that defines their identity and mission as they engage in the varied contexts and circumstances of their lives (p. 2). The combination of Klein, a professor of NT interpretation at Denver Seminary, and Steiner, a leadership coach and active member of the Denver Institute for Faith and Work, makes this text accessible for academic audiences of various levels.

The book is broken up into six chapters that analyze the use of calling and vocation from various angles. Klein and Steiner continue to narrow the focus throughout the various sections to solidify their thesis. In chapter 1, “The Landscape of Calling,” the authors lay out their premise: “Words shape culture, and culture shapes our words” (p. 5). Framing the use of calling as a culture-shifting word is brilliant, encouraging the reader to think about the difference between a theological/biblical understanding and a philosophical/experiential understanding. Throughout the text, the authors encourage a transcendent biblical understanding of the topic.

In chapter 2, “Looking in the Rearview Mirror: Calling and Vocation throughout Church History,” the historical usage of calling and vocation is used to gain a greater objectivity in appreciation of the concepts (p. 40), and the authors cite historical examples that refine our taxonomy of the terms.

In chapter 3, “Calling in the Bible,” we are taken on a thorough exegetical journey through Scripture divided into three sections: “Calling in the Old Testament” (pp. 74–78), “Calling in the Gospel and Acts” (pp. 79–85), and finally “Calling in the Epistles” (pp. 85–90). Worthy of note in this section is the discussion of the dichotomy between normative and descriptive Scripture (p. 72). In this chapter, the authors also engage the term “calling” from a hermeneutical standpoint, encouraging the reader to understand how calling has been understood eisegetically and philosophically more than biblically. They conclude that when these realities are not understood properly, believers might misapply the notions of calling and vocation.

Chapter 4, “Cross-Examining the Uses of Calling Language,” highlights the semantic range of the ...