Tending Call: A Liberation Theology of Vocation

Tending Call addresses the evolving landscape of theological education and ministry by offering a fresh vision for vocational discernment that critically engages with power dynamics, privilege, and marginalization. Inspired by the liberative pedagogy of Paulo Freire, this book asserts that theological education should empower students to reflect on their social locations, discern their unique callings, and act as faithful agents of personal and systemic transformation. It emphasizes the necessity of a holistic approach to vocational discernment that integrates spiritual formation with contextual education, attending to the intersections of identity.

Through a tapestry of personal narratives, spiritual wisdom, theological reflection, and thoughtful prompts, this book creates a space for readers to engage deeply with their own stories and experiences, discerning how their unique gifts and callings intersect with the larger work of liberation and social transformation. Organized around the evocative metaphor of seeds, growth, and abundance, the book mirrors the organic unfolding of the discernment process, inviting readers to cultivate a more authentic and embodied sense of purpose. As the author has been teaching courses on vocational discernment in seminary contextual education for over a decade, the book is organized intentionally for the practice of discernment in personal contexts and small-group contexts. The recommended readings and appended materials at the end further reflect the commitment to practical resourcing.

L. Callid Keefe-Perry is director of Contextual Education and Assistant Professor of Public Theology at Boston College's Clough School of Theology and Ministry. He is an endorsed public minister in The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) whose scholarship is deeply rooted in the Brazilian liberation tradition, particularly the works of Paulo Freire and Rubem Alves. As a religious educator and workshop facilitator he usually offers insight into the use of creative practices in spirituality, vocational discernment, organizational change, or Quaker spirituality.

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