Topic summary

Vocation

A vocation (from Latin'a call, summons') is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained, or qualified. Although the term is now often used in non-religious contexts and is related to cultivating motivated, self-directed, and positively engaged individuals within organizations, its meaning originally emerged within Christianity.

A calling is also a vocation; however, it is used in the religious sense. The word refers to a religious vocation (derived from the Latin word for “call”), which may be professional or voluntary and may differ across religions. The source of such a calling may arise from within oneself, from another person for those with less personal insight, or, for those who claim heightened extrasensory perception or experience mixed brain signalling, from a perceived divine messenger.