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'For this I was made': conflict and calling in the role of a woman priest

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posted on 2023-06-15, 14:41 authored by Adrian Madden, Catherine Bailey, Jean Kerr
There has been an increasing focus on ‘work as calling’ in recent years, but relatively few empirical sociological accounts that shed light on the experience of performing calling work. Although callings have generally been referred to as positive and fulfilling to the individual and as beneficial to society, researchers have also suggested there is a ‘dark side’ to calling, and have drawn attention to the potential conflicts and tensions inherent in the pursuit of calling, especially for women. This article explores these themes through the first-hand experiences of one woman who felt called to work as a priest. Her narrative illustrates how callings draw the individual irresistibly towards a particular line of work. It also shows how calling work can be both satisfying individually and beneficial to the wider community but, at the same time, involves sacrifice, compromise and a willingness to defer personal rewards.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Work, Employment and Society

ISSN

0950-0170

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Issue

5

Volume

29

Page range

866-874

Department affiliated with

  • Business and Management Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2014-10-16

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2016-01-13

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-01-13

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