This is an important addition to the many resources on 'calling'. Swallow Prior does an excellent job differentiating calling, career and passion and the book is relevant for all stages of life.

I appreciated how in the second half of the book she focused on calling reflecting truth, goodness and beauty, however, thought these ideas were a little too detailed for such a small book.

I loved how she wrapped it up at the end:

"Your calling should fit like a good suit fitted well for your body shape." I understand that image perfectly.

I was fortunate to receive an early ebook copy from Brazos via NetGalley, however, this has had no bearing on my review.

Excellent, informative, thoughtful book. Thoroughly enjoyed and will be recommending to my reading communities.

I found myself saying ‘Yes’ out loud a few times, as I read this excellent book. Karen Swallow Prior articulates clearly many of the ideas I have been thinking about in relation to careers, passion, calling and jobs. Other ideas were new and will require some pondering.

This book is not only beautifully written and easy to read, but it is practical and sensible. The author has spent many years mentoring young people and knows their dreams and foibles. It is a book that I would recommend to any twenty-something starting out their adult life but is also useful for much older readers processing their attitudes to work and life. It unpicks commonly held cultural values and exposes them for the misleading philosophies they represent. While ‘You Have a Calling’ seems to be primarily written for a United States audience, it applies to those of us outside this country as well. I highly recommend this book.

Karen Swallow Prior offers a thoughtful and refreshing exploration of vocation in You Have a Calling. Drawing from her unique perspective as an English scholar, Prior weaves together theology, literature, and lived experience in a way that feels both intellectually rich and deeply personal. Her decision to frame the discussion of calling through the lens of the transcendentals—truth, goodness, and beauty—was, in my view, a stroke of genius. This approach not only broadens our understanding of vocation beyond career or duty but also anchors it in the larger story of God’s purposes.

For anyone seeking a deeper theological grounding for their sense of purpose, especially those who appreciate the intersection of faith and the humanities, this is a worthwhile read.

You Have A Calling by Karen Swallow Prior is a book that seeks to clarify what our callings are and clarify the difference between our jobs and our vocations (callings), which may or may not be the same. We have a romanticized view of calling and in today’s social media world there is much distortion. The author does a good job of explaining this and clarifying erroneous ways we’ve come to think about calling. This would be a great book for students just starting out after high school, but it’s also relevant to all the stages of life because calling is not about doing but being and with experience (age) comes wisdom and knowledge that bring much to relationships.
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I always enjoy Prior’s writing style. She reminds me what good reading feels like! This is a short book but there is lots to reflect on in the pages.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Brazos Press and Baker Academics for providing this ARC with my pre-order of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really appreciate Swallow Prior's approach to this topic. This book is not a "3 easy ways to discern your calling" how-to guide. Rather, it is an invitation to an approach to and way of thinking about our callings. And the turn to the transcendentals and their role in our calling - both the discerning and pursuit thereof - was an unexpected and very helpful shift.

I wish I could have read Karen Swallow Prior’s latest book, You Have a Calling, as a young adult, but it’s never too late to refine our understanding of the way our work reflects the image of God through truth, goodness, and beauty. This turns my attention to how my gifts and abilities can be used by God in the service of my neighbor. Rather than rummaging around in my emotional entrails to discover how I feel about the thing I’m doing, I’m free to find fulfillment in doing the next thing—even if I don’t get paid for the work I’m most passionate about.

Prior helps me to see that I am in partnership with God in my vocation or calling, and that even the way I perceive the brokenness of the world is a clue to the way God wants me to use my gifts. Since the church’s need for biblical literacy pains me like a pebble in the shoe, I’ll keep on writing and teaching, sharing good resources, and using every opportunity to help my readers become confident Christ followers and students of God’s Word.

Most fascinating to me was the author’s musings on truth, goodness, and beauty, and the inherent relationship among the three. We’re used to hearing people say, “All truth is God’s truth,” but when do we ever hear, “All goodness is God’s goodness,” or “All beauty is God’s beauty”? He’s behind all that’s true, good, and beautiful, and he has invited his image bearers to find our greatest fulfillment in adding to the truth, goodness, and beauty of his world. In this, we discover our true calling as we do, faithfully and well, the work we’ve been given to do.

I enjoyed this short book by Karen Swallow Prior as she lays out the reminder that even our everyday lives have a purpose and we can live out the higher calling as we preform the basic duties of out everyday lives even if we don't see anything spiritual in them. I have a good friend who has recently left full time ministry to take on teaching in a public middle school and I was thinking about him often when I read this book as he is now finding his purpose in feeding into young minds and there is a higher calling in that. I have also taken a step back in regards to ministry within my church for a variety of reasons, and this book reminded me that service in my local church body is not the only way to be living out my calling, that I do it everyday with my friends and coworkers. I will be looking to purchase this book when it is released for myself and a few friends.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

If you are in a waiting season, If you don't know where to turn next or just need a reminder of your purpose on this Earth, pick up this book by Karen Prior. She points believers back to the truth of the gospel. It reminds readers that even what may seem mundane in our everyday lives now, is part of our purpose and higher calling while we walk each other home.