Piper Curda

Vocations and the Liberal Arts

First Corinthians 12:27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a

part of it” (New International Version). This means that we all have gifts from God, and we are

all supposed to use them in a way to benefit His Kingdom. This is called vocation. It is important

to understand the purpose of vocation. Gilbert Meilander writes that “the efficient cause of one’s

calling is God” (233), meaning that whatever it is that we see as our vocation—whether it be

teaching, singing, accounting, etc.—we must do it in an effort to glorify God. A Christian liberal

arts education can help us do just that. From my point of view, a Christian liberal arts education

will prepare me to pursue God’s calling for my life by developing a broad understanding of

cultures, belief systems, and world perspectives that (1) will prepare me to approach and engage

with all of God's people regardless of the professional job I pursue, (2) will arm me with the

ability to approach the world from a number of different perspectives while maintaining a

Christian worldview, and (3) will allow me to further my relationship with God.

Academic subjects that comprise liberal arts include literature, philosophy, mathematics,

and the social and physical sciences and are considered distinct from professional and technical

subjects applicable to a specialized field or specific job. Christian liberal arts colleges require

their students to study these subjects but also require the professors teaching these subjects to do

so within a Christian context. Because the liberal arts cover a multitude of subjects, it is common

that the knowledge gained from a liberal arts education will benefit a student no matter what his

or her vocation may be. This can be especially true in regards to a Christian liberal arts

education. Through studying subjects such as world religion, urban sociology, or cross-cultural

psychology, students can gain a broader understanding of different cultures, religions, and

worldviews. As a Christian, learning in this manner can help me engage with God’s creation and
God’s people more effectively and with a better understanding of their lives. This would be an

advantage for me no matter what kind of job I pursue given most jobs involve communicating

and building a community with those around you. C.S. Lewis touches on this by writing that

“there is no question of a compromise between the the claims of God and the claims of culture,

or politics, or anything else. God’s claim is infinite and inexorable…yet in spite of this it is clear

that Christianity does not exclude any of the ordinary human activities” (47). With this

statement, Lewis means that even though things like culture or politics are nearly irrelevant in

comparison to God, they are still prevalent in today’s society; and just because someone is a

Christian does not mean that they should ignore things that are not.

A Christian liberal arts education can also help me make sense of the world around me

using a number of different lenses while still maintaining a Christian perspective. A Christian

liberal arts education is all of the subjects involved in a regular liberal arts education integrated

into a holistic view of God and His creation. Studying this range of subjects from a Christian

perspective is helpful because it can endow students with more expansive knowledge and a well-

rounded view of the world and the ability to think critically while also helping them uphold

Christian morals and beliefs. Personally, I believe learning new things while still keeping God at

the center will help me do the same in my life after college. I will be able to gain new

perspectives and develop new skills while always remembering my personal perspective and

knowing, ultimately, from whom these new skills are coming. This is valuable in terms of

vocation because often people pursue a vocation that does not seem rooted in the Kingdom of

God. This is not a bad thing so long as one is able to remember what vocation is all about.

Honoring God comes in many forms, and some forms are completely unrelated to the church.
However, by being able to view things within a Christian context, one can give glory to God no

matter what career he or she pursues.

Lastly, a Christian liberal arts education can further students’ relationships with God

which will, in turn, aid them in pointing people back to Him through whatever career they

choose. Christian liberal arts schools have extra general education requirements such as New and

Old Testament classes, Christian thought classes, and evangelism classes. These classes involve

students engaging deeper with the Bible, scripture, and theology as well as growing in their

personal relationships with God. In doing so, these classes prepare students to approach their

vocation with a stronger connection to Christ. N.T. Wright expands on the importance of

understanding Jesus in relation to vocation saying that “what the Christian believes about Jesus

generates a narrative within which one is called to live;” and studying things like scripture

enables us to “glimpse the task before us and to become the sort of people through whom that

task can be attempted and accomplished” (190). Speaking from a personal point of view, I

believe that it is important to be strongly rooted in Christ before taking on His greater purpose

for my life.

A liberal arts education is beneficial for a number of reasons and a Christian liberal arts

education is beneficial for dozens more. In my personal opinion and experience, studying

Christian liberal arts will prepare me to live God’s calling for my life by enabling me to engage

with people from different cultures who have different worldviews, encouraging me to

understand the world from different perspectives while still cultivating my own Christian

perspective, and allowing me to grow in my relationship with God. I am here on this Earth to

serve a purpose that God created for my life, and a Christian liberal arts education will help me

do exactly that.
 Works Cited

Lewis, C.S. The Weight of Glory And Other Addresses. The MacMillan Company, 1949.

Meilander, Gilbert. Leading Lives that Matter: What We Should Do and Who We Should Be.

Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2006.

The Bible. 1 Corinthians 12:27. New International Version, Biblica, 1973.

Wright, N.T. Simply Christian. HarperCollins Publishers, 2006.