Chapter 3: Luther's Conception of the Calling Summary and Analysis

In Chapter 3, the German word "Beruf "is translated in English as a "calling." Through the ages, the Catholic Church and other people of classic antiquity had no history with the concept of a person having a "calling" in life. It has predominantly been a part of Protestantism. In Luther's translation of the Bible, it first appeared in Jesus Sirach. After that, the concept gained popularity and became a part of the religious consciousness of Protestantism. Prior to that, it was virtually non-existent in religious writings other than in those of a German mystic who apparently had a great influence on Luther.

It was considered that the highest station in life was the fulfillment of duty to worldly affairs which gave such activity a religious significance and conceptualized the "calling." The concept...