Doubt as an Integral Part of Calling

Abstract

This chapter seeks to address the misleading assumption that vocational discernment should lead a person toward a clear and definitive goal. In practice, the process of finding one’s callings will necessarily be accompanied by doubt and uncertainty; in fact, the ambiguous and shadowy nature of vocation can be a positive feature. Many stories from various religious traditions remind us that even the most deeply committed and vocationally focused individuals have experienced doubt about their own callings and uncertainty about their lives. The chapter cites a range of scholarly literature on vocation to emphasize this point, then illustrates it through various elements in the Qur’an—including a detailed retelling the story of Joseph. Like Joseph, many people may retrospectively come to see how the various elements of their lives have been woven together, even if they faced a great deal of doubt and uncertainty along the way.