At This Time and In This Place: Vocation and Higher Education

by David S. Cunningham (editor)

Seeking to deepen current scholarly engagement with vocational exploration in both theory and practice, At This Time and In This Place champions the themes of calling and vocation as key elements of effective undergraduate education.

Growing out of a year-long seminar sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges and its Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), this book brings together a nationwide group of scholars from a variety of disciplines in order to produce new scholarly writing on this topic. It offers a historical and theoretical account of vocational reflection and discernment and also suggests how these endeavors can be carried out through specific educational practices. Attending both to the current state of higher education and to broader cultural trends, the contributors examine the contours of vocation from historical, theological, and philosophical perspectives. They consider the relationship between vocation and virtue, both of which encourage the cultivation of habits that lead to a life marked by flourishing and fulfillment-for oneself and for others. The authors also discuss how to engage students in actively reflecting on questions of meaning and purpose through classroom
conversations, co-curricular activities, programs for community engagement, and attention to a campus's physical features. At This Time and In This Place offers a compelling argument for vocational reflection and discernment in undergraduate education and represents a significant contribution to the emerging scholarly literature in this field.

Genres: Christian

376 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

David S. Cunningham is Professor of Religion and Director of the CrossRoads Project at Hope College, Michigan. He has published widely on the subjects of systematic, doctrinal and philosophical theology and Christian ethics.

He holds degrees in Communication Studies from Northwestern University, and in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Cambridge and Duke University. His works include Faithful Persuasion: In Aid of a Rhetoric of Christian Theology (Notre Dame, 1992) and These Three Are One: The Practice of Trinitarian Theology (Blackwell, 1998).

Reviews

[fc7reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as part of a book study at the university where I work. The essays provide interesting perspective regarding vocation (calling) as it relates to the traditional undergraduate student. I work with adult undergraduate and graduate school students. As a result, I spent my time with this book working at gleaning ways to apply the material to the student groups I support. The one thing I think the book is missing is a section that suggests ideas and strategies. There is a bit of this in a chapter early on, but there is no practical guide that sketches out how an organization might strategically approach the integration of vocation into curricular and co-curricular efforts as well as other interactions students have with faculty and staff.

[Cyndy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has a lot of important & relevant ideas on how to support higher education students in their search for meaning. These ideas are crucial in the college environment today, where students are increasingly detached from each other & hesitant of their futures. However, it was written in “high academic” language… overly obtuse and wordy. Written in a more accessible way, and I would have given it a 5 and recommended it to all my colleagues. As it was, I skimmed for the important bits.

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several of the essays were skippable for my purposes, but there were some gems. Part 1 and 2 produced most of my notes. Part 3 concerns virtue and vocation. If you have already read some of modern virtue discourse than it is skimmable. Although Schell's essay and the focus on loyalty was enlightening. Part 4 has to do with rituals, mostly outside the classroom. Just read a book like Desiring the Kingdom to get the gist of this section.

[Bob Wolniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of many essays about vocational/calling issues for undergrads and the universities they attend, application made within the classroom and outside it. I've rarely ever highlighted as much material or learned so much on this theme anywhere else. A must read!