A novel from the best-selling author of "In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?"
The story, "The High Calling," was written at two different periods, in 1909 and 1910, and was read at two different periods, chapter by chapter, to the young people in my church, on successive Sunday evenings.
The main purpose of the story is to illustrate the value of the average family training and the final victory of the spiritual ideals over material or physical attractions. The final outcome of the struggle which Helen Douglas makes between her natural inclination to follow a life of ease and luxury, and the real training which she has received at home, is the picture of what is going on in the best homes to-day.
As my own young people gave the story a beautiful reception in their listening to it, it is my earnest hope that if the book has the good fortune to find a larger audience it may reach more young people with the same message.
Charles Monroe Sheldon was an American minister in the Congregational churches and leader of the Social Gospel movement.
His novel, In His Steps, introduced the principle of "What Would Jesus Do?" which articulated an approach to Christian theology that became popular at the turn of the 20th Century and had a revival almost one hundred years later.
Although this novel was not as popular and well known as Sheldon's "In His Steps" it is a better written novel with better delineated characters and a tighter plot.
I read The High Calling in a few settings after one abbreviated start. It was slow to build, but once I was into the story, I couldn't put it down! It was such a dear contrast to modern times and I loved pondering the massive amount of change in a century or so. The characters were warm and personable. I related to the central family and so enjoyed spending time with them as I read along. I mourned the end of the book a bit, as I felt so at-home with the characters and was sorry to see them go!
I had previously read "In His Steps" and enjoyed it. This book is very good. It takes you through many different moral dilemmas and requires you to think about what you would do in the same situation!