Dr. Karen Swallow Prior
Writer, Speaker, Scholar
Karen Swallow Prior, Ph.D. is the 2025-26 Karlson Scholar at Bethel Seminary. She is a popular writer and speaker, a contributing writer for The Dispatch, and a columnist for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vox, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and many other places. Her most recent book is You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful (Brazos 2025).
In this special episode, Courtney Moore, founder and president of Women & Work, and Courtney Powell, Director of Ministry Content, interview Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, author of our most recent book club read, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good and Beautiful.
Karen discusses the distinctions between passion, calling, and vocation, emphasizing the importance of serving others and understanding the true, good, and beautiful in discovering one’s purpose. She shares personal stories, practical advice, and philosophical insights to help women discern and live out their divine invitations.
Key Topics:
- The distinction between passion, calling, and vocation
- The role of serving others in understanding calling
- The concept of the transcendentals: truth, goodness, and beauty
- Practical steps for discerning one’s calling
- The importance of community and external calling
Chapters:
00:00—Introduction and Context Setting
03:03—Understanding Vocation and Calling
05:50—Distinguishing Passion from Calling
08:53—Personal Stories and Insights on Calling
11:56—Navigating Job Satisfaction and Fulfillment
15:03—The Role of Work in Our Lives
17:58—Serving Others Through Our Callings
21:10—Encouraging Others in Their Callings
24:10—The Transcendentals: True, Good, and Beautiful
34:00—Exploring the Transcendentals: True, Good, and Beautiful
38:03—Understanding Truth in the Context of Calling
38:57—The Importance of Self-Knowledge in Vocation
44:58—Navigating Multiple Callings and Life Transitions
50:03—Finding Light in Difficult Seasons of Calling
56:01—Transforming Obligations into Divine Invitations
Resources Mentioned:
- Dorothy Sayers, Why Work
- Elizabeth Gilbert on Distinguishing Between Hobbies, Jobs, Careers, & Vocation
- Women & Work Podcast episode 32 with Karen Swallow Prior
- Luther on Vocation
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