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 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

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).

Follow Karen on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Learn more at KarenSwallowPrior.com.

Thank you for listening! Ways you can support Women & Work:

• Become a Women & Work Partner
• Purchase our book, Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work
• Rate, subscribe, and share our show!

In this special episode, Courtney Moore, founder and president of Women & Work, and Courtney Powell, Director of Ministry Content, interview Dr. Arianna Molloy, author of our most recent book club read, Healthy Calling: From Toxic Burnout to Sustainable Work.

They cover topics with Arianna, such as:

• What is burnout?
• Why is it so prevalent, especially among those who feel called to something?
• What are the effects of burnout and the symptoms of chronic stress?
• What’s the first step to take for someone who is burned out?
• What if you can’t control the stressors in your personal life, but you still need to show up 100% for your work?
• Tell us the distinction between job, career, and calling.
• One effect of burnout is shame. Share with us what shame looks like when it comes to calling?
• How does humility fit with burnout?
• What’s the difference between humility and modesty?
• How do you make and maintain wise decisions regarding boundaries?
• What is one piece of advice you want to leave with women who are in a season of burnout?

Arianna Molloy (PhD, University of Denver) is associate professor of organizational communication at Biola University.Her research focuses on meaningful work, work as a calling, and the connection between humility and burnout in the workplace. She is an award-winning scholar and educator who has published in the International Journal of Business Communication, Communication Studies, and Christianity Today. Arianna is also a consultant for organizations, business professionals, and ministries. Arianna and her husband, Allen, have one son and enjoy running half marathons, traveling the world, and drinking good coffee.

Follow Dr. Molloy on LinkedIn and Instagram. Resources Mentioned:

• Os Guinness, Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life
• Daniel H. Pink, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing
• Brené Brown
• Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
• Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity

Thank you for listening! Ways you can support Women & Work:

• Become a Women & Work Partner
• Purchase our book, Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work
• Rate, subscribe, and share our show!

Wendy Alsup is an author and math teacher by trade. She has written several books, including I Forgive You: Finding Peace and Moving Forward When Life Really Hurts. She is a founding Member of The Pelican Project, a guild of women fostering commitment to Christian faith and practice across cultural, denominational, and racial lines. Wendy has also been a speaker at women’s Bible conferences such as the The Gospel Coalition’s Women’s Conference in 2022. She lives on her family farm with her 2 boys, 2 dogs, and 3 cats. Follow Wendy on Instagram or X. In this episode, Wendy shares:

• How she was called to both teach math and be a minister
• How math reflects the glory of God
• Working as a single mom with ongoing health concerns
• Her story as a part of Mars Hill Church where Mark Driscoll pastored
• How she navigated controversial gender issues at Mars Hill
• What she hopes readers will learn from her latest book, I Forgive You

Wendy’s other Books include:

• Companions in Suffering: Comfort for Times of Loss and Loneliness (2020 The Gospel Coalition Book Award - Christian Living)
• Is the Bible Good for Women?: Seeking Clarity and Confidence Through a Jesus-Centered Understanding of Scripture
• The Gospel-Centered Woman
• By His Wounds You are Healed: How the Message of Ephesians Transforms a Woman's Identity
• Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives

Resources Mentioned:

• The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast

Thank you for listening! If this content is helpful to you as you seek to live out your God-given calling to His glory, purchase Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work, or donate today to help us continue to produce more inspiring content!