FAITH, VOCATION, AND PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY IN SECULAR SOCIETIES: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEW

Religious belief and professional identity are rarely examined together in contemporary social science. Yet for millions of practitioners across health, education, and social work, faith shapes not only private life but professional motivation, ethical reasoning, and role identity. This review synthesizes sociological and psychological literature on the intersection of religious belief and vocational identity in secular professional contexts. Drawing on Weber’s concept of Beruf, Bourdieu’s field theory, and psychological models of identity conflict and meaning-making, we identify three recurring tensions: (1) the privatization pressure on religious professionals, (2) the role of faith as a source of resilience and burnout protection, and (3) the management of stigma and visibility in secular workplace cultures.