The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence

Partha Majumdar

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13

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The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence

Partha Majumdar^*

Published in International Journal of Philosophy (Volume 14, Issue 1)

Received: 10 January 2026 Accepted: 20 January 2026 Published: 30 January 2026

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Abstract

This comprehensive treatise presents a philosophical and theological framework for labour that challenges the modern, transactional view of work, which often leads to alienation and a false hierarchy of professions. The analysis posits that all forms of work possess an inherent equality in dignity, a concept explored by deconstructing the sociological distinction between "menial" and "strategic" labour. Drawing on comparative theology—specifically the Vedantic concept of Yajna, the Protestant doctrine of vocation, Catholic Social Teaching, and the Islamic theology of Rizq—as well as empirical evidence from organisational psychology, the text argues that the value of work is determined by internal orientation rather than external status. Central to this argument is the imperative for uncompromising excellence. The notion of "easy" work is refuted through an examination of the Japanese spirit of Shokunin, the psychological principles of deliberate practice, and theological arguments which frame quality craftsmanship as a moral and spiritual obligation. Excellence is thus presented not merely as a performance metric but as a form of spiritual discipline and reverence for the task’s intrinsic demands. This intense commitment to process is complemented by a doctrine of providential determinism regarding outcomes. By synthesising the Vedantic principle of Prarabdha Karma with the Islamic concept of Rizq, the treatise argues that material recompense is cosmically fixed. This belief is framed as a liberating force, freeing the worker from the anxiety of results and the corrosion of envy, thereby enabling a state of detached diligence, or Nishkama Karma, where effort is focused solely on the quality of the action. Ultimately, the analysis concludes that this model of a "Sanctified Vocation"—a synthesis of divine assignment, process excellence, and acceptance of material destiny—offers a robust and sustainable antidote to the modern crisis of meaning in the workplace, transforming labour from a mere economic transaction into a profound path for spiritual integration, dignity, and inner peace.

Published in	International Journal of Philosophy (Volume 14, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13
Page(s)	21-34
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Sanctified Vocation, Equality of Work, Imperative of Excellence, Determinism of Providence, Comparative Theology of Work

References

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[2]	Brother Lawrence (n.d.). Real Prayer: “The Practice of the Presence of God”. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://www.sloww.co/practice-presence-god-brother-lawrence/
[3]	Chakraborty, S. K. (2001, January). Management and Ethics Omnibus: Management by Values, Ethics in Management, Values and Ethics for Organizations. Oxford University Press. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://ideas.repec.org/b/oxp/obooks/9780195656237.html
[4]	Dempsey, D. (2015, April 27). The Way Of The Shokunin. Tufts University. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://dl.tufts.edu/downloads/f4752t98t?filename=0z7097603.pdf
[5]	Gibson, C., Thomason, B., Margolis, J., Groves, K., Gibson, S., & Franczak, J. (2023, January 24). Dignity Inherent and Earned: The Experience of Dignity at Work. Academy of Management Annals. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/annals.2021.0059
[6]	Jones, C. (2017). The value of work and the future of the Left. Counterfutures 4. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://counterfutures.nz/4/Jones.pdf
[7]	Luther, M. (n.d.). “Wisdom at Work”: Quotations on Work and Vocation. Trinity Press. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from http://trinity-pres.net/audio/Work-GlorifyingGodontheJob.pdf
[8]	Majumdar, P. (2025). Ancient Indian Trade and Commerce: The Civilisational Ethos of Trade, Labour, and Livelihood. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9H8R5JS
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[10]	Sayers, D. (2021, January). Why Work? C S Lewis Institute. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/why-work/
[11]	SriSwami Sivananda (1995). Practice of Karma Yoga. The Divine Life Trust Society. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://www.dlshq.org/download/practice-of-karma-yoga/
[12]	Suma, T. S., & Sunil, M. P. (2025). Karma Yoga: A strategy to address employee disengagement. Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/decisn/v52y2025i2d10.1007_s40622-025-00439-x.html
[13]	Swami Krishnananda (n.d.). The Philosophy Of The Panchadasi. The Divine Life Society. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://lakshminarayanlenasia.com/articles/Philosophy-of-the-Panchadashi-.pdf
[14]	Tiwari, A., & Sharma, R. R. (2019, November 29). Dignity at the Workplace: Evolution of the Construct and Development of Workplace Dignity Scale. PubMed Central. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6895210/
[15]	Upadhyay, S. (2025, October). A Study of Memory and Loss in Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. The Creative Launcher. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.53032/tcl.2025.10.5.14
[16]	Waheed, M. A. R. (2024, July 11). Understanding Rizq: The Islamic Perspective on Provision. Miftaah Institute. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://www.miftaah.org/articles/understanding-rizq-the-islamic-perspective-on-provision
[17]	Walli, K. (n.d.). Theory of Karman in Indian Thought. Jain Education International. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://jainqq.org/booktext/Theory_of_Karman_in_Indian_Thought_Romanized/011109
[18]	Wrzesniewski, A., & Dutton, J. E. (2001, April). Crafting a Job: Revisioning Employees as Active Crafters of Their Work. Academy of Management Review. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amr.2001.4378011

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Majumdar, P. (2026). The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence. International Journal of Philosophy, 14(1), 21-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13

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Majumdar, P. The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence. Int. J. Philos. 2026, 14(1), 21-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13

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Majumdar P. The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence. Int J Philos. 2026;14(1):21-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13,
  author = {Partha Majumdar},
  title = {The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence},
  journal = {International Journal of Philosophy},
  volume = {14},
  number = {1},
  pages = {21-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijp.20261401.13},
  abstract = {This comprehensive treatise presents a philosophical and theological framework for labour that challenges the modern, transactional view of work, which often leads to alienation and a false hierarchy of professions. The analysis posits that all forms of work possess an inherent equality in dignity, a concept explored by deconstructing the sociological distinction between "menial" and "strategic" labour. Drawing on comparative theology—specifically the Vedantic concept of Yajna, the Protestant doctrine of vocation, Catholic Social Teaching, and the Islamic theology of Rizq—as well as empirical evidence from organisational psychology, the text argues that the value of work is determined by internal orientation rather than external status. Central to this argument is the imperative for uncompromising excellence. The notion of "easy" work is refuted through an examination of the Japanese spirit of Shokunin, the psychological principles of deliberate practice, and theological arguments which frame quality craftsmanship as a moral and spiritual obligation. Excellence is thus presented not merely as a performance metric but as a form of spiritual discipline and reverence for the task’s intrinsic demands. This intense commitment to process is complemented by a doctrine of providential determinism regarding outcomes. By synthesising the Vedantic principle of Prarabdha Karma with the Islamic concept of Rizq, the treatise argues that material recompense is cosmically fixed. This belief is framed as a liberating force, freeing the worker from the anxiety of results and the corrosion of envy, thereby enabling a state of detached diligence, or Nishkama Karma, where effort is focused solely on the quality of the action. Ultimately, the analysis concludes that this model of a "Sanctified Vocation"—a synthesis of divine assignment, process excellence, and acceptance of material destiny—offers a robust and sustainable antidote to the modern crisis of meaning in the workplace, transforming labour from a mere economic transaction into a profound path for spiritual integration, dignity, and inner peace.},
 year = {2026}
}

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Author Information

Partha Majumdar

Department of Computer Science, Swiss School of Business and Management (SSBM), Geneva, Switzerland

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http://orcid.org/0009-0002-7375-8034

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Majumdar, P. (2026). The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence. International Journal of Philosophy, 14(1), 21-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13

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ACS Style

Majumdar, P. The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence. Int. J. Philos. 2026, 14(1), 21-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13

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AMA Style

Majumdar P. The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence. Int J Philos. 2026;14(1):21-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13,
  author = {Partha Majumdar},
  title = {The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence},
  journal = {International Journal of Philosophy},
  volume = {14},
  number = {1},
  pages = {21-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijp.20261401.13},
  abstract = {This comprehensive treatise presents a philosophical and theological framework for labour that challenges the modern, transactional view of work, which often leads to alienation and a false hierarchy of professions. The analysis posits that all forms of work possess an inherent equality in dignity, a concept explored by deconstructing the sociological distinction between "menial" and "strategic" labour. Drawing on comparative theology—specifically the Vedantic concept of Yajna, the Protestant doctrine of vocation, Catholic Social Teaching, and the Islamic theology of Rizq—as well as empirical evidence from organisational psychology, the text argues that the value of work is determined by internal orientation rather than external status. Central to this argument is the imperative for uncompromising excellence. The notion of "easy" work is refuted through an examination of the Japanese spirit of Shokunin, the psychological principles of deliberate practice, and theological arguments which frame quality craftsmanship as a moral and spiritual obligation. Excellence is thus presented not merely as a performance metric but as a form of spiritual discipline and reverence for the task’s intrinsic demands. This intense commitment to process is complemented by a doctrine of providential determinism regarding outcomes. By synthesising the Vedantic principle of Prarabdha Karma with the Islamic concept of Rizq, the treatise argues that material recompense is cosmically fixed. This belief is framed as a liberating force, freeing the worker from the anxiety of results and the corrosion of envy, thereby enabling a state of detached diligence, or Nishkama Karma, where effort is focused solely on the quality of the action. Ultimately, the analysis concludes that this model of a "Sanctified Vocation"—a synthesis of divine assignment, process excellence, and acceptance of material destiny—offers a robust and sustainable antidote to the modern crisis of meaning in the workplace, transforming labour from a mere economic transaction into a profound path for spiritual integration, dignity, and inner peace.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Sanctified Vocation: A Treatise on the Divine Ontology of Labour, the Imperative of Excellence, and the Determinism of Providence
AU  - Partha Majumdar
Y1  - 2026/01/30
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13
T2  - International Journal of Philosophy
JF  - International Journal of Philosophy
JO  - International Journal of Philosophy
SP  - 21
EP  - 34
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7455
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20261401.13
AB  - This comprehensive treatise presents a philosophical and theological framework for labour that challenges the modern, transactional view of work, which often leads to alienation and a false hierarchy of professions. The analysis posits that all forms of work possess an inherent equality in dignity, a concept explored by deconstructing the sociological distinction between "menial" and "strategic" labour. Drawing on comparative theology—specifically the Vedantic concept of Yajna, the Protestant doctrine of vocation, Catholic Social Teaching, and the Islamic theology of Rizq—as well as empirical evidence from organisational psychology, the text argues that the value of work is determined by internal orientation rather than external status. Central to this argument is the imperative for uncompromising excellence. The notion of "easy" work is refuted through an examination of the Japanese spirit of Shokunin, the psychological principles of deliberate practice, and theological arguments which frame quality craftsmanship as a moral and spiritual obligation. Excellence is thus presented not merely as a performance metric but as a form of spiritual discipline and reverence for the task’s intrinsic demands. This intense commitment to process is complemented by a doctrine of providential determinism regarding outcomes. By synthesising the Vedantic principle of Prarabdha Karma with the Islamic concept of Rizq, the treatise argues that material recompense is cosmically fixed. This belief is framed as a liberating force, freeing the worker from the anxiety of results and the corrosion of envy, thereby enabling a state of detached diligence, or Nishkama Karma, where effort is focused solely on the quality of the action. Ultimately, the analysis concludes that this model of a "Sanctified Vocation"—a synthesis of divine assignment, process excellence, and acceptance of material destiny—offers a robust and sustainable antidote to the modern crisis of meaning in the workplace, transforming labour from a mere economic transaction into a profound path for spiritual integration, dignity, and inner peace.
VL  - 14
IS  - 1
ER  -

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