Religious Belief, Calling, and Marginalized Communities.

This article examines the Christian religious beliefs motivating sustained engagement in neighborhood revitalization efforts with marginalized communities in Evansville, Indiana, USA. It finds that practitioners involved in such efforts experience a transcendent calling characterized by deontological (duty-based) motivations expressed through sacred values, which typically arises after initial personal exposure to marginalized neighborhoods. While utilitarian (cost-benefit) language appears in sustaining engagement, the primary impetus is obedience and faithfulness to a perceived divine mandate, often described as taking a "step of faith." The study suggests that increasing participation in neighborhood revitalization may be more effectively achieved through fostering direct exposure and mentorship rather than solely through rational argumentation.