Whither Shall We Sail?

Spiritus now travels into a new set of editorial hands. In his Unscientific Postscript, Søren Kierkegaard writes, “In the spiritual world every change of place signifies a change of the traveler herself.” Travelers change in the simple act of exchanging one place for another. In this sense place provides stability, it is permanence against which change can be measured and managed. Yet there is also a hint from Kierkegaard within that little preposition, “of,” that, over time, place itself changes: “every change of place.” In both senses, change of place itself works change in the traveler. Spiritus is itself a place. And I know that all who are associated with Spiritus and all who are members of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality—readers, writers, editors, teachers, scholars—are travelers. Spiritus, as the journal of the Society, through the hard work of the previous editors, contributors, and readers, has continuity and tradition woven through it. Yet, Spiritus too will change.

How will Spiritus change? How will it remain the same? I am not exactly sure how to answer these questions. And at this point I am happy to sit with them as questions. I have some ideas. I will rely on your ideas. I will keep my ears and heart and mind open. But while the question is valid and important, any attempt to answer such a question in a categorical tone presumes too much. At the end of a long fragment-poem, “Autumn,” the Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin writes: “it sails away/but whither shall we sail?” At the end of his poem, “it sails away, but whither?” Whither will Spiritus sail? Its sails full, it sails the currents propitus, it travels. But for now I think it is good to leave the question of “whither” open. There are so many good possibilities, so many means of navigation, so many unexpected adventures and wonders for any traveler. We can at best, perhaps, notice and honor the weather and the winds and the fates, navigate the currents and the tides, live with faith in the uncertainty of travel, find hope in the grace of any given place. And, we travel together. Already I have the Editorial Board to thank for its assistance in navigating what for me are new waters. And I look with anticipation to questions, to feedback, to letters to the editor, to suggestions from readers, contributors, and members of the Society for how best to set our sails toward future shores both familiar and new.

Finding comfort and guidance in continuity and tradition, the journal will remain as it always has been: the voice, in the language of the printed word, of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality. On the other hand, as travelers, we also set our gaze in directions of change. Readers, writers, and editors will begin to see change in Spiritus fostered by new readings and fresh explorations of the ever-renewing traditions of Christian spiritualty. These traditions are deep wells bubbling up in springs of living water. Traditions refresh, reenergize, and renew even as they provide continuity in the context of change. In this particular issue of Spiritus, our writers mostly reflect continuity, but read closely and take notice of how our authors also plant new seeds in the composted, nutrient rich and well-moistened soils of living traditions.

Future issues will reflect this continuity in the context of contemporary culture. For instance, material powers such as science, technology and economics are important partners in our travels; we will look at these with a respectful but critical eye. By focusing on tradition as well as contemporary culture, we hope to travel close to something akin to soul. Whether stalled in calm or shaken in storm, love is the activity and form of soul. Thus a first navigational guide to the “whither?” of our travel will be to converse with but, as well to critically critique the potentially oppressive, material powers of culture. Our compass for this cultural critique will be the spirit, the body and soul, the mind, the will, the ethics of social justice, which all together give...