Editor’s Introduction

Spiritus is committed to producing periodic supplemental and theme issues of the journal for the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality. With this issue we—the editor as well as the editorial board—are happy to begin with our first supplement issue on the subject of Christian spirituality in an international context. Supplementary issues will be available as a third per-year issue at no additional charge to members. Themed publications will focus on important contemporary issues in the academic study of spirituality. These issues will, from time-to-time, be organized by guest editors and will be published in Spiritus as one of our standard two-per-year volumes. Normal format volumes containing quality articles on a variety of subjects in the field will continue to be published.

As editor of the journal, I am committed to continuing the high quality of Spiritus content. In addition to the more standard, varied subject volumes, I am particularly interested in focusing future supplement and themed volumes in the areas of spirituality and health care, spirituality and spiritual practice, ecology and spirituality, exploring the intersection of the deep roots of Christian spirituality with contemporary spiritual expressions, practices, and thought, and spirituality in interreligious conversation. With regard to this latter focus, we are currently working with a guest editor on Muslim-Jewish-Christian relations and scholarship.

As mentioned, we will continue to produce quality issues composed of articles, poetry, and book reviews from a varied range of perspectives that readers of the journal have come to expect. Readers and those interested in contributing to the journal are, of course, invited to inquire and contribute articles in their own particular area of focus in the field of spirituality.

Putting this issue together has come with hard work, new insight, and pleasure. I would like to thank all of the contributors for their own hard work and flexibility. I have learned much from you all.

I am pleased by the synchronicity of Spiritus’ commitment to spirituality in international contexts and the development and initiation of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality’s new ad hoc International Relations Committee (IRC). I would like to personally thank all the members of the committee for their own commitment the IRC. I am pleased that Spiritus can serve as both a forum and source of information about the work of the committee. And I would like especially to Claire Wolfteich, current Chair of the IRC for her excellent and informative introduction.