While the emphasis of the SSCS is clearly on Christian spirituality, it also seeks to foster creative dialogue with non-Christian traditions of spirituality. The Society’s membership includes scholars active in a wide range of academic communities as well as artists, pastors, practitioners, and those in the helping professions—all those interested in reflecting critically on the life of the Spirit. Founded in 1991 at the American Academy of Religion (AAR) meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, the SSCS was established to facilitate the scholarly examination of spirituality and to maintain spirituality as a regular part of the AAR program. The SSCS received recognition from the AAR as a Related Scholarly Organization in May, 1992, and held its first annual meeting in San Francisco in November, 1992. The SSCS meets annually in conjunction with the AAR meeting. In addition to an annual meeting, the SSCS has launched Spiritus, a refereed, scholarly journal that aims to foster dialogue about critical issues in the field of spirituality.
The annual meetings of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality challenge me to be a better and more responsible scholar by keeping me in dialogue with others who are doing great work in the same field. They also keep me thinking freshly about why and how I teach spirituality. Our journal, Spiritus, is some of my favorite reading for the same reasons!
Mary Frohlich
Past President, SSCS