For over a decade Transpositions has been a catalyst for conversations about theology, the arts and the connection between them. Previously, as an associate editor, I have had the privilege of working with authors and editors who value this conversation and who see in it the significance of probing the depths of our creative and spiritual experiences.
Stepping into the role of editor-in-chief is precisely a stepping-into this conversation, an opportunity for which I am grateful. I’m indebted to those conversation-starters and partners who have come before me in this role. In particular, I want to extend thanks to my immediate predecessor Ewan Bowlby, whose guidance has been encouraging to me and many others, and whose leadership is marked by a unique incisiveness and thoughtfulness. It’s my aim to implement the kind of leadership exhibited by Ewan and, with the indispensable support of the editorial team, to promote dialogue.
This dialogue is indelibly characterized by the diversity of interests of the authors and readers who make Transpositions what it is. Exploring our creative and spiritual realities is not an uncomplicated inquiry; we question our identities, we encounter paradoxes, we attempt to navigate the complexities of communication, pain and joy. We try to untangle the world and, in the process, discover ourselves playing a part in its creation. The tenacious curiosity and acuity of our authors and readers drive this exploration. It’s a privilege to help foster this exploration, and I’m excited to see how it will continue shaping research within theology and the arts.
As with any good story, a new chapter is always dependent upon the previous chapters. And the beginning of this new chapter is similar to those before it. As Ewan has rightly said, this transitions within Transpositions is an invitation to readers, authors and artist to think more and to say more about our artistic and theological situations. This continual invitation, I think, is one of the great successes of Transpositions; it’s not only an invitation for the present but also an invitation to hope that what we think and say and create can be part of conversations yet to come.
