Issue 26 of The Mockingbird Is Available to Pre-Order

Set to hit mailboxes in late February, the new issue is available to buy here. Find subscription options here!

“Holy Spirit, the life that gives life: You are the cause of all movements. You are the breath of all creatures. You are the salve that purifies our souls. You are the ointment that heals our wounds. You are the fire that warms our hearts. You are the light that guides our feet.”

— Hildegard of Bingen

Today, somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of Americans describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” That term, overly familiar now, may be most associated with census reports and anxious clergy people. But according to historian Matthew Hedstrom, “spiritual but not religious” became popular in the late 90s in tandem with online dating. Platforms like Match, using dropdown menus and check-boxes, prompted millions of singles to specify their religious beliefs. Between the easily caricatured poles of “religious” and “not” there seemed to be something appealing, possibly even sexy, about promoting oneself as “spiritual.” It meant you wouldn’t be ironing church clothes come Sunday morning, but weren’t closed off to the mysteries of the universe. You were curious, intriguing, maybe a little unpredictable. You were open to an inexplicable, transcendent encounter. Who could resist?

Incidentally, as “SBNR” rose in popularity, so did another religious category: Pentecostal and charismatic faiths, especially in the Global South. Seemingly worlds apart, these two affiliations actually share substantial overlap: a desire for something new, a hunger for surprise, an acknowledgement that deep, inexplicable, transcendent encounters are both possible and attractive.

Of course, “spirituality” and “the Holy Spirit” are not the same thing. Yet both operate in the nebulous terrain of experience; each requires you to track something invisible by its effects. For this reason, things “of the spirit” can seem suspiciously imprecise—flighty. After all, the Holy Spirit is likened to a dove in the Gospels, and Christ himself compares it to a wind which “blows where it wishes.” But if you follow along, you’ll notice a pattern. The Spirit often moves in the same direction: downward. It descends upon Mary at the conception of Jesus. It descends toward Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan. It descends as fire upon the apostles at Pentecost.

That pattern plays out in this issue, too. Essay after essay speaks to the power of the Spirit to interrupt our lives at specific points, to descend, so to speak, from celestial abstraction to lived reality. We may desire (for the sake of love, connection, or appearances) to claim ourselves as “spiritual,” but in the end, it is the Spirit who claims us. Or as Rumi put it, “What you seek is seeking you.”

Still: what is this Spirit, and how can we know it for sure? In devising this issue, we felt an immense responsibility to answer correctly. “Discernment” was a theme writers gravitated toward immediately. At the same time, the subject’s slipperiness has been part of the pleasure of putting these pages together—it has proven dynamic and exciting. And it has been a relief to remember that the Spirit is the source of creativity (Gen. 1:2-3; Ps. 104:30); and that wherever the Spirit is, there is also freedom (2 Cor. 3:17). Freedom to try, to fail, to play. In other words, we had fun putting this thing together, and hope you have fun reading it.

Dappled with new comics by artist John Hendrix, our pages also feature original illustrations by Melisa Gerecci. Personal essays convey the boldness of the theme: Elizabeth Oldfield speaks in tongues; Kylee Pastore Asirvatham perceives the Spirit amidst mental unhealth; and Stephanie Phillips contemplates the beautiful persistence of breath. Contributing scholars apply their intellects to the wilder sides of life: Linden Smith addresses the inexplicable nature of conversion; Karen Kilby humbles herself before the Trinity; James K. A. Smith looks back on the Pentecostalism of his youth; and Leopoldo A. Sánchez M. proclaims a word of relief to those tiring of religious performance. Additionally, we have interviews with theologian Simeon Zahl, reporter Claire Hoffman, jazz historian Ruth Naomi Floyd; and musician Andy Squyres in conversation with historian of religion Caleb Maskell. We fan the flames with advice from Sarah Condon and a Spirited playlist by David Zahl, plus recommended reading, humor, poetry, and, well, you’ll see.