Looking Forward: Foreshadow's Emerging Identity

By Josh Seligman

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This month marks half a year of Foreshadow’s existence as an online literary magazine. I want to take this occasion to update you on Foreshadow’s emerging identity. 

I identify three qualities that the magazine aspires towards:

1. Eschatological. Eschatology is the study of last things, and the Christian faith teaches that one day, Christ will establish his kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy, uniting heaven and earth. It’s not our job to know when this will happen (as Will Shine’s song satirically describes), but we are called to live in eager expectation of that day. This is where the name Foreshadow comes from: the magazine aims to be a signpost of God's kingdom, offering both hope and a challenge to be ready for its coming, and to notice signs of its presence already in our midst.
   
   As the Apostle Paul writes, 'Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.'
   
   Most pieces are not explicitly eschatological (with some exceptions, like Evan Amo’s World Reborn or Urzula Glienecke’s A Foretaste of the Kingdom), but to varying degrees, each piece can (re)orient us towards our hope of glory in Christ.
   
   
2. Sacramental. As a signpost of the kingdom, at its best, Foreshadow also seeks to offer glimpses of that kingdom. This is grounded in the faith that if we are truthful and cooperative with the movement of God in our lives, we can hope that Christ is also present in what we create, touching, speaking to and blessing those who encounter it. You will know from our Forecasts that several of our guests have spoken about this belief in their own lives and work. Thus, Foreshadow isn’t primarily abstract or otherworldly; it is rooted in the nitty-gritty of daily life, illustrated with personal narratives and images, as I wrote in my Foreword.
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3. Formational. This results from Foreshadow's eschatological and sacramental qualities; as the Apostle John wrote, 'Everyone who has this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.' To its best extent, Foreshadow engages in the Christian task of making disciples of Jesus, challenging and encouraging our readers, listeners and ourselves in our pilgrimage towards the Kingdom. One example is Tim Harvey’s article considering how best to respond as a follower of Christ to the ideological rift between a friend and himself. Again, such teaching is usually not explicit; for example, Eileen R. Kinch’s poem Planting Forgiveness illustrates the life-giving power of forgiveness with the image of planting a seed. 
   
   

Half-way through the year, I remain excited and confident about sharing more insightful, inspiring work with our readers and listeners. If you resonate with Foreshadow's vision, I invite you to contribute work and share this project with people you think would enjoy and be interested in it.

Please do get in touch if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for reading, listening and supporting. With your help, I look forward to seeing what the future has in store. 

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Josh Seligman is the founding editor of Foreshadow and co-host of its podcast, Forecast.