I invite you to go on a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a journey with a sacred goal. The sacred goal I have in mind for you is knowing God. Perhaps you're already on that pilgrimage. Perhaps you already know God. If so, I invite you to know God better.A literal religious pilgrimage involves going to a place. In the Christian tradition, pilgrims have journeyed to such places as Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela. Going to these places requires moving your body to them.But the pilgrimage I'm inviting you to start--or continue--is a pilgrimage for your soul. Your purpose on this pilgrimage will be to get your soul closer to God.A pilgrimage is something you do. On a literal pilgrimage, you have to keep your body moving in the same direction for a long time. Doing so requires using and caring for your body.On a soul pilgrimage, you have to keep your soul directed toward God for a long time. Doing so requires the use and care of your soul by means of engaging in various spiritual practices. Will you accept my invitation? Will you join my wife Jennifer and me on this soul pilgrimage?

James E. Taylor is Professor of Philosophy at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. He is the author ofIntroducing Apologetics: Cultivating Christian Commitment (2006) andLearning for Wisdom: Christian Education and the Good Life (2017).



Jennifer Moe Taylor has worked primarily in the field of education, most recently at Westmont College. A freelance writer since 2019, she is a graduate of UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara.