One of this days browsing the book Posthumous Works (texts by Allan Kardec published after his disincarnating); we find in the second part of it the subtitle Project 1868. In this great text there is a great sentence: Two elements must concur for the progress of Spiritism; they are: rhetorical establishment of the Doctrine and means to spread it. The sentence is of the Compiler himself and shows the way for conscious and committed Spiritist to the cause. Let us analyze each segment of the sentence. We are talking  about  progress of Spiritism,  aim  which  we

should centralize our efforts, knowing the greatness of this Doctrine and its fundamental role for human progress.

Solid bases

Observe: rhetorical establishment of the Doctrine. It means to establish rhetorically. What is this? It is to define the rhetorical program, the bases. This is in the Compilation and should be the inspiring basis, of activities and Spiritist groups. In other words: each and every Spiritist activity must be based on the Compilation. Once this is known, there are no dangers or fears; we are oriented and ready to act. We get to know the reason of distortions and deviations: lack of rhetorical establishment. The basis has failed. This goes for local or collective situations, for the Spiritist in particular, for a group, or the movement that calls itself Spiritist. We easily verify that misunderstandings, grudges, quitting and abusive or distorted practices come from the absence of this basis established by the theory well-known.

Another item: means to spread it. This is the effect of the prior item. Once the rhetorical basis has been established, well formed, well understood, the means used by its popularization will do the rest. It means, well-formed people or groups, conscious, will multiply solid knowledge that avoid distortions and preserve deviations. And since levels of understanding are different, by the human characteristic itself, there is necessity here of using constant means of popularization of rhetorical bases, where we need human effort and creativity. In a language already known in the Movement, there is the Spiritist spreading, which happens by many forms. 

How to reach

Thinking of the sentence by Allan Kardec: rhetorical establishment and means to spread it. Rhetorical establishment will only be reached by studying, whether it is individually or in the Center, in attractive meetings, who motivate the studious Spiritist. Only the well-structured study will make the adept aware, conscious. And we admit there is a lot to be studied in the Compilation, being absolutely unacceptable substitution of such books by those of dubious origin as program of study. Spiritism, as amazing as it may sound, is still unknown to Spiritist people.

And interesting: means to popularize it will be equally reached by studying. There can be created countless ways to do so, but if it is not built on the knowledge of who is promoting it, all efforts will be hindered. So the importance of the selection of books to be commercialized, articles to be published, lectures to be delivered. Much information about the Doctrine is transmitted in a wrong way, for the lack of knowledge.

Spiritist popularization is very serious and needs to be done sensibly, whether it is by writers, lecturers, publishers and others forms to do so. There is no better criterion to base all we do in terms of spreading than using the rhetorical establishment of the Doctrine. All that comes out of it is invention or imagination, because the foundations of the Doctrine are based on the reason, common sense, logic, and look to the good.  

Necessary effort

We need to strive for the permanent implantation of study groups on the books by Allan Kardec and fight for the expansion of such ideas based on the knowledge itself, not to take risks to harm what we are doing. After all, it is about the progress of Spiritism, this Doctrine that is so good to us and can help humanity so much.

Now that we have reached a level of maturity understanding the Spiritist objective, especially considering fifteen decades past the start of Spiritism, it is a valid effort for it to be known in its pure bases. We live in a moment of increasing adherence to Spiritist principles, what requires permanent update of institutions, leaders, workers and followers, so that in the Spiritist movement we cannot stay motionless and indifferent to the progress of humanity. 

Essential to say

As tools: Kardec’s perennial statements, his books and even his biography, the content of his work, of the more than 150 years of the Compilation, the experiences of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, the laboratory of ideas that is the Spiritist magazine and the abundant literature available, as well the thriving work of our institutions.

Examples, positive and negative experiences of the movement, historical information, debates, meetings, among others, are tools available. And currently we also have the advent of Internet.

All of this makes us trustees of this huge cultural wealth and, at the same time, huge responsibility! 

Reflection

That’s why, we dare to repeat the start of the article, using the words by Kardec: “Two elements must concur for the progress of Spiritism; they are: rhetorical establishment of the Doctrine and means to spread it”.