The critic as conservator

This important volume brings to completion the monumental trilogy George A. Panichas began to write more than thirty years ago. The Reverent Discipline, The Courage of Judgment, and this new collection are all outstanding critiques not only of literature and criticism but also of society and culture. Writing from the tradition of what Edmund Burke calls "the dissidence of dissent," Panichas combines moral commitment and polemical fervor to diagnose the crisis of modernity. The overall tone of the essays is urgent, censorious, and combative, as the author assiduously interconnects the needs of religion, the quality of leadership, the thought of great writers, the current plight of the humanities, and the structure of politics. He does not fear controversy when he assigns blame or when he cites lapses that separate society from metaphysical moorings and religious traditions. Throughout, the critic views contemporary life in a state of emergency; the reader in turn views the critic under arms and under fire. Essays like "The Christ of Simone Weil," "The New York Times and Eric Voegelin," "Henry James and Paradigms of Character," "The Incubus of Deconstruction," "Metaphors of Virtue," and "Conservatism, Change, and the Life of the Spirit," to name but a few, indicate the range of a generalist who speaks out on issues of acute significance. The unifying principle informing these essays is the insistence that the critic's mission is to conserve universal values and truths in a world of flux and confusion. Panichas' conservatism is one of conservation, anchored firmly in the belief that there are enduring things to defend and save. This timely collection of writings will challenge all readers concerned with moral disarray and spiritual barrenness in modern times.