Crisis of the House Divided

Neuhaus, Richard, First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life

Of the making of lists there is no end. I am guilty, for instance, of having participated from time to time in the compiling of lists of the greatest books, or the most influential thinkers, or the most crucial turning points in history. For journals of opinion and academic groups, it's a little like playing Scrabble. The formerly Lutheran and now Orthodox church historian Jaroslav Pelikan tells me that he's always irritated by these "beauty contests" to elect the most important books--but not as irritated as he is when his books are not included. It should be noted that the selection in our books symposium of March 2000, marking the tenth anniversary of FIRST THINGS, did not purport to be a list of the best of anything. Contributors were invited to discuss any book they wished, and for whatever reason; whether because it was the best or the worst or simply because it caught their fancy.

The subject of lists comes to mind because the University of Chicago has recently reprinted in a handsome paperback Harry V. Jaffa's Crisis of the House Divided. Were I to succumb to an invitation to nominate the most important books ever written on the American experiment, there is no …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Crisis of the House Divided. Contributors: Neuhaus, Richard - Author. Magazine title: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life. Publication date: October 2000. Page number: 84. © 2009 Institute on Religion and Public Life. COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.