Editor’s Commentary

Like many of you, the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas terrorist shocked me and much of the world. Having resided in Jerusalem for a brief time when a graduate student at Yale, Israel and Jerusalem hold a special place in my heart; notwithstanding the fact that I was able to stay in the city for longer than the academic program because of longstanding family friends who had a son and daughter-in-law not far from where the Young Scholars seminar was being held where I experienced the beauty, charity, and love of the people of Jerusalem and Israel. The attack on Israel reminds us of the constant struggle we face in dealing with the viciousness of hate, a hatred that motivates to bring death and destruction. Love, of course, is the answer to such hate, a love that brings about peace and reconciliation. We must hope that as the war in Gaza expands love will ultimately bring healing to the lives shattered by the attacks and the ongoing war. Hope springs from love, and the virtue of hope is rooted in love.

As we look forward to this month, VOEGELINVIEW continues to expand its educational essays and reflections on the nature of learning and the good life. New book reviews on the life and philosophy of Alasdair MacIntyre, the value of the Great Books, and the contest for western civilization will appear alongside poems by Micah Veillon, Mark Botts, Ethan McGuire, and new contributors! Essays on Moses and T.E. Lawrence, Ray Bradbury, films, music, and the philosophy of Eric Voegelin will also appear this month alongside essays on education and the state of the humanities.

VOEGELINVIEW continues to change and grow, and is about to surpass its highest level of readership—exceeding last year’s readership—and with this change and growth we welcomed an inaugural set of Senior Writers: Sophie Belloncle, Sarah Chew, Prerita Govil, and Sarah Reardon. It is with great joy that they have joined our team. Sophie’s essays on art, literature, and culture have already brought great insight into the works of Herman Melville, Dostoevsky, and the hit TV show Breaking Bad; Sarah Chew has been reflecting on what it means to be a student double-majoring in English and Philosophy while living through the digital revolution that continues to grow; and Sarah Reardon has begun her reflections on what it means to be a teacher of the Good, True, and Beautiful to a new generation of students (and as a new generation of teachers). They are now writing regularly for the journal and we continue to look forward to their contributions on cultural and literary criticism, student life and studies, and the spirit of teaching. We will also welcome, this month, Prerita’s inaugural column “Notes from Oxford’s Backroom” as she studies at the renowned university. We are very fortunate to have such a talented group of young women sharing their joy and insight with us.

After bringing on Prerita, Sarah, Sarah, and Sophie as our inaugural senior writers, our roster expanded to include Filip Bakardzhiev and Jesse Russell, both of whom have had longer standing relationships with the journal: Filip as an assistant editor and Jesse as a contributor stretching back for several years. Their addition, primarily to help cultivate and maintain our regularity in book reviews, serves to bring an intellectual diversity to what we can cover in our pages. In establishing a proper masthead for the journal, Professors Richard Cocks and Pedro Blas González have been given positions as Contributing Editors. All of these changes effectively complete what I have written about before over the past year – the transformation of VOEGELINVIEW into a public journal of arts, education, and humanities criticism, commentary, and opinion. This was cemented by a new motto for the journal: “A Review of Art, Culture, Politics, Science, and Divine Ground.” Our goal is to be a repository of cultural and educational influence and reflection, to be engaged with the pertinent questions and issues in our culture, society, and global events, and offering a home for a new generation of artistic and literary criticism and teaching.

We also wish to give thanks to our readers, for without you the mission and purpose of this journal would not otherwise exist. As we journey through this new century and brave new world, the need for education, the humanities, and the intellectual life of the heart and mind remain as important—if not more important—as in times past. Though this world sometimes feels lonely, the community of readers and writers emerging at this journal exists to remind us that our pilgrimages are never truly alone. It is with great joy that I look forward to what VOEGELINVIEW will offer to you all in the coming month, and I give thanks to our readers, new contributors, and longstanding contributors in this effort to restore the heart of culture to the world and build a new institution of learning, education, and reflection through our pages.

~ Paul Krause

Your Help Matters! VOEGELINVIEW is on the front line of the battlefields of culture and education. With readers and contributors across all continents, we value our ability to bring commentary, reviews, and poems on the enduring questions of the human condition. While free to read, the journal is not free to host and maintain. Therefore, the Eric Voegelin Society, which publishes VOEGELINVIEW, asks that you consider a tax-deductible donation to support the journal and the humanistic renewal of culture. Your support allows us to give back with our essays, reviews, poems, and more!

With support of the Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy, the University of Wisconsin Foundation – a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 39-0743975) – receives donations by credit card on behalf of the journal. If you would like to give a gift now, please go here and make sure the VoegelinView fund is selected: secure.supportuw.org/give

Print