The American political order, and the civilization from which it emerged, are under unprecedented assault—from both the political Left and the New Right. Yet the ideals and institutions that have shaped Western Civilization—concepts such as individual freedom, natural rights, and belief in a loving God—have made profound contributions to human flourishing. Transmitting this part of the human story is the most urgent educational task we face.

Joseph Loconte, PhD, is a Presidential Scholar in Residence at New College of Florida and the C.S. Lewis Scholar for Public Life at Grove City College. He also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum and as a Senior Fellow at the Institute on Religion and Democracy. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918 (Harper Collins, 2015).