A new step in the takeover/surrender of the West

(Note: see followup to this item.)

The four-volume Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization, already published, was recalled by its publisher, Wiley-Blackwell, and the entire print run was destroyed. Why? Because of complaints that the book is too Christian. For example, critics demanded that the expressions “B.C.,” “A.D.,” “Virgin Birth,” and “Resurrection” be removed, and that critical comments about Christianity and approving comments about Islam be added.

The only other time I recall a publisher trashing the entire first printing of a book was when The Free Press destroyed the first print run of Dinesh D’Souza’s The End of Racism as a result of letters from Jared Taylor, Sam Francis, and me pointing out the outrageous and libelous falsehoods in D’Souza’s account of the 1994 American Renaissance conference. But to go to the extremity of destroying an already published book, not because it’s filled with lies, but because it says “A.D.”? Have we now reached the point in the dismantling of Christian and Western civilization where even a book about Christian civilization cannot use the standard Christian marker for dates?

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Dana A-B writes:

Out of curiosity, what do you think it was like in Rome when Christianity was replacing traditional Roman state religion? Now you know.

LA replies:

I’m familiar with that, and with the destruction of the English Catholic Church by the Reformation, and many similar terrible and tragic events in our history. But your comment expresses an obvious Schadenfreude and even vengefulness against Christianity and Christian civilization that, in the absence of clarification, marks you as a hostile party.

Dana A-B replies:

It was a bare observation of what it is like when one worldview/philosophy/religion eclipses and replaces another in an established country. We are living through such times.

LA replies:

Be honest. The tone of your first e-mail was not that of a bare observation. The tone was: “Now we’ve gotcha. Now it’s your turn to lose your civilization. How does it feel?”

Dana repies:

I have had experience with the manner in which you read tone in the past. In my head I always sound like a robot. This doesn’t always come across.

You presume a with you or against you mentality, whereas I try to take an external view, as if I were an alien watching earth.

LA replies:

Ok, I hear you. You’re not with me, but you’re not against me either.

Mary B. writes:

The alleged reasons for destroying this encyclopedia are excerpted from a letter written by George Kurian, the editor (not a Christian scholar) of the Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization. According to Susan Spilka of Wiley-Blackwell (the Encyclopedia’s publisher) the book is being recalled because:

In the course of reviewing the situation with the editorial board (many of whom had similar concerns to those raised by the contributors), we learned that few if any of the contributions to the Encyclopedia were reviewed by the editorial board members as required both by high standards of scholarship and our agreement with Mr. Kurian. Instead, they were only reviewed (if at all) by Mr. Kurian himself. We have therefore asked the appointed editorial board to review the work for scholarly integrity and accuracy prior to publication—the task they were originally recruited to perform—and the majority of the board has accepted this appointment.

Updates on the situation can be found here and George Kurian’s letter is here.

LA replies:

So, the publisher sounds like a PC outfit that fell down on the job and failed to do its PC thing, and now is catching up.

Paul Nachman writes:

I thought your initial reaction to Dana A-B was justified.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at February 12, 2009 01:47 PM | Send