The Conservative Canon and Its Uses

Michael J. Lee
2012 Rhetoric & Public Affairs  
In this essay, I aim to locate the scriptural force of American conservatism's secular canon. My basic claim is that the canon created and managed the potential for symbolic fusion and fracture among conservatives. Th e canon provided the tools to weather the rocky marriage between various conservative sects: traditionalists, libertarians, neoconservatives, and others; the canon aff orded resources for each faction to establish their bona fides and to protect their version of authentic
more » ... ism from impostors and apostates. I conclude by analyzing the link between the principles of classical conservatism and canonical politics.
doi:10.1353/rap.2012.0008 fatcat:7soil36caje2jnrf4tywzk224e