In spite of his six widely read novels, his two works of nonfiction (with their original contributions to the study of language and the human psyche), and his two national literary awards, Walker Percy remained a figure on the fringes of the American literary establishment. Though he had many admirers among scholars and the average, “educated” reader, he encountered much hostility precisely because his vision was resolutely at odds with the prevailing secular liberalism of the “New Class” intellectuals who dominate our cultural citadels. . . .