Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1538

Carbon of letter from Heath to Edward McCrady, The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.

December 3, 1954

Dear Dr. McCrady:

     Since my very pleasant adventure in theology and other happy contacts at Sewanee, I have thought of you and your activities many, many times, wishing I could know more of what you are doing and what success you are achieving.

     Beyond your very pleasing geniality as a person, great as that is, I am more and more impressed with the importance of your general ideas towards an understand­ing of social evolution in its present stage and the spiritual ideals toward which it tends. Currently, a considerable number of eminent persons, especially in the field of biology, seem to be looking somewhat in the same direction — men like Sherrington, Sinnott, and Ralph Lillie, for example, but none of them seem to me to point so far and so fundamentally as do you, especially with respect to an esthetic and religious synthesis in the social scene.

     As a result of many years of objective examination of the voluntary social structure and its transcendent function for mankind, I am happy to find myself, intellec­tually at least, in such good company.

     My approach in the manner of the natural sciences has resulted in the basic outline presented in my Citadel, Market and Altar, to which you have been kind enough to give some consideration. I am still hopeful of receiving some comment from you, both critical and constructive, especially as to the validity of my applications of physical and biological science, as encouragement to proceed and persist towards its adequate publication.

     At the present time, this is under consideration by the New York University Press, to whom it was somewhat favorably referred by Chancellor Heald. The editor appears anxious to publish it, at least in part, but only after extensive and very indefinitely proposed academic tailoring by persons of purely literary competence and no evidence of scientific or philosophic background or capacity. I should be very happy to have my work ex­pertly improved as to its literary form, but I am reluc­tant to consent to its being reorganized or reconstructed, particularly by persons who possess no special competency other than purely literary.

     In this situation with regard to publication, it would be exceedingly helpful to me, and perhaps strengthen my determination to push ahead, to know something of your general reaction as a natural scientist to the vital content of what I have written.

     I trust that your administrative and other respon­sibilities will not distract you entirely from continued pursuit and publication of your generic ideas concerning the nature and the spiritual destiny of organic mankind.

     With much admiration and many personal regards,

Sincerely,