The personal and intellectual debts incurred in the incubation of this collection of original essays are immense. Between the editors, it has been a team effort from the beginning, and its completion has been made possible only with more than a little help from our friends. Especially prominent are our debts to Richard Rubenstein and Eqbal Ahmad. Their initial enthusiasm provided the impetus counsel. Their friendship animated many discussions that helped to clarify some of the issues raised in these essays. Edward Gude also provided support and advice, though he might well dissent from some of the positions taken by the contributors.