Jordan J. Ballor reveals how “a newly discovered section of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic A Wrinkle in Time (1963), which was excised before the book’s publication, makes clear the author’s classically conservative vision of political and social order.”

The passage was uncovered by L’Engle’s granddaughter. In it, Meg talks to her father about how IT came to run over Camazotz. Mr. Murray replies that old fashioned totalitarianism was involved, but also prosperity and a “lust for security.”

“In a gloss on the famous passage from Paul’s first epistle to Timothy, Mr. Murry concludes that the love of security is “the greatest evil there is.” Placing security as the highest social good leads people to stop taking risks, to cease being entrepreneurial, to give up liberty, and even love itself.” (via Hunter Baker)