Commas, Christians, and Editors

Good scholarship depends as much on good editing as on good research. Editors serve as indispensable interpreters by improving consistency, clarity, and accuracy, without which research would fall on thorny ground or, worse, prove to be inadequate. In this essay the author discusses several ways in which editors can transform discourse, sometimes to its disadvantage, and suggests that the importance of the function requires applying the highest possible standards. In the circumstances, it is unfortunate that editing is not always regarded by the academic community as a truly intellectual challenge.