German-born and Austrian-educated political philosopher Voegelin (1901-85) claimed that his philosophy was politically neutral, but Cole (political science, Oklahoma Panhandle State U.) contends that it is in fact very conservative, and that he and his followers have thrown down the gauntlet to opponents of ideological conservatism both inside and outside the academy. He takes up the challenge here. He begins with a synopsis of the primary and secondary literature, then discusses Voegelin's political teaching, and the Voegelin phenomenon as symptom. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)