Sherry L. Ackerman

The following is a review recently written by my colleague, Dr. Daniel A. Kealey (College of the Siskiyous, Mount Shasta, CA United States ) that I thought would be helpful to readers:

As her colleague, I was the first to read through Dr. Ackerman's manuscript (for which I was acknowledged in the dedication). This personal connection aside, however, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Ackerman backs up her points with such succinct logic and undeniable evidence that, content aside, the read is an intellectual stimulation. Despite the rigorous reasoning, I think Ackerman did a fine job in making what could have been a dry, erudite academic treatise into one that is readable by the educated public. Of course, the content is of utmost significance. The late 19th century resonates with many of the dilemmas we face today, and I expect that many readers will find themselves strangely mirrored in Lewis Carroll's soul. It marked the apex of the modern worldview. Even today, we still see the conflict between the classical scientific worldview and traditional Christian beliefs. The media, and much of academic debate, still portrays it as an either/or debate, ignoring what I believe to be the more intellectually satisfying positions in the middle of these two extremes. As a theologian and a mathematician, Lewis Carroll had a foot in both camps, but has been traditionally portrayed as aligned with his Anglican allegiances. Ackerman demonstrates that this is far from the truth; Carroll was tuning into the emerging post-modern, integral paradigm, which is only now, a century later, gaining momentum. It is all the more remarkable that Carroll was finding this path before the advent of quantum physics.
Behind the Looking Glass will be of special interest to scholars interested in 19th century issues, the influence of Platonic, Theosophic, and parapsychological thought on emerging post-modern perspectives, the conflict between science and religion, and, of course, to anyone curious about the hidden meanings of the Alice in Wonderland books. Educators will be intrigued by the detailed syllabus in Appendix B for an Introduction to Philosophy course using Carroll's Alice books. Check out the advance praises and sample chapters at http://www.lewiscarrollmyth.com/

Dr. Daniel A. Kealey, Professor Emeritus, Towson University, is author of _Revisioning Environmental Ethics_(SUNY Press, 1987), a flagship text in environmental studies.

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The following review was written by Dr. John Tufail:

To explain fully the importance of this excellent book, Behind the Looking Glass, it is necessary to explain the context in which it has been written.

The world of Lewis Carroll has been a battlefield in recent years. At stake has been the question of just who was Lewis Carroll? To answer this question, armies have been formed and deployed, battles have been fought and much blood (in the form of reputations) been shed. The war has been between Carroll ‘traditionalists’ who largely assert that the Lewis Carroll portrayed by his first biographer, Carroll’s nephew, S. Dodgson Collingwood, is basically sound (though with some modifications) and what the doyen of the traditionalist, Morton Cohen, to date Carroll’s most comprehensive biographer, terms ‘The Revisionists’.

These Revisionists, represented, in the main, by the ‘Association of New Carroll Studies’ have argued that the Collingwood book is not a true biography but a hagiography. And not only a hagiography, but one in which the reputation being enhanced and protected is not so much Carroll himself, but his extended family, of whom, of course, Collingwood is one. They have argued that Collingwood presented a portrait of Carroll that is so completely divergent from the facts, that this book has succeeded in portraying a portrait of a person who never existed except in the mind of Collingwood (and perhaps those in his family who urged him to write the biography).

Now it is natural, given publishers' requirements to actually sell books, that the most publicised aspect of this battle has surrounded Carroll’s relationships with young women. Put in its most tabloid, elemental form, was Carroll a paedophile or not? The release of Karoline Leach’s book, In the Shadow of the Dream Child in 1999 created a storm of effusion and retribution. Yet it completely ignored the fact that this book fundamentally challenged not only Carroll’s relationship with women but the whole idea of who Carroll actually was. Most especially, the response to Leach’s book ignored the fact that the traditionalist’s views on Carroll was being challenged most particularly on the commonly accepted assumption that the Reverend C.L. Dodgson was a rigidly conservative, indeed reactionary Victorian gentleman in his theological, political and philosophical views who clung rigidly, throughout his life to the tenets of his Anglican Faith as prescribed in the 39 articles. That Carroll himself made it quite clear (in the prefaces to his two Sylvie and Bruno books and in numerous letters) that he was not only vehemently opposed to certain of these tenets (most strongly in his opposition to the dogma of eternal damnation), but that he became increasingly attracted to what he termed ‘Esoteric Buddhism’ has been conveniently ignored.

Thanks to Dr. Ackerman, this little inconvenience can no longer be ignored. Behind the Looking Glass, is not a biographical study of Lewis Carroll. Indeed, it would appear from reading the book that Dr. Ackerman (wisely, in view of current controversies raging around the ‘Carroll Myth’) has eschewed a biographical approach in favour of textual analysis. Nevertheless, what has emerged is a compelling and scholarly exposition that places Carroll as a central figure in an philosophical tradition wholly opposed to the sterile materialism of 19th century liberal thought and Lockean empiricism. The picture of Carroll that Dr. Ackerman draws is of an artist who rests easily in the poetic traditions of Coleridge, Wordsworth, Blake and Tennyson. This is particularly satisfying, because, as Carroll’s diaries show, the philosophical works of Coleridge were an important and early influence on Carroll. Yet Dr. Ackerman does not draw a direct link to Coleridge, preferring to use such key neo-Platonists as Plotinus, the 17th century Cambridge school and Coleridge’s contemporary Thomas Taylor (1758-1835). But Dr. Ackerman goes further than merely developing a single strand – as she must – she weaves together a tapestry of Gnostic mystery ideas much as Carroll himself must have done to arrive at his own ‘enriched Platonism’ via his interest in both Christian and pre-Christian myth. A satisfying book invaluable alike to Carroll scholars and students of western esoteric philosophy.

Dr. Tufail's interest in Lewis Carroll developed from his doctoral studies on the relationship between language and illustration in the early 1980s. His interest in Carroll then broadened to include a continuing exploration of the philosophical, political and theological influences bearing on Carroll's life and his works. He has been very instrumental in rediscovering Dodgson's 'lost' associations with radicals like F.D. Maurice and in placing Dodgson's political conservatism in its proper historical context.… (meer)

‘Behind the Looking Glass’ (Dr Sherry Ackerman)
To explain fully the importance of this excellent book it is necessary to explain the context in which it has been written.
The world of Lewis Carroll has been a battlefield in recent years. At stake has been the question of just who was Lewis Carroll? To answer this question, armies have been formed and deployed, battles have been fought and much blood (in the form of reputations) been shed.
The war has been between Carroll ‘traditionalists’ who largely assert that the Lewis Carroll portrayed by his first biographer, Carroll’s nephew, S. Dodgson Collingwood, is basically sound (though with some modifications). And what the doyen of the traditionalist, Morton Cohen, to date Carroll’s most comprehensive biographer terms ‘The Revisionists’.
These revisionists, represented, in the main, by the ‘Association of New Carroll studies’ Have argued that the Collingwood book is not a true biography but a hagiography. And not only a hagiography, but one in which the reputation being enhanced and protected is not so much Carroll himself, but his extended family, of whom, of course, Collingwood is one. They have argued that Collingwood presented a portrait of Carroll that is so completely divergent from the facts, that this book has succeeded in portraying a portrait of a person who never existed except in the mind of Collingwood (and perhaps those in his family who urged him to write the biography).
Now it is natural, given publisher’s requirements to actually sell books, that the most publicised aspect of this battle has surrounded Carroll’s relationships with young women. Put in its most tabloid, elemental form, was Carroll a Paedophile or not? The release of Karoline Leach’s book, ‘In the Shadow of the Dream Child’ in 1999 created a storm of effusion and retribution. Yet it completely ignored the fact that this book fundamentally challenged not only Carroll’s relationship with women but the whole idea of who Carroll actually was.
Most especially, the response to Leach’s book ignored the fact that the traditionalist’s views on Carroll was being challenged most particularly on the commonly accepted assumption that the Reverend C.L. Dodgson was a rigidly conservative, indeed reactionary Victorian gentleman in his theological. Political and philosophical views who clung rigidly, throughout his life to the tenets of his Anglican Faith as prescribed in the 39 articles.
That Carroll himself made it quite clear (in the prefaces to his two Sylvie and Bruno books and in numerous letters) that he was not only vehemently opposed to certain of these tenets (most strongly in his opposition to the dogma of eternal damnation), but that he became increasingly attracted to what he termed ‘Esoteric Budhism.’ Has been conveniently ignored.
Thanks to Dr Ackerman, this little inconvenience can no longer be ignored.
‘Behind the looking Glass’, is not a biographical study of Lewis Carroll Indeed, it would appear from reading the book that Dr Ackerman (wisely, in view of current controversies raging around the ‘Carroll Myth) has eschewed a biographical approach in favour of textual analysis. Nevertheless, what has emerged is a compelling and scholarly exposition that places Carroll as a central figure in an philosophical tradition wholly opposed to the sterile materialism of 19th century Liberal thought and Lockean empiricism.
The picture of Carroll that Dr Ackerman draws is of an artist who rests easily in the poetic traditions of Coleridge, Wordsworth, Blake and Tennyson. This is particularly satisfying, because, as Carroll’s diaries show, the philosophical works of Coleridge were an important and early influence on Carroll. Yet Dr Ackerman does not draw a direct link to Coleridge, preferring to Use such key neo-Platonists as Plotinus, the 17th century Cambridge school and the Coleridge’s contemporary Thomas Taylor (1758-1835).
But Dr Ackerman goes further than merely developing a single strand – as she must – she weaves together a tapestry of Gnostic mystery ideas Much as Carroll himself must have done to arrive at his own ‘enriched Platonism’ via his interest in both Christian and pre-Christian myth.
A satisfying book invaluable alike to Carroll scholars and students of western esoteric philosophy.
John Tufail

‘… (meer)