Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00494)

It is unfortunate that many critics of (as well as many supporters of)
Paul Johnson's historical research must resort to "name calling"
and "ad hominem" arguments instead of dealing with the historical
issues to be found in Johnson's works and those critiques of his work.

Jerome Wheeler's labelling of Johnson as a "fraudulent historian" and 
Steve Stubb's reference to Johnson's "dishonest and untalented 
detractors" only DISTRACT readers and inquirers from exploring the 
REAL historical issues and problems surrounding what Johnson has 
written about Blavatsky's Masters and what some of Johnson's critics 
have written in rebuttal.

Although I disagree with a number of statements made by Jerome in his
letter to the editor of FOHAT, I certainly think Jerome gives good
advice when he writes:

=====================================================
In the case of K. Paul Johnson when we are asked our opinion of his
book, THE MASTERS REVEALED, we mail the enquirer a copy of Daniel
Caldwell's K. PAUL JOHNSON'S HOUSE OF CARDS, along with David
Pratt's "The Theosophical Mahatmas, a Critique of Paul Johnson's New
Myth" with the suggestion: 'Here, read this and compare. You are
the jury." As theosophists we are philanthropic investigators and
must by our own efforts discover which party purveys diamonds and
which cut-glass.
=====================================================

When Bart observes that Johnson's "TMR makes people think. This is
annoying to people who don't want to think, and anathema to people
who don't want others to think," I would add that I wrote my critique
on Johnson's thesis about the Masters M. and K.H. as a result of
trying to grapple with and think through the issues raised in
Johnson's TMR. 

I had found that far too many readers, reviewers and
scholars had accepted at face value many of Johnson's assertions
without knowing enough about the subject and/or without thinking
through some of statements set forth in TMR.

A good example of "trying to think through the issues" can be found
in what I wrote in the following essay:

http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/johnsonparanormal3.htm

So I agree with both Jerome and Bart and urge interested readers to:

Read. . . compare. . . think thru the issues. . . .

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY STUDY CENTER/BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://blavatskyarchives.com