Clark Whelton

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Clark Whelton is a New York based writer, author, and former speechwriter to New York City mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani. He has written articles on Velikovsky and Gordon Atwater, and co-edited with Milton Zysman, the proceedings of the Catastrophism 2000 conference. In the Fall of 1979, he taught a non-credit course on “the Velikovsky Question” at the New School for Social Research in New York.^[1]Alfred De Grazia, “The Knowledge Industry”, Cosmic Heretics (1984) Metron Publications, USA. ISBN 0-940268-08-6.

Velikovsky’s hidden Agenda?

Whelton has questioned whether Velikovsky had a hidden agenda. Prof Irving Wolfe writes:^[2]Irving Wolfe, “Velikovsky and Catastrophism: A Hidden Agenda?”, SIS Chronology & Catastrophism Review 1992 (Vol XIV)

“American historian Clark Whelton approaches the issue of a possible hidden agenda from the angle of alleged defects in Velikovsky’s chronology. To Whelton, these defects appear at precisely those places which allow Velikovsky to enhance the role of the Israelites or to deny unsuitable roles that conventional history has thrust upon them. It stems, says Whelton, from Velikovsky’s uncompromising belief in the accuracy of biblical chronology, so that his revisions, however startling and courageous they were and how far they went, did not quite go far enough:

“he was unable to continue in that direction for the required length of time because it would have forced him to abandon biblical chronology.” Whelton: p. 16^[3]Clark Whelton: “Velikovsky, Fundamentalism, and the Revised Chronology”, paper delivered at the Seventh Annual CSIS Seminar, Haliburton, Ontario, August 1987: Revised 1989

“As a result,

“He never succeeded in piecing together the complex puzzle of ancient chronology. And yet his courage and leadership made possible the breakthroughs that came later.” ibid, p. 13

“Whelton uses the phrase ‘hidden fundamentalism‘. Velikovsky, he notes, was accused by the rationalists of aiding the fundamentalists and by the fundamentalists of supporting the atheists. He denies that Velikovsky is a ‘religious fundamentalist’ but concludes that he is a ‘chronological fundamentalist’. Velikovsky’s belief ‘that biblical chronology is correct… is the pattern for his entire post-Exodus revision.’ ibid, p. 12 Then comes the crucial question:

“Did Velikovsky have a hidden agenda? Was he deliberately manipulating the evidence as he shaped his revised chronology?”

:Whelton’s answer is firm:

“I don’t think so. I found Velikovsky to be open and honest. It’s true he was passionately involved in the history of Israel, past and present. In my opinion, however, Velikovsky was motivated not by a desire to deceive, but to believe. If he had a hidden agenda, it was hidden from himself, as well.” ibid, pp. 13-14

Selected bibliography

• “The Gordon Atwater Affair”, SIS Review Vol IV No 4 (Spring 1980)
• “David, Detente and Pharaoh’s Daughter”, SIS Workshop vol.3 No.1 (July 1980)
• “Heinsohn, Velikovsky and the Revised Chronology”, Aeon vol.1 No.2 (Feb 1988)
• “Velikovsky, Fundamentalismand the Revised Chronology”, Aeon vol.1 No.6 (1988)
• “Heinsohn and the Hyksos (An Answer to Martin Sieff)”, Aeon vol.2 No.1 (1989)
• “Philistia Ascendant”, Catastrophism and Ancient History Journal vol.9 No.2 (July 1987)
• “Velikovsky: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, SIS Review v1995 (1995)
• “Velikovsky’s “The Dark Age of Greece” “, Velikovskian vol. 1 No.2 (1993)
• “Velikovsky, Fundamentalism, and the Revised Chronology”, Catastrophism 2000 (2000)
• “Velikovsky’s “The Dark Age Of Greece”, Catastrophism 2000 (2000)

See also

• “The Dark Ages hiatus: a response to Clark Whelton”, Steve Mitchell, SIS Review v2001 No.1 (2001)