Edwin Abbott Abbott (20 December 1838 – 12 October 1926) was an English

schoolmaster The word schoolmaster, or simply master, refers to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British independent schools, both secondary and preparatory, and a few Indian boarding schools (such as The Doon School) that were modelled afte ...

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

, and

Anglican priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

, best known as the author of the

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) fact ...

Flatland ''Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions'' is a satirical novella by the English schoolmaster Edwin Abbott Abbott, first published in 1884 by Seeley & Co. of London. Written pseudonymously by "A Square", the book used the fictional two-dim ...

'' (1884).

Biography

Edwin Abbott Abbott was the eldest son of Edwin Abbott (1808–1882), headmaster of the Philological School,

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it ...

, and his wife, Jane Abbott (1806–1882). His parents were first cousins. He was born in London and educated at the

City of London School , established = , closed = , type = Public school Boys' independent day school , president = , head_label = Headmaster , head = Alan Bird , chair_label = Chair of Governors , chair = Ian Seaton , founder = John Carpenter , special ...

and at St John's College,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

, where he took the highest honours of his class in

classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

, and became a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of his college. In particular, he was 1st Smith's prizeman in 1861. In 1862 he took orders. After holding masterships at

King Edward's School, Birmingham King Edward's School (KES) is an independent day school for boys in the British public school tradition, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded by King Edward VI in 1552, it is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Bir ...

, he succeeded G. F. Mortimer as headmaster of the

in 1865, at the early age of 26. There, he oversaw the education of future Prime Minister

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ...

. Abbott was Hulsean lecturer in 1876. He retired in 1889, and devoted himself to literary and theological pursuits. Abbott's liberal inclinations in theology were prominent both in his educational views and in his books. His '' Shakespearian Grammar'' (1870) is a permanent contribution to English

philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as ...

. In 1885, he published a life of

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

. His theological writings include three anonymously published religious romances – '' Philochristus'' (1878), where he tried to raise interest in

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

s reading, '' Onesimus'' (1882), and '' Silanus the Christian'' (1908). More weighty contributions are the anonymous theological discussion '' The Kernel and the Husk'' (1886), ''Philomythus'' (1891), his book ''The Anglican Career of

Cardinal Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican priest and later as a Catholic priest and ...

'' (1892), and his article "The Gospels" in the ninth edition of the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

'', embodying a critical view which caused considerable stir in the English theological world. He also wrote ''St Thomas of Canterbury, His Death and Miracles'' (1898), ''Johannine Vocabulary'' (1905), and ''Johannine Grammar'' (1906). Abbott also wrote educational textbooks, one being ''Via Latina: A First Latin Book'' which was published in 1880 and distributed around the world within the education system.

''Flatland''

Abbott's best-known work is his 1884 novella ''Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions'' which describes a two-dimensional world and explores the nature of dimensions. It has often been categorized as

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

although it could more precisely be called "mathematical fiction". With the advent of modern science fiction from the 1950s to the present day, ''Flatland'' has seen a revival in popularity,Clute and Nicholls 1995, p. 1. especially among

and

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and ...

fans.Harper 2010 Many works have been inspired by the novella, including novel sequels and short films.

Bibliography

*
Via Latina: A First Latin Book, Including Accidence, Rules of Syntax, Exercises, Vocabularies and Rules for Construing
' ( Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday, revised edition: 1882) *
Shakespearian Grammar: An Attempt to Illustrate Some of the Differences Between Elizabethan and Modern English, for the Use of Schools
' (Macmillan, 1870) * '' Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions'' ( Seeley & Co., 1884) *
Francis Bacon: An Account of His Life and Works
' (Macmillan, 1885) *
Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the Lord
' (Macmillan, 1878) * '' Onesimus: Memoirs of a Disciple of St. Paul'' (Macmillan, 1882) * '' The Kernel and the Husk'' (Macmillan, 1886) *
Philomythus: An Antidote Against Credulity
' (Macmillan, 1891) *
The Anglican Career of John Henry Newman, Cardinal Newman
' (Macmillan, 1892) *
St Thomas of Canterbury: His Death and Miracles
' (Adam and Charles Black, 1898) *
Johannine Vocabulary: A Comparison of the Words of the Fourth Gospel with Those of the Three
' (Adam and Charles Black, 1905) *
Johannine Grammar
' (Adam and Charles Black, 1906) *
Silanus the Christian
' (Adam and Charles Black, 1906) * ''The FourFold Gospel: or, A Harmony of The Four Gospels'' in five volumes, 1913-1917 *
Volume I: Introduction
1913

Explanatory notes

References

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

External links

* * * * ** * * * * * * *
Free audiobook narration of FlatlandOnline text of FlatlandFull text of A Shakespearian Grammar on the Tufts University Perseus Digital LibraryThomas Banchoff collection of materials relating to Edwin Abbott Abbott
at the

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

John Hay Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, Edwin Abbott 1838 births 1926 deaths Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Schoolteachers from London English science fiction writers 19th-century English theologians 20th-century English theologians English Anglican theologians People educated at the City of London School Linguists of English British Christian theologians 19th-century British novelists British male novelists 19th-century male writers Fellows of the British Academy 20th-century English male writers 19th-century Anglican theologians 20th-century Anglican theologians Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge 19th-century English Anglican priests 20th-century English Anglican priests People from Marylebone Mathematics popularizers