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Books by Shawn Eyer
978-1-60302-062-6, 2017
This volume of intriguing essays by eminent and emerging Masonic scholars explores the history an... more This volume of intriguing essays by eminent and emerging Masonic scholars explores the history and culture of Freemasonry during that period of expansion. What did Masons of the early Grand Lodge era actually do in their lodges? How did these brethren think of themselves and their Craft? What were their motivations and ideals? What was their experience of Freemasonry? By posing such questions, our contributors have been able to study not just an institutional beginning, but the cultural realities of Masonic life in the first decades of the Grand Lodge’s history.
Featuring contributions by Ric Berman, David Harrison, Jedediah French, Nathan A. St. Pierre, Dana Scofield, Christopher B. Murphy, and Shawn Eyer, this collection critically re-examines key aspects of early Masonic life and thought, revealing the philosophical and social underpinnings of an organization that remains an intriguing cultural phenomenon. Edited by Christopher B. Murphy. Shawn Eyer, Executive Editor.
Plumbstone Books, 2017
$34.97 US Trade paperback, ISBN-13 978-1-60302-061-9
$47.97 US Clothbound, ISBN-13 978-1-60302-062-6
Ahiman: A Review of Masonic Culture & Tradition, 2009
Front matter and index for volume 1 of Ahiman: A Review of Masonic Culture & Tradition. Ahiman... more Front matter and index for volume 1 of Ahiman: A Review of Masonic Culture & Tradition.
Ahiman is an anthology of Masonic writing, offering a serious exploration of the rich initiatic traditions of Freemasonry. Edited by Masonic scholar Shawn Eyer, Ahiman is dedicated to stimulating scholarship, penetrating interpretation and inspiring creative expressions focused upon the history, rituals, symbolism, iconography and philosophy of Freemasonry.
Papers by Shawn Eyer
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters, 2019
One of Freemasonry's most overlooked traditions is also among its oldest: the fundamental respons... more One of Freemasonry's most overlooked traditions is also among its oldest: the fundamental responsibility of the Master of the Lodge to educate his fellows. This article traces that role and shows how Masonic legend and tradition reinforces the educational mandate of the station through symbolism and ceremony. The full text of Wellins Calcott's 1767 Masonic charge for installation of a lodge Master, which became absorbed into standard installation ceremonies in most English-speaking Masonic jurisdictions, is included and analyzed.
CHICAGO CITATION: Shawn Eyer, "Light and Instruction: The Educational Duties of the Worshipful Master." Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters 72(2019): 138-46.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2019
In the moments before the Masonic initiation formally begins, the elected man waits in a designat... more In the moments before the Masonic initiation formally begins, the elected man waits in a designated area, reflecting upon what has brought him to threshold of the Lodge. This experience is described in some of the earliest accounts of Masonic ritual.
CHICAGO CITATION:
Shawn Eyer, "The Serious Declaration: A Traditional Expression of the Masonic Initiate’s Intent." Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters 72(2019): 94–103.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2019
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2012
A simple sidebar about Chris Impens' discovery of an interesting visual specimen with a Masonic r... more A simple sidebar about Chris Impens' discovery of an interesting visual specimen with a Masonic resemblance.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2018
A brief account of the first Masonic song created about George Washington.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2018
The world-renowned Quatuor Coronati Lodge held its first conference in the United States from Se... more The world-renowned Quatuor Coronati Lodge held its first conference in the United States from September 14 to 16, 2018. The venue for this historic occasion was the towering George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. The program included two and a half days of lectures and discussions. The selected speakers represented diverse perspectives, and—as one would always expect from QC—a great deal of original research was shared.
The First Recorded Masonic Sermon of Rev. William Smith Christ Church, Philadelphia, June 24, 175... more The First Recorded Masonic Sermon of Rev. William Smith
Christ Church, Philadelphia, June 24, 1755
A Comparative Analysis of Four Versions: 1755, 1759, 1767, and 1803
Annotated by Shawn Eyer
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2014
Christopher B. Murphy & Shawn Eyer (Eds.), Exploring Early Grand Lodge Freemasonry: Studies in Honor of the Tricentennial of the Establishment of the Grand Lodge of England (Washington, D.C.: Plumbstone, 2017)., 2017
An in-depth scholarly analysis of the June 24, 1734, "Dissertation upon Masonry," the oldest surv... more An in-depth scholarly analysis of the June 24, 1734, "Dissertation upon Masonry," the oldest surviving American Masonic speech, and the third oldest in the world. Critical commentary includes intertextual relationships and an analysis of the types of esotericism mentioned in the document.
Ahiman: A Review of Masonic Culture and Tradition, 2009
An historical survey of the Masonic traditions regarding silence and solemnity during lodge meeti... more An historical survey of the Masonic traditions regarding silence and solemnity during lodge meetings.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2017
A survey of the values and concepts expressed by the first generation of Grand Lodge Freemasons.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2015
Transcript of the oldest surviving private Masonic lodge instructional lecture, dated June 24, 17... more Transcript of the oldest surviving private Masonic lodge instructional lecture, dated June 24, 1734, with critical notes and introduction.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2017
Shawn Eyer revisits a fascinating artifact once tied to Freemason Albert Pike by Smithsonian cura... more Shawn Eyer revisits a fascinating artifact once tied to Freemason Albert Pike by Smithsonian curators, but now known to have been the work of a Jewish American, Abraham Pike (c. 1843–1897).
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2016
Discussion and text of "A Discourse on Good Behaviour for the Guidance of the Members of the Craf... more Discussion and text of "A Discourse on Good Behaviour for the Guidance of the Members of the Craft" by Martin Clare (1735), with annotations indicating verbatim and paraphrased intertextuality with the 1712 edition of Some Thoughts Concerning Education by John Locke.
An object held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., appe... more An object held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., appeared to some to have been created by the widely revered American Scottish Rite leader, Albert Pike (1809–1891).
NOTE: Please see the follow-up paper, which demonstrates that it is not connected to Albert Pike. https://www.academia.edu/34993934/The_Smithsonian_s_Masonic_Mizrah_A_Mystery_Laid_to_Rest
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2015
A detailed history of the symbol of the all-seeing eye, from Biblical times through the Renaissance.
978-1-60302-062-6, 2017
This volume of intriguing essays by eminent and emerging Masonic scholars explores the history an... more This volume of intriguing essays by eminent and emerging Masonic scholars explores the history and culture of Freemasonry during that period of expansion. What did Masons of the early Grand Lodge era actually do in their lodges? How did these brethren think of themselves and their Craft? What were their motivations and ideals? What was their experience of Freemasonry? By posing such questions, our contributors have been able to study not just an institutional beginning, but the cultural realities of Masonic life in the first decades of the Grand Lodge’s history.
Featuring contributions by Ric Berman, David Harrison, Jedediah French, Nathan A. St. Pierre, Dana Scofield, Christopher B. Murphy, and Shawn Eyer, this collection critically re-examines key aspects of early Masonic life and thought, revealing the philosophical and social underpinnings of an organization that remains an intriguing cultural phenomenon. Edited by Christopher B. Murphy. Shawn Eyer, Executive Editor.
Plumbstone Books, 2017
$34.97 US Trade paperback, ISBN-13 978-1-60302-061-9
$47.97 US Clothbound, ISBN-13 978-1-60302-062-6
Ahiman: A Review of Masonic Culture & Tradition, 2009
Front matter and index for volume 1 of Ahiman: A Review of Masonic Culture & Tradition. Ahiman... more Front matter and index for volume 1 of Ahiman: A Review of Masonic Culture & Tradition.
Ahiman is an anthology of Masonic writing, offering a serious exploration of the rich initiatic traditions of Freemasonry. Edited by Masonic scholar Shawn Eyer, Ahiman is dedicated to stimulating scholarship, penetrating interpretation and inspiring creative expressions focused upon the history, rituals, symbolism, iconography and philosophy of Freemasonry.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters, 2019
One of Freemasonry's most overlooked traditions is also among its oldest: the fundamental respons... more One of Freemasonry's most overlooked traditions is also among its oldest: the fundamental responsibility of the Master of the Lodge to educate his fellows. This article traces that role and shows how Masonic legend and tradition reinforces the educational mandate of the station through symbolism and ceremony. The full text of Wellins Calcott's 1767 Masonic charge for installation of a lodge Master, which became absorbed into standard installation ceremonies in most English-speaking Masonic jurisdictions, is included and analyzed.
CHICAGO CITATION: Shawn Eyer, "Light and Instruction: The Educational Duties of the Worshipful Master." Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters 72(2019): 138-46.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2019
In the moments before the Masonic initiation formally begins, the elected man waits in a designat... more In the moments before the Masonic initiation formally begins, the elected man waits in a designated area, reflecting upon what has brought him to threshold of the Lodge. This experience is described in some of the earliest accounts of Masonic ritual.
CHICAGO CITATION:
Shawn Eyer, "The Serious Declaration: A Traditional Expression of the Masonic Initiate’s Intent." Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters 72(2019): 94–103.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2019
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2012
A simple sidebar about Chris Impens' discovery of an interesting visual specimen with a Masonic r... more A simple sidebar about Chris Impens' discovery of an interesting visual specimen with a Masonic resemblance.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2018
A brief account of the first Masonic song created about George Washington.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2018
The world-renowned Quatuor Coronati Lodge held its first conference in the United States from Se... more The world-renowned Quatuor Coronati Lodge held its first conference in the United States from September 14 to 16, 2018. The venue for this historic occasion was the towering George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. The program included two and a half days of lectures and discussions. The selected speakers represented diverse perspectives, and—as one would always expect from QC—a great deal of original research was shared.
The First Recorded Masonic Sermon of Rev. William Smith Christ Church, Philadelphia, June 24, 175... more The First Recorded Masonic Sermon of Rev. William Smith
Christ Church, Philadelphia, June 24, 1755
A Comparative Analysis of Four Versions: 1755, 1759, 1767, and 1803
Annotated by Shawn Eyer
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2014
Christopher B. Murphy & Shawn Eyer (Eds.), Exploring Early Grand Lodge Freemasonry: Studies in Honor of the Tricentennial of the Establishment of the Grand Lodge of England (Washington, D.C.: Plumbstone, 2017)., 2017
An in-depth scholarly analysis of the June 24, 1734, "Dissertation upon Masonry," the oldest surv... more An in-depth scholarly analysis of the June 24, 1734, "Dissertation upon Masonry," the oldest surviving American Masonic speech, and the third oldest in the world. Critical commentary includes intertextual relationships and an analysis of the types of esotericism mentioned in the document.
Ahiman: A Review of Masonic Culture and Tradition, 2009
An historical survey of the Masonic traditions regarding silence and solemnity during lodge meeti... more An historical survey of the Masonic traditions regarding silence and solemnity during lodge meetings.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2017
A survey of the values and concepts expressed by the first generation of Grand Lodge Freemasons.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2015
Transcript of the oldest surviving private Masonic lodge instructional lecture, dated June 24, 17... more Transcript of the oldest surviving private Masonic lodge instructional lecture, dated June 24, 1734, with critical notes and introduction.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2017
Shawn Eyer revisits a fascinating artifact once tied to Freemason Albert Pike by Smithsonian cura... more Shawn Eyer revisits a fascinating artifact once tied to Freemason Albert Pike by Smithsonian curators, but now known to have been the work of a Jewish American, Abraham Pike (c. 1843–1897).
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2016
Discussion and text of "A Discourse on Good Behaviour for the Guidance of the Members of the Craf... more Discussion and text of "A Discourse on Good Behaviour for the Guidance of the Members of the Craft" by Martin Clare (1735), with annotations indicating verbatim and paraphrased intertextuality with the 1712 edition of Some Thoughts Concerning Education by John Locke.
An object held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., appe... more An object held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., appeared to some to have been created by the widely revered American Scottish Rite leader, Albert Pike (1809–1891).
NOTE: Please see the follow-up paper, which demonstrates that it is not connected to Albert Pike. https://www.academia.edu/34993934/The_Smithsonian_s_Masonic_Mizrah_A_Mystery_Laid_to_Rest
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2015
A detailed history of the symbol of the all-seeing eye, from Biblical times through the Renaissance.
Philalethes: The Journal for Masonic Research & Letters, 2012
A popular article exploring the various levels of symbolism of the emblems of corn, wine and oil,... more A popular article exploring the various levels of symbolism of the emblems of corn, wine and oil, termed by early Masons as "the elements of consecration." The second essay compares the Masonic usage to traditional symbolism of the same items in Jewish literature.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2022
The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2022
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2020
The Craft: How Freemasons Made the Modern World John Dickie PublicAffairs, 2020 (American editi... more The Craft: How Freemasons Made the Modern World
John Dickie
PublicAffairs, 2020 (American edition)
ISBN 978-1-61039-867-1 (cloth)
491 pages, $32 US
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2020
Westphalia Press, 2019 ISBN 978–1-63391-819–1 (paper) 361 pages, $19.99 US Few names are better ... more Westphalia Press, 2019
ISBN 978–1-63391-819–1 (paper)
361 pages, $19.99 US
Few names are better known within the community of Masonic researchers than S. Brent Morris. He is not only the indefatigable editor of Heredom: The Transactions of The Scottish Rite Research Society and Managing Editor of The Scottish Rite Journal, but he is also the author of a number of books.
A previous collection of Brent Morris’ essays, A Radical in the East, reflected in part the author’s interest in membership trends (see the review by Erik Arneson, MPS, in Philalethes vol. 63, pages 172–73). This latest collection, as Morris notes in his preface, demonstrates how his interests evolved over the intervening decades. It is, of course, appropriate to offer in disclosure that the reviewer enjoys a collegial relationship with the author of these essays, who served as the Secretary of the Philalethes Society from 1980 to 1984, and continues to work closely with the executive committee.
Why Thirty-Three? compiles twenty-one of the author’s articles that previously appeared in sources like Heredom, The Plumbline, Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, and the Hibiscus Masonic Review. The topics cover a spectrum of interests, offering useful historical background on the rites and rituals of Masonry, a critical examination of opposition to Freemasonry, and statistical analyses of Masonic membership trends. The collection is certainly the most convenient way to access articles from such a diverse range of Masonic sources. It is worth noting that one of the pieces, “Themes of Antimasonry,” is published here for the first time, while another, the eponymous “‘Why Thirty-Three?’—A Revisit” is revised from the original. Both of these last are co-authored with Arturo de Hoyos.
Many of the articles here bear directly on important topics within Masonic history, particularly matter relating to the development and spread of degrees. “The High Degrees in the United States: 1730–1830,” “The Royal Secret in America Before 1801,” and “Henry Andrew Francken and His Masonic Manuscripts” are all substantial contributions that address the evolution of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.
“The Polite Revolution: The Formation of American Grand Lodges, 1777–1806” considers the crucial period of formation and reformation of the Craft in the nascent United States, dealing with many fascinating questions pertaining to how the American jurisdictions—originally formed as provincial bodies under British Grand Lodges of the Antients and Moderns—became independent institutions.
Next is a useful survey of the “Itinerant American Masonic Lecturers.” These men, such as Abraham Jacobs, Thomas Smith Webb, and Benjamin Gleason, are often maligned as profiteers (as though their work could have been done without any means of support). Morris points out that the fabric of Freemasonry would be less established without their work: “Itinerant American Masonic Lecturers were colorful and sometimes scorned, but through their efforts, American Freemasonry spread and assumed the successful form it has today.”
One of the most fascinating pieces in the collection is “Early Newspaper Accounts of Prince Hall Freemasonry,” coauthored with Paul Rich, MPS, and originally published in The Phylaxis. These contemporary accounts bring the subject of Prince Hall Masonry to life in a new way. My admiration of the article was enhanced by the literal style of transcription used for the old news reports.
Another useful survey is found in “The Impact of English Freemasonry and America and Vice-Versa,” in which many ritualistic and institutional influences are effectively and efficiently mapped out. “Voting With Their Feet,” which follows, is a brief article on the statistical analysis of membership trends, with some important observations.
The next piece, coauthored with Arturo de Hoyos, deals with “Themes of Antimasonry,” and is printed here for the first time. Understanding what the objections to the Craft have been over time allows us to see that Masonry’s opponents are remarkably uncreative. Plus ça change.
Following this are some short pieces, including one on “The Letter ‘G’,” and another on “The Eye in the Pyramid.” Morris rightly points out that the symbolism of the Letter G has been consistently described since at least 173o, whatever eisegesis might have been practiced by later interpreters. The essay on the All-Seeing Eye argues that this symbol was introduced “officially” as late as 1797, a conclusion that might generate friendly debate in some circles.
Next are important scholarly articles on the Trinity College Tripos of 1688 and the 1723 Post Boy exposure. These provide meaningful introductions to these early documents as well as thought-provoking critical analyses of them. Particularly fascinating is “New Light on the Gormagons,” in which Morris identifies previously unknown sources on this satirical “rival” of the London brotherhood.
Rounding out the volume are a piece on Masonry in the Sherlock Holmes canon and a brief on the explorer Sir Charles Warren, who was the founding Master of the famous Quatuor Coronati Lodge of Research, of which S. Brent Morris is a respected Past Master.
Why Thirty-Three? is a convenient way to access some of the most important contributions of a crucial Masonic voice of our times, and should occupy a place within any well-stocked library on the topic of Masonic history.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2020
By making the rich visual record of Freemasonry in upstate New York accessible to researchers for... more By making the rich visual record of Freemasonry in upstate New York accessible to researchers for the first time, Godwin and Goodwillie have provided a magnificent service to all scholars. Symbols in the Wilderness is highly recommended to all serious students of Masonic culture.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2019
Lewis Masonic, 2017 ISBN 978-0-85318-543-7 (paperback) 240 pages, £14.99 Although entertaining a... more Lewis Masonic, 2017
ISBN 978-0-85318-543-7 (paperback)
240 pages, £14.99
Although entertaining and relating a great deal of information, Over 300 Years of Masonic Ritual is not a scholarly work and ultimately does not function as a historical account of Craft ritual. It represents an educated layman’s personal reflections on different Masonic rituals and practices over time. Constrained by an over-reliance on Internet-based sources, older narratives about Masonic history that may not hold up as well today, and idiosyncrasies such as a large amount of first-person narrative, this book has limited application for academic students of Freemasonry.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2019
The Great Transformation: Scottish Freemasonry, 1725–1810 Mark C. Wallace Westphalia Press, 2018 ... more The Great Transformation:
Scottish Freemasonry, 1725–1810
Mark C. Wallace
Westphalia Press, 2018
ISBN 978-1-63391-698-2 (paperback)
357 pages, $19.99 US
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2019
McFarland, 2017 ISBN 978-1-4766-6913-7 (paper) 240 pages, $49.95 US
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2018
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2018
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2017
Lewis Masonic, 2017 ISBN 978-0-85318-531-4 (cloth) 304 pages, £45.00 GBP
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2014
That Religion in which All Men Agree: Freemasonry in American Culture David G. Hackett Universit... more That Religion in which All Men Agree:
Freemasonry in American Culture
David G. Hackett
University of California Press, 2014
ISBN 978-0-520-28167-7
329 pages, $49.95 USA
Scholarly analysis of the cultural aspects of Freemasonry is always fascinating to consider, and That Religion in which All Men Agree: Freemasonry in American Culture is the latest entry in the field. The study’s author, Prof. David G. Hackett, earned his doctorate from Emory University, and is currently an Associate Professor in the Religion Department of the University of Florida. Since apologetic narratives have been so pronounced in recent internal discussions of the aspects of Freemasonry that intersect with religion, it is encouraging to see academic research on the subject. Sometimes topics that are difficult for participant-scholars to engage can be explored more freely by scholars from outside the Fraternity.
Prof. Hackett acknowledges the valuable work done in the field of Masonic studies through participant scholarship (represented by journals like Ars Quatuor Coronatorum and Heredom, and conferences like the ICHF) as well as recent academic research. He points out that some academic studies have “focused on the fraternity’s sociological and economic benefits while taking little interest in Freemasonry’s beliefs and practices.” (9) He identifies one scholar, Steven C. Bullock, as overcoming this pattern. “Rather than explain away the motives of Masonic brothers . . . Bullock takes their beliefs and activities seriously and through this approach provides the most convincing argument to date for the social and cultural significance of early American Freemasonry.” (11) Hackett points out that Bullock and several other recent historians have thus “provided valuable pathways” in his integration of Freemasonry into a narrative of American religious history.
Hackett notes that the “appearance of the American Masonic fraternity accompanied the eighteenth-century development of colonial commercial cities,” and that Masonry’s appearance in these cases contributed to the “Anglicization of colonial life.” (21) He also points out that the early American Freemasons were drawn from the social élite, that they patronized the arts, and contributed to the overall cultural refinement of the colonies. Hackett points out that early American lodges had “deliberately expensive fees,” dress codes and practiced solemn ritual in the overall context of cultivating gentlemanly manners and conversation. (36) Prof. Hackett also notes the importance of esoteric streams of thought in the origins of Freemasonry and underlines early tensions and perceived divergences between conventional faith and the traditions of the Craft.
In his discussion of the Revolution, Hackett explores the conflict between the Antients and the Moderns, and how this played out during the War for Independence. As the influence of the Moderns faded, America became a bastion of Freemasonry in the style of the Antients, preserving older ritual forms and somewhat more egalitarian approach to membership. He explores the famous 1778 Saint John’s Day in Philadelphia in which George Washington participated, noting several frequently overlooked details.
Prof. Hackett then moves on to discuss how the rituals of Freemasonry affected participants psychologically. He cites leading brethren of the early 1800s on how Masonry’s rituals were intended to “impress the mind with a deep sense of eternal things,” and that the symbols and ceremonies were instruments of the mind “to retain knowledge and communicate it to others.” (87) One misstep here may be his suggestion that these developments were new in the early nineteenth century, as it is clear that Masons throughout the eighteenth century also experienced their rituals as transformative. However, it is true that these later brethren were more expressive and left more literary records of their impressions.
Hackett’s scholarship then considers the Anti-Masonic period, and the encounters of the Craft with middle-class Protestantism and Native American culture (including over four pages about Bro∴ Arthur C. Parker, one of the early Fellows of the Philalethes Society). He also explores the role of Jews in Freemasonry, which grew significantly during the haskalah, as well as the early role of Catholic brethren in the Fraternity, and the later tension between the Church and the Craft. The work concludes with a summary of Freemasonry today, detailing some of the revitalization taking place, including recent Masonic restoration efforts.
Considering the author’s rich academic background in religious studies, it is unfortunate that no significant treatment of the Masonic culture of the era from Albert G. Mackey up to Joseph Fort Newton is attempted. While this would have created a more well-rounded survey of American Freemasonry, That Religion in which All Men Agree is a penetrating and perceptive work that is likely to serve as a touchstone for future scholarship.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2014
Handbook of Freemasonry Henrik Bogdan & Jan A.M. Snoek Koninklijke Brill, 2014 ISBN 978-90-0... more Handbook of Freemasonry
Henrik Bogdan & Jan A.M. Snoek
Koninklijke Brill, 2014
ISBN 978-90-04-21833-8
689 pages, $268 USA
The appearance of this volume of essays comes amid a growing academic interest in the study of Freemasonry. The publisher, E.J. Brill of Leiden, is the perhaps world’s most distinguished publisher of scholarly literature.
The editors of the Handbook are well known to all of us working in the field of Freemasonry and the academic study of western esotericism. Dr. Henrik Bogdan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Dr. Jan Snoek is Emeritus Professor of the Institute for the Sciences of Religions at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Both are known for their notable contributions to our understanding of the Masonic world.
The structure of the Handbook arranges its thirty articles into five sections: historical perspectives; Freemasonry and religion; ritual, organization, and diffusion; Freemasonry, society, and politics; and Freemasonry and culture. The volume opens with a balanced 20-page history of Freemasonry, written by the editors. Refreshingly, they elsewhere summarize the complexities involved in the question of Masonic origins by noting that “it is impossible to say when Freemasonry as we know it was founded.”
Andrew Prescott contributes an excellent survey on the Old Charges, following which there are two stimulating essays on Masonic origins in Scotland (by David Stevenson) and England (by Matthew Scanlan). Stevenson’s chapter is a summary of his well-known research, while Scanlan’s gives a critical survey of past and present scholarship on English Masonic history. His discussion of methodological issues will be useful for any student of the subject. This is followed by treatments of Templarism (Pierre Mollier), and the Enlightenment era (Margaret Jacob). The section concludes with a rather tangled essay by the late Charles Porset titled “Masonic Historiography.”
The section on Masonry and religion includes especially informative and well-written chapters on Protestantism, Islam and western esotericism; also treated are Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Judaism, eastern religions, and new religious movements.
The cornerstone of the next section, devoted to ritual and diffusion, is Jan Snoek’s excellent essay, “Masonic Rituals of Initiation.” This is followed by “Masonic Rites and Systems,” contributed by Arturo de Hoyos, FPS. These are both essential studies.
The remaining sections on political and cultural impacts of Freemasonry feature ten chapters, all of which are fascinating. I was especially impressed by François Rognon’s treatment of Freemasonry and war, the late Malcolm Davies’ chapter on Music in the Craft, R.A. Gilbert’s piece on Masonry and literature, and James Stevens Curl’s brilliant survey of the underexplored theme of Masonry and architecture.
There are some imperfections to be expected in any work of this magnitude. I noticed a small number of factual errors, mostly resulting from overly-comprehensive assertions. Also, while the editors took a neutral approach by adopting “the self-designations ‘regular’ and ‘liberal’ to distinguish between the two dominant forms of Freemasonry,” that stipulation was not applied without exception. Moreover, occasionally an author’s bias against regular Freemasonry could be detected. However, this is nothing new in academia.
The Handbook of Freemasonry is a formidable and provocative collection of the thoughts of many of the most accomplished scholars of Freemasonry in Europe and America. Anyone involved in serious Masonic research will find it to be a valuable resource.
Archangels and Archaeology: J.S.M. Ward’s Kingdom of the Wise Geoffrey Ginn Sussex Universit... more Archangels and Archaeology: J.S.M. Ward’s Kingdom of the Wise
Geoffrey Ginn
Sussex University Press, 2012
ISBN 978-1-84519-493-2
224 pages, $34.95 US
Relatively unknown in the United States, English Freemason J.S.M. Ward, FPS, was perhaps one of the most misunderstood Masonic figures of the twentieth century. He was a prolific writer on many subjects—including the Craft. Some of his works, including educational handbooks he penned for the several degrees—continue to be popular with Masonic readers today. Yet, his wide-ranging anthropological perspective proved to be extraordinarily unpopular among his contemporaries and later scholars of Freemasonry, leading to a general rejection of his writings and the theories they contain. Moreover, Bro∴ Ward himself has become something of an enigma owing to the unconventional circumstances of his life.
Or, at least, that was the case until recently. In 2003, W∴ Bro∴ Anthony R. Baker (now a Past Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, the world’s premier lodge of Masonic research) surveyed Ward’s life and Masonic career in “The Scholar the Builders Rejected: The Life & Work of J.S.M. Ward,” an extremely valuable paper that was published in AQC.
Now, Professor Geoffrey A.C. Ginn’s scholarly biography of Ward has been published by Sussex University Press. Archangels & Archaeology offers a detailed examination of every facet of Bro∴ Ward’s adventuresome life and thought, beginning with his youthful fascination with architecture and archaeology, his university years, leading into his professional career and his emergence as a Masonic writer, and finally his founding of Ward’s religious order, the Abbey of Christ the King.
Archangels & Archaeology is an outstanding treatment of the life of a very complex man, written with a clarity and openness which is rare in academic writing. I would encourage anyone with an interest in Ward or in Masonic intellectual history to consult Prof. Ginn’s valuable work.
![Research paper thumbnail of Review of Robert Burns: The Complete Songs [Compact Disc series] by Fred Freeman](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/55048589/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2013
Robert Burns: The Complete Songs Volumes 1–12 Linn Records, 1996–2002 13 compact discs approx. $2... more Robert Burns: The Complete Songs Volumes 1–12
Linn Records, 1996–2002
13 compact discs
approx. $20 USA per volume
Readers everywhere have enjoyed volumes of Burns’ poetry. And many of Burns’ songs are known the world over, such as “Green Grow the
Rashes,” “Scots Wha Hae,” “Is There for Honest Poverty,” and of course “Auld Lang Syne.” (See the informative article by Arthur Porter, MPS, on
the traditions surrounding the latter song in the Fall 2011 issue of Philalethes.) With Linn Records’ plenary edition of Robert Burns: The Complete Songs, we gain a far more thorough knowledge of this important music.
Linn Products is a Glasgow-based company well-known in the audiophile world as the manufacturer of an exceptional line of high-fidelity stereo equipment such as amplifiers and turntables. Linn Records, their recording label, is devoted to excellent recordings of classical, jazz and Scottish music. As such, Linn was uniquely qualified to bring about this Robert Burns Series. Beginning in 1996, they set out to produce recordings of every song written or edited by Robert Burns. This
ambitious project was completed in 2002. This outstanding collection of Burns’ songs comprises over 360 tracks in 12 volumes (as vol. 11 is a 2-disc set, there are 13 discs in the series overall). Dozens of artists are featured, and individual tracks are recorded either in traditional or modern Scottish folk styles. The series was produced by Dr. Fred Freeman, a Fellow in English at the University of Edinburgh and an instructor of Scottish literature at The School of Scottish Studies.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2013
As long as most of us can remember, the Enlightenment era—specifically the English Enlightenment—... more As long as most of us can remember, the Enlightenment era—specifically the English Enlightenment—has been characterized as a triumph of cold empiricism and skepticism over the scholastic, mystical and prescientific notions of the past. Rational and philosophical approaches to the search for truth were displaced by.....
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2012
Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum Elias Ashmole Ouroboros Press, 2011 528 pages, $88 USA Phil... more Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum
Elias Ashmole
Ouroboros Press, 2011
528 pages, $88 USA
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters 65 (2012):82–84.
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2017
Philalethes: The Journal for Masonic Research & Letters, 2012, 2016
Brought to Light: Contemporary Freemasonry, Meaning, and Society J. Scott Kenney Wilfred Lauri... more Brought to Light:
Contemporary Freemasonry,
Meaning, and Society
J. Scott Kenney
Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2016
ISBN 978-1-77112-194-1 (paper)
308 pages, $38.99 US
Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, 2016
Then and Now: Collecting and Classicism in Eighteenth-Century England Joan Coutu McGill-Queen’s ... more Then and Now:
Collecting and Classicism
in Eighteenth-Century England
Joan Coutu
McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015
ISBN 978-0-7735-4543-4 (cloth)
340 pages, $110 US
2018 Quatuor Coronati Conference: Freemasons in the Transatlantic World in the Eighteenth Century... more 2018 Quatuor Coronati Conference: Freemasons in the Transatlantic World in the Eighteenth Century September 14 to 16, 2018 The George Washington Masonic National Memorial Alexandria, Virginia
2018 Quatuor Coronati Conference: Freemasons in the Transatlantic World in the Eighteenth Century... more 2018 Quatuor Coronati Conference: Freemasons in the Transatlantic World in the Eighteenth Century
September 14 to 16, 2018
The George Washington Masonic National Memorial
Alexandria, Virginia
The Fourth International Conference on the History of Freemasonry Edinburgh, Scotland Archite... more The Fourth International Conference on the History of Freemasonry
Edinburgh, Scotland
Architect Edward Oakley was a leading figure in a Lodge warranted at Carmarthen in South Wales in 1724. Oakley served as Provincial Senior Grand Warden there, and by 1728 had relocated to London, becoming the Master of a lodge meeting at the Carpenters Arms in Silver Street. An oration that Oakley gave upon installation as been described by Knoop, Jones & Hamer as “one of the earliest statements we possess of the aims and objects of freemasonry, as set forth by a mason of some standing.” The speech outlines a vision of freemasonry that promotes education in the arts and sciences, particularly architecture. It also stresses that a lodge should provide books to the brethren “for the Advancement of this Divine Science of Masonry.”
Also from the lodge at Carmarthen are two songs, first published in A Curious Collection of the Most Celebrated Songs in Honour of Masonry (1731). It has been suggested that Oakley brought them from Carmarthen and popularized them. They possess a notable and unusual feature as printed: a large number of footnotes that thoroughly re-interpret the stanzas to refer to philosophical concepts linked apparently to the lodge’s initiatic purpose, e.g.: “the Arts whereby Masons awake Mens Minds.” The notes reflect several other notable features relevant to our understanding of lodge culture, including a sophisticated approach to symbolism, and a claim that “sublime Truths” are “always veil’d” and may only be understood by those who adopt a “right Study” to find “the real Sense.”
Both Oakley’s oration and the songs from Carmarthen were published in various editions of Cole’s Constitutions, and provide a valuable window into the intellectual world of the Craft during a critical period. This paper offers a careful thematic analysis of these three texts connected to South Wales, including an examination of their intertextuality with prior Masonic writings and exposures, and a discussion of their possible implications for our understanding of early Grand Lodge-era British Freemasonry.
The initiatic tradition known as "speculative" (philosophical) Freemasonry evolved in the sevente... more The initiatic tradition known as "speculative" (philosophical) Freemasonry evolved in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Little information survives about the earliest rituals, but from the early 1700s there is an increasing body of texts and artistic works that provide evidence for the development of Masonic practices. While historians have focused almost exclusively on the textual evidence, the material culture of the early Freemasons has attracted relatively little academic attention. The most striking examples of the objects used by Freemasons during this period are tracing boards (symbolic paintings and engravings), aprons (ritual garments, often highly decorated), and jewels (symbolic medals). Employing color slides of the artwork, this presentation focuses upon the tracing boards and their development, with an emphasis on their use as tools for the communication of esoteric knowledge.
The first in-depth treatment of Rev. William Smith as a Freemason. This is being prepared for p... more The first in-depth treatment of Rev. William Smith as a Freemason.
This is being prepared for publication as a monograph. A short version will appear in a volume to be published by Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076.