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Conceit, Egotism, Pride -- Why?

acjohn1

Registered User
I should have looked it up befor posting. Thanks for the correction.
I do think, looking back on the post, that this person should talk to people and not all the paper tigers on annonomise reddit,, fb ,Twitter etc
 

Winter

Premium Member
I should have looked it up befor posting. Thanks for the correction.
I do think, looking back on the post, that this person should talk to people and not all the paper tigers on annonomise reddit,, fb ,Twitter etc
I think you're wasting your breath. The OP made one post on the forum six months ago to vent about her interactions with some Freemasons she met and to lament that she can't join. I doubt she was looking for advice on how to help her friend research the Craft or that she has even returned to follow the discussion.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
I think you're wasting your breath. The OP made one post on the forum six months ago to vent about her interactions with some Freemasons she met and to lament that she can't join. I doubt she was looking for advice on how to help her friend research the Craft or that she has even returned to follow the discussion.
Yep. One post... and never to be heard from since... Still getting comments... not quite a zombie thread... though this is a matter of degree...
 

flipster

Registered User
1 book in 25 years? Weird flex, but ok. I have a rather nice library with many of the Masonic books in my collections obtained from estate sales or auctions and not a few from garage sales.
Could you share a few suggestions?
 

kwhtraveler41

Registered User
I can only speak for what I have experienced so I will say this. In my world of masonry where most bros look like me, we tend to not ever see the esoteric value and treat the craft like it is every other greek fraternity. I hear a lot of talk about regular this, clandestine that, recognized and unrecognized but the truth is what the f@@@ are we really talking about? We all use the same rituals, monitors, and jurisprudence books. We don't all search for knowledge beyond that but that's another debate for another day. The reality is that if you have not learned how to square your actions amidst humanity and embrace, help, and be squared with people outside of the craft, you're probably not going to do it with a dues card in your pocket. I didn't come to masonry with this fairytale understanding about it. I knew after my raising that there were principles that I needed to stand on to make myself ready for every aspect of life. Masons practice our things around non-masons, but they do not understand beyond, Ah that's a mannerly guy right there. Many get the ring and car emblem and the camaraderie and for them that's it. Even as 32's and 33's. Only the uninitiated think that means everything in freemasonry.
 
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Winter

Premium Member
Could you share a few suggestions?
I'd be happy to.

I just recently finished "The Craft: How the Freemasons Made the Modern World" by John Dickie and it was a very interesting read.,

"The Lost Keys of Freemasonry" by Manly P. Hall

"American Freemasons: Three Centuries of Building Communities" by Mark Tabbart

"The Craft and Its Symbols" by Allen Roberts

We are living in a golden age of Masonic books being published.
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Could you share a few suggestions?
Well, since you asked...

The Building Series, The Craft Series, & A Brother Asks Series


Yes, I did write them!

books_2021.JPG
 

MarkR

Premium Member
Here's an excerpt from an article I wrote a few years ago. It might be of some help to you.

Cracking the Freemasons Code by Robert L.D. Cooper

This has become one of my “go to” books to recommend when people ask for a recommendation. Brother Cooper is the curator of the museum and library of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. In this book, he writes about early Masonry, the transition from operative to speculative, the differences between American, English, Scottish, and Irish Masonry, Masonic symbolism, and a host of other interesting topics.

The Rosslyn Hoax by Robert L.D. Cooper

The astute reader will note that I do not include John Robinson’s Born in Blood in this list, which is one of the first books a lot of Masons read. While entertaining, I think that book has led a lot of Masons (including myself at one time) to believe that there is an established direct link from the crusading Knights Templars to modern Freemasonry. In “Hoax,” Brother Cooper debunks a lot of the myths that have grown up around the famous Rosslyn Chapel (still worth a visit; I’ve been there), the Templars, and Freemasonry. If you’ve read Born in Blood, you really need to read this one for balance.

Freemasons’ Guide and Compendium (rev.ed.) by Bernard Jones

While I’ll caution you that much of the content of this book is relevant mainly to British Freemasonry, I think that you’ll find plenty of interest to an American Mason. Besides, I’m always of the belief that you can’t really understand how you got to where you are without first understanding where you came from. It’s a big book, but well indexed, so you can read it cover to cover over an extended period, or use it for reference.

Esoterika by Albert Pike

Have you tried to wade through Morals and Dogma and swore you’d never be able to understand Pike? Give Esoterika a try. Here Pike takes on his interpretation of the teachings and symbolism of the three craft degrees. Interestingly, Pike did not want this book published, thinking that the material was beyond the ability of the average Mason to understand. However, I think that you’ll find this ever so much more accessible than Morals and Dogma, and the editing of Art DeHoyos clarifies much of the book with footnotes and appendices. You should know that Pike did, in fact, write rituals for the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees. (These are available, if you’re interested, in his The Porch and the Middle Chamber, which also requires you to obtain Esoteric Work of the 1st through 3rd Degree, According to the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. The main book leaves out the “secret” parts, inserting a numbered code that you have to look up in the second.) These rituals make the Scottish Rite a complete 33 degree system, and Esoterika reflects his thinking in that regard, but you’ll still find it completely relevant to helping your understanding of the blue lodge degrees as we practice them. If you choose to purchase Esoterika, do it directly through the A&ASR Southern Jurisdiction web site, as it’s much cheaper there. In fact, I’d encourage you to enroll in their “Master Craftsman: Symbolic Lodge” course. The book is included in the program.

The Freemason at Work by Henry Carr

Brother Carr was the secretary of the world’s premier lodge of research, Lodge Quatuor Coronati in London. In that capacity, he would receive questions about different aspects of Masonry from all over the world, and he took some of the most interesting questions (some 200 of them) and his answers to them, and put them in this book. Once again, this is a book written from the perspective of the United Grand Lodge of England, but Brother Carr is quite good at noting where there are differences between the practices of UGLE Masonry and Masonry as practiced in other countries, particularly the United States. A must for the library of any Masonic student.

Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry by S. Brent Morris and Arturo DeHoyos

Anti-Masonry continues to be a problem. I have not encountered very much of it here in Minnesota, but I hear of it in other parts of the country on a regular basis, and it is, unfortunately, a constant problem for our brethren in Great Britain. In this book, brothers Morris and DeHoyos attempt to debunk many of the negative myths surrounding the craft. It would be difficult to find two more qualified Masons to take on this task than Morris and DeHoyos. In many cases, they are attempting the difficult, if not impossible, task of proving a negative. In other words, how do you prove to a skeptic that we don’t do something that they say we do? However, they do a yeoman’s job of tracing the origins of the myths and providing as much evidence as possible to refute them. A helpful addition to your library for talking with friends or family who have “heard” things about our gentle craft.

The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland’s Century by David Stevenson

We all know that Grand Lodge Masonry began with the formation of the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster (soon to become the Grand Lodge of England) in 1717. However, prior to that, very little evidence exists of speculative Masonic activity in England. Where did it come from? Stevenson was a professor of History at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and writes about the roots of Freemasonry from the perspective of a non-Mason academic historian. Using primary-source documents, he makes a compelling argument that the real roots of Freemasonry lie in pre-18th Century Scotland. Along the way, you’ll get a primer in the historical road that led to Freemasonry.

The Masons’ Words by Robert Davis

Brother Davis, 33° Grand Cross and secretary of the Scottish Rite Valley of Guthrie, Oklahoma, has a life-long love of Freemasonry, inspired when he was a child witnessing the special relationship between his father and the men of his town who where his lodge brothers. In this book, he traces the development of Masonic ritual; why we say the words we do in Lodge. This is no easy task, given that so little of ritual was written down. His research is academic-quality, but written in the easy-going style that characterizes Brother Davis, rather than in the often-dry style of the academic.

Observing the Craft by Andrew Hammer

Brother Hammer is a rather harsh critic of Freemasonry as it is practiced in many, if not most, Lodges today. Chances are that some of his critiques and suggestions for improvement will irritate many of you. He is a main contributor to the Masonic Restoration movement, from which has sprung the concept of Traditional Observance (TO) lodges, with their emphasis on formalism, reverence, thoughtful education, and so forth. He does not mince words in his criticism of more casual Masonry. I don’t agree with everything he proposes; I doubt that many of you will agree with it all either. However, he has a lot to say that you should at least consider, to help you focus on just what it is that you seek from Masonry, and in those areas with which you disagree, the process of thinking through why you disagree is an important step.

A Pilgrim’s Path by John Robinson

In last month’s column, I made a passing reference to Robinson’s Born in Blood, a book that I find entertaining, but for reasons discussed then, not among my top ten due to the questionable nature of his findings. However, A Pilgrim’s Path makes my list because it tells the story of a man (Robinson himself) who finds his way to Masonry in a rather unorthodox way. The research for Born in Blood did not begin with any idea that Masonry would become the main point of the book. He was researching the English Peasants Revolt of 1381 and found events and people that led him to a conclusion that it was inspired by an early form of Masonry. After the publication of Born in Blood, he did the common author’s tour of radio and television talk shows to publicize the book. Often, rather than wanting to talk about the book, callers were attacking Freemasonry. He then did research on these allegations to be better equipped to respond to the callers, and what he learned in this research led him to becoming a Mason himself.

This is my list of ten favorites. I don’t call it a “top ten,” because on another day I might list other books, and as I continue to read I’m certain to run across something that would make the list. I hope you’ve found my list informative. Happy reading!
 

flipster

Registered User
I have gone through some storage at the lodge. There were a couple boxes from a deceased brother. I will check those out. Thanks again for your kind suggestions.
 
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