Thoughts on a PhD Dissertation

[SivadSemaj]

Hello Brethren,

I recently matriculated through my Masters of History program and have applied for a PhD program in History. I am wanting to write a dissertation concerning Freemasonry and Christianity/Judaism. I bring this topic to you all to solicit your opinions on areas within Masonic history, that deal with these two religions, having historical questions needing investigation. What questions (questions requiring somewhere in the area of 90 pages of writing) do you feel need investigation and written about. With your feedback, I will hopefully craft an acceptable proposal for my university; but there is no guarantee it will be accepted by my advisors.

If you are able to go into detail I would appreciate it. Primarily I am concerned with the topic at hand, the questions within the area and the lack of research that is available. Secondly, if you could help direct me to any resources I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this, and I hope one of your ideas will be a dissertation the university would accept; I am pretty excited to start this. Have a blessed evening.

 

[Glen Cook]

That’s an awfully broad subject. A bit more specific?

 

[Bloke]

Hello Brethren,

I recently matriculated through my Masters of History program and have applied for a PhD program in History

Congrats !

...a dissertation concerning Freemasonry and Christianity/Judaism.

Yep.. very broad topic and nebulous description. Do you have your own specific ideas or question on it ?

But you might look at issues raised in something like this https://muse.jhu.edu/article/851634

Me, (and I know next to nothing about it) I would be interested in reading something about class and religion (and you would might need to split Catholic/Protestant) influenced the development in English Freemasonry in the 1700's - but no idea what decent sources you might find..

https://www.jstor.org/stable/29778842

Have you done much pre-reading ?

 

[SivadSemaj]

Congrats !



Yep.. very broad topic and nebulous description. Do you have your own specific ideas or question on it ?

But you might look at issues raised in something like this https://muse.jhu.edu/article/851634

Me, (and I know next to nothing about it) I would be interested in reading something about class and religion (and you would might need to split Catholic/Protestant) influenced the development in English Freemasonry in the 1700's - but no idea what decent sources you might find..

https://www.jstor.org/stable/29778842

Have you done much pre-reading ?

Thank you my brother. It was a long and exciting road. I'm very glad to be finished, however. I'm not sure if I'm perfectly clear on a topic to choose to be honest. I was hoping to glean any ideas that come about in the hopes that one really sparks my interest. I appreciate the two links that you posted. I'll read over them in the next few days.

As far as prior reading that I have done; I've read extensively but there is obviously a lot of re-reading that would need to be done on such a grand topic. I have an extensive library of the three subjects. Money to purchase books is not that much of an issue so long as we're talking 30-40 dollars a book. As far as a question to ask, what would be your question to spark an investigation?

Based on the jstor link I would have to ask the question if Freemasonry was a coveted way of projecting Judaism into Europe. Perhaps investigate the necessity of Freemasonry to bring Eastern ideas into Western Europe? Both of these, and your own, concerning class and religion, seem appealing. Do you have any ideas? Thank you again.

 

[Bloke]

If it is not already done - how class and religion interplayed and influenced English Freemasonry in the 1717 to 1813.
OR
Did Freemasonry provide a meeting ground for Jews and Christians to provide philanthropy through Freemasonry.

I think you are better focusing on the sociological rather than ritual aspect of Freemasonry.

As always, primary documents (esp their availability) will be a major factor and influence what you pick... the good thing about the second topic, is newspapers might provide names to research.... and movers and shakers in Freemasonry were also sometimes the same in their Churches and Synagogues and you might end up with two sets of documents to draw on - public philanthropic and histories of religious institutions, to say nothing of Masonic Periodicals... but I would not go anywhere where you start a topic and find few sources... OR TOO MANY !

All that said, given the work involved, I would pick a topic which you already have some reasonably deep knowledge on, and cerainly one which you were passionate about to inspire you to work the long hours involved.

 

[SivadSemaj]

If it is not already done - how class and religion interplayed and influenced English Freemasonry in the 1717 to 1813.
OR
Did Freemasonry provide a meeting ground for Jews and Christians to provide philanthropy through Freemasonry.

I think you are better focusing on the sociological rather than ritual aspect of Freemasonry.

As always, primary documents (esp their availability) will be a major factor and influence what you pick... the good thing about the second topic, is newspapers might provide names to research.... and movers and shakers in Freemasonry were also sometimes the same in their Churches and Synagogues and you might end up with two sets of documents to draw on - public philanthropic and histories of religious institutions, to say nothing of Masonic Periodicals... but I would not go anywhere where you start a topic and find few sources... OR TOO MANY !

All that said, given the work involved, I would pick a topic which you already have some reasonably deep knowledge on, and cerainly one which you were passionate about to inspire you to work the long hours involved.

Thank you sir! There is a lot to consider here, but I feel like you have given me a basis to begin some more research.

 

[Armando Cobarrubio]

Hello Brethren,

I recently matriculated through my Masters of History program and have applied for a PhD program in History. I am wanting to write a dissertation concerning Freemasonry and Christianity/Judaism. I bring this topic to you all to solicit your opinions on areas within Masonic history, that deal with these two religions, having historical questions needing investigation. What questions (questions requiring somewhere in the area of 90 pages of writing) do you feel need investigation and written about. With your feedback, I will hopefully craft an acceptable proposal for my university; but there is no guarantee it will be accepted by my advisors.

If you are able to go into detail I would appreciate it. Primarily I am concerned with the topic at hand, the questions within the area and the lack of research that is available. Secondly, if you could help direct me to any resources I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this, and I hope one of your ideas will be a dissertation the university would accept; I am pretty excited to start this.

Education should always be held securely , within the hearts and minds of everyone.
As a Master Mason , I will continue to strengthen every educational opportunity within the Masonic Community .
My brother , Thank you always with my respect

 

[usar123]

It is a a broad topic when we talk about Religion and Free Masonry , you may incorporate the Templars because they played a big role defending Jerusalem in that era this is my opinion my brother!

 

[Glen Cook]

It is a a broad topic when we talk about Religion and Free Masonry , you may incorporate the Templars because they played a big role defending Jerusalem in that era this is my opinion my brother!

But the Templars aren’t relevant to freemasonry.

 

[Winter]

But the Templars aren’t relevant to freemasonry.

Well, they are if you want to sell books or a movie!

 

[Luigi Visentin]

A possible starting point could be the Christian Kabbalah. During Renaissance and later it was the only connection between Christianity and Judaism and very diffused in England. I my opinion it was the base on which ancient masonic teachings were converted in the current system. Particularly The Harmony of the World (De Harmonia Mundi) of Francesco Giorgi is a must-read text. In any case if your have not yet read it, you could start also from The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age of Frances Amelia Yates.