In
your Leisure Hours, that you might
improve in Masonry...
Dear Brethren and Friends.
Over the years I have
collected
numerous books, pamphlets, short talks and articles on the topic of
Freemasonry. Some I have scanned and converted into various digital
formats myself and others I have gathered from the vast resources of
the Internet. As I find time, I'm standardizing their format and
convert them into the Portable Document Format (PDF) for your enjoyment
and
study.
A
Word of Caution
The range of publications
found here
goes from the profound to the lighthearted or outright fictitious and
covers as many aspects of our Fraternity as I can lay my hands on.
However, please bear in mind that NONE should be considered as
speaking for the fraternity or that what is said or written is
"binding" upon Masons. Each Mason must think for himself,
and each is entitled to write whatever he wishes.
Masonry
has no dogma. An official
position would deny a man his right to think for himself and his
right to follow the dictates of his own faith. Each Mason has a right
to seek Masonry for what he wants to find. It is his right to believe
as he wishes; BUT it is not his right to force that belief on others.
There are only three
documents a Mason
must abide by; the Ritual, the Constitution of the Grand Body in
whose jurisdiction he lives and the by-laws of his Lodge, Chapter,
etc. The Rituals
embody the whole of Masonic instruction. The latter
two contain the Laws, Rules and Regulations necessary for their
government as is necessary for all organizations. Everything else is
opinion.
There are quite a number of books in my
library. To make it easier for you to find what you might be looking
for, I have broken the listing down into categories of interest.
Please check back every so often; I am adding books as I find the
time to format them.
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General Interest
NOTE:
All files are in the PDF format and you
will need to have a PDF File-Reader installed on your computer to
view them. If you don't have a Reader, you can download one for free
from FoxIt or Acrobat.
Some of
these publications are quite
large (<100.000 words) and may take some time to download
(especially if you don't have a high-speed connection) - be patient.
| Glossary |
Maybe
you just want to look up the
meaning of a word from Aaron to Zoroaster. This wiki is fully
hyperlinked and easy to use. |
| The following documents will open in a
new page/tab and you can return to this page by closing the page or tab
in your browser. |
Freemasonry
The Digital Challenge |
By Watkins, Ronald J
Some
reflections about the challenge to bring 'regular' Freemasonry into
the 21st Century - (12 pages) |
| A Biblical History of King Solomon's
Temple |
A
description of the significance of King Solomon's Temple with some
interesting pictures.
(Graphics
intensive - large file - be
patient) - (34 Pages)
From Phoenixmasonry.org -
A Website well worth visiting |
| Reading, Writing and Apathy |
By Bro. Stephen Dafoe
The Rise and Fall of Masonic
Education
Bro. Dafoe deplores the decline
of Masonic Education and gives the statistics to prove his point. (42
Pages) |
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By R.A. Gilbert (published in Ars
Quatuor Coronatum Volume 116, Review pp.286-7)
A short review
pointing out the inaccuracies and distortions of Masonic facts in the
book. Well worth reading - to set the record straight! - (2 Pages) |
|
The DaVinci Code |
By Dan Brown
Rarely has a book -
'The DaVinci Code' caught the imagination of so many. Keep in mind
though, that Dan Brown makes it very clear from the outset: This is a
Work of Fiction. This book is copyrighted and is included here only
for reference. If you want to
read the whole book, please purchase a
copy.
(453 Pages -
large file - be patient) |
| Angels and Demons |
By Dan Brown
This is a predecessor
to the 'DaVinci Code' and also has many references to Masonry.
This
is a Work of Fiction. This book is copyrighted and is included here
only for reference. If you want
to read the whole book, please
purchase a copy. - (500
Pages - large file - be patient) |
The Lost Symbol
|
By Dan Brown
The latest of Dan Brown's books. This time the main subject of the book is about Freemasonry. A first class thriller. This is a
Work of Fiction. This book is copyrighted and is included here only
for reference. If you want to
read the whole book, please purchase a
copy. - (339 Pages - be patient)
|
| What is a Mason? |
By Charles H. Tupper
(5 Pages)
|
| The Lost Keys of Freemasonry |
By Manly P. Hall
The Secret of Hiram Abiff - (40
Pages)
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| Freemasonry and the Cathedral Builders |
By H. L. Haywood
(15 Pages)
|
| The Builders |
By Joseph Fort Newton
A Story and
Study of Masonry - (111 Pages)
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| Morals and Dogma |
By Albert Pike
The book is composed
of Pike's ruminations and essays on the Degrees of the Scottish Rite,
from the 1st to the 32nd. It explains Pike's understanding of the
symbolism and allegory in the degrees he wrote. There are thirty-two
chapters, each discussing the philosophical symbolism of a degree of
Freemasonry in extensive detail.
(621 Pages -
Illustrated -
large file - be patient) |
| The Meaning of Masonry |
By Albert Pike
(30 Pages)
|
| The Man Who Would Be King |
By Rudyard Kipling
Kipling was a
Mason. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature In 1907.
The
story of "The Man Who Would Be King" has a plot which is
based on the degrees of Symbolic Masonry. Its "moral"
suggests that no man may use Freemasonry to advance his own personal,
selfish ends. It tells the tale of two rogue British ex-soldiers who
set off from 19th century British India in search of adventure, and
end up as kings of Kafiristan. -
(24 Pages) |
| King Salomon's Temple |
By
Homer Zumwalt
Historical Fact or Fiction?
See also Megiddo – The Solomonic "Chariot
City" below - (5 Pages) |
| Megiddo |
Edited by Robert H.
Meyer
The Solomonic "Chariot
City" - (8 Pages -
Illustrated) |
| Inside the Masons |
Article published in
the U.S.World &
News Report published August 28, 2005 under the by-line of Jay
Tolson - (5 Pages)
|
| Islam and Freemasonry |
By W.Bro. Shaikh
Hatim Fidahussein
Nakhoda PM
Research Lodge St. Michael No. 2933, Singapore
(7
Pages) |
| Conscience and the Craft |
By Jim Tresner, Ph.D.
Question on Religion and Freemasonry -
Expanded Edition
This short article is a
collection of answers to the questions and/or objections raised by
concerned Christians. - (11
Pages) |
| The City of the Sun |
By Thommaso
Campanella
A 16th
Century Italian Monk describes his utopian view of a 'perfect
society' which has some remarkable parallels with Freemasonry.
See
also Zeldis León - Campanella's 'City of the Sun' - (26 Pages) |
| Freemasonry at the Sieges of Louisbourg
1745 and 1758 |
The Canadian Masonic
Research
Association - by M. W. Bro. Reginald V. Harris, P.G.M. Nova
Scotia
There has to-date been no evidence that there were French
Freemasons in Louisbourg, but ample records exist of the activities
of the members of the English and New England Lodges. |
The Meaning of Masonry
|
Walter Leslie Wilmshurst (1867-1939)
Wilmshurst was a mystic with a practical knowledge and profound
understanding of the religions of the world. The Meaning of Masonry
discloses the real purpose of modern Freemasonry and clearly states the
true body of teaching and practice concerning the esoteric meanings of
Masonic ritual. - (91 Pages)
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Craft Masonry
NOTE:
All files are in the PDF format and you
will need to have a PDF File-Reader installed on your computer to
view them. If you don't have a Reader, you can download one for free
from FoxIt or Acrobat.
Some of these publications are quite
large (<100.000 words) and may take some time to download
(especially if you don't have a high-speed connection) - be patient.
|
Glossary
| Glossary |
Maybe
you just want to look up the
meaning of a word from Aaron to Zoroaster. This wiki is fully
hyperlinked and easy to use. |
|
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Books
|
Whither Are We Traveling? |
By
Dwight L. Smith
In the early
1960s, Dwight Smith, Past Grand Master and, at that time, Grand
Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Indiana, wrote a series of articles
for the Indiana Freemason magazine that eventually were collected and
published. His questions and observations are as valid today as when
he wrote them, perhaps more so, given the current atmosphere within
Freemasonry concerning declining membership numbers. - (35 Pages) |
|
Laudable Pursuit |
By the Knights of
the North
Those of
you who have been around for some time will no doubt recognize many
of the problems that are raised here. On the other hand, some of you
may not agree with them. At any rate, I think there is a lot of
fodder for meaningful debate here. - (38 Pages) |
|
The Square And Compasses - Volume 1 |
By Don Falconer
(103 Pages)
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The Square And Compasses - Volume 2 |
By Don Falconer
(220 Pages)
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|
Introduction Entered Apprentice |
By Carl H. Claudy
An Introduction to
Freemasonry - Entered Apprentice - (46 Pages) |
|
Introduction Fellowcraft |
By Carl H. Claudy
An Introduction to
Freemasonry - Fellowcraft - (41
Pages) |
|
Introduction Master Mason |
By Carl H. Claudy
An Introduction to
Freemasonry - Master Mason - (36
Pages) |
|
The Master’s Book |
By Carl H. Claudy
(50 Pages)
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The Ceremony of Initiation |
By Walter Leslie
Wilmshurst
(31
Pages) |
|
The Degrees of Masonry |
By Bros. A.
L. Kess and R. J. Meekren
Their Origin and History - (174
Pages) |
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Short
Talks
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Illustrations
Illustrations of Masonry
|
By William Preston
The origins of
the "Illustrations" lay in a 1772 lecture by Preston
analyzing the symbolism and moral significance of the initiation
ceremony and the first degree. The book was a bestseller, and, as it
passed through successive editions, Preston developed his vindication
of Freemasonry into a powerful piece of writing which has profoundly
influenced the character of Freemasonry up to the present day.
Preston describes various Masonic ceremonies, and also provides a
history of Freemasonry which remains an indispensable source for
English Masonic history. - (248
Pages)
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|
Illustrations of Masonry |
By William Morgan
The (threatened)
publication of this book and the alleged murder of its author was the
trigger of the The Anti-Masonic Movement in the USA. See also The
Morgan Affair
(88 Pages –
Illustrated) |
|
Masonic Handshakes |
By Malcom C Duncan
(14 Pages -
Illustrated) |
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Renewal
The shrinking membership numbers and the ageing of the
Craft has given rise to much speculation as to the best solution for
stemming the losses and giving the Craft its proper place in the
society of the 21st Century. The following are essays and articles
published in English-speaking jurisdictions around the world.
Some Disturbing Reminders
|
By William Neil Love, PGM, GL of
Alberta (1981)
From The Era Of The Great Schism
Brother Love
draws parallels with the period in the 17-hundreds referred to by
Masons as "The Great Schism." A hard-hitting, and at times
controversial, look at 'Innovations' then and now. - (17 Pages)
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My Ideal Lodge |
By León Zeldis,
Asst. GM, GL of Israel
(2002)
Bro Zeldis is a prolific writer with vast experience of
Masonry in many lands. In this paper read at the Benjamin French
Lodge #15, Washington, he makes some common-sense suggestions
including his views of women in Freemasonry at the end. - (5 Pages) |
|
Campanella's 'City of the Sun' |
By León Zeldis,
Asst. GM, GL of
Israel
An account of this 16th Century Italian Monk's life and his
most renowned work, highlighting the remarkable parallels with modern
Masonic philosophy. - (6
Pages) |
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Capitular Masonry
NOTE:
All files are in the PDF format and you
will need to have a PDF File-Reader installed on your computer to
view them. If you don't have a Reader, you can download one for free
from FoxIt or Acrobat.
Some of these publications are quite
large (<100.000 words) and may take some time to download
(especially if you don't have a high-speed connection) - be patient.
|
Glossary
| Glossary |
Maybe
you just want to look up the
meaning of a word from Aaron to Zoroaster. This wiki is fully
hyperlinked and easy to use. |
|
|
Royal Arch
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Red Cross
|
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Cryptic Masonry
NOTE:
All files are in the PDF format and you
will need to have a PDF File-Reader installed on your computer to
view them. If you don't have a Reader, you can download one for free
from FoxIt or Acrobat.
Some of
these publications are quite
large (<100.000 words) and may take some time to download
(especially if you don't have a high-speed connection) - be patient.
|
Glossary
| Glossary |
Maybe
you just want to look up the
meaning of a word from Aaron to Zoroaster. This wiki is fully
hyperlinked and easy to use. |
|
|
Royal and
Select Masters
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Royal Ark
Mariners
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Chivalric Masonry
NOTE:
All files are in the PDF format and you
will need to have a PDF File-Reader installed on your computer to
view them. If you don't have a Reader, you can download one for free
from FoxIt or Acrobat.
Some of
these publications are quite
large (<100.000 words) and may take some time to download
(especially if you don't have a high-speed connection) - be patient.
|
Glossary
| Glossary |
Maybe
you just want to look up the
meaning of a word from Aaron to Zoroaster. This wiki is fully
hyperlinked and easy to use. |
|
|
Knights
Templar
|
Born in Blood - Review
|
By Russel T. Johnson
Book by John J. Robinson.
This, at
times irreverent, review was written by Russel T. Johnson, a
non-Mason and makes a good read.
Unfortunately I don't have the
book available for this library, but this review should be enough to
get you out and buy a copy of the 'real' thing. - (13 Pages)
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York Rite
College
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Anti Masonry
NOTE:
All files are in the PDF format and you
will need to have a PDF File-Reader installed on your computer to
view them. If you don't have a Reader, you can download one for free
from FoxIt or Acrobat.
Some of
these publications are quite
large (<100.000 words) and may take some time to download
(especially if you don't have a high-speed connection) - be patient.
|
Glossary
| Glossary |
Maybe
you just want to look up the
meaning of a word from Aaron to Zoroaster. This wiki is fully
hyperlinked and easy to use. |
|
|
Websites
Anti-Masons make their arguments
wherever they can garner attention. "Cyberspace" is the new
frontier for their endeavours. Beware!
Masonicinfo
|
For an exhaustive report on
all sorts of Anti-Masonic Activity and its perpetrators, please visit
this excellent website. Living in a relatively sheltered part of the
Masonic World, it may come as a surprise just how vitriolic some of
the detractors or impostors comment about our noble fraternity -
don't let it discourage you.
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Books
Anti-Masonry in the Contemporary World
|
By Bruno Gazzo
Integralisms,
Business and Media - May 22, 2004
Bro. Gazzo reviews (and answers)
anti-Masonic stances taken by religious, political and business
interests. - (15 Pages)
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About the Protocols of the Elders of
Zion |
By Leon Zeldis,
Asst. GM, GL of
Israel
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is probably the most
notorious hoax to stir both anti-Semitic and anti-Masonic propaganda.
Bro. Zeldis traces the origin of the document. - (4 Pages) |
|
The Anti-Masonic Movement |
By Emery B. Gibbs,
P.D.G.M.,
Massachusetts
Describes the Anti-Masonic Movement in the USA (1826
to ~1845) which had at its core the alleged murder of William Morgan
(author of Illustrations of Masonry) and the formation of the
Anti-Masonic Party. - (16
Pages)
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The Morgan Affair |
By Rt.Ex. William R.
Zufall
Much has
been written about the alleged murder of William Morgan from inside
and outside the Fraternity. After almost 200 years it is still an
unsolved issue. - (5 Pages)
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Religious
Positions
Conscience and the
Craft
|
By
Jim Tresner,
Ph.D.
Question on Religion and Freemasonry - Expanded Edition
This
short article is certainly not anti-Masonic, but primarily a
collection of answers to the questions and/or objections raised by
concerned Christians. - (11
Pages) |
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