An experienced Freemason and award-winning psychologist provides a precise and engaging exploration of the core meaning and practices of Freemasonry for the new generation of people interested in joining the order, and those who are simply curious in the wake of recent media coverage. Entertaining books and movies often depict Freemasonry as a shadowy, mysterious, and possibly sinister organization, and the TV and magazine specials on Freemasonry that inevitably follow often leave us with more questions than answers. Mark E. Koltko-Rivera, a practicing thirty-second-degree Mason, has created a simple, authoritative, and easy-to-understand introduction to the history, rites, and meaning of Freemasonry. It may be the single most reliable short guide to Masonry, written by a widely recognized psychologist and scholar of esoteric history. Koltko-Rivera's trustworthy handbook explores all the basic issues around Masonry, like: *What is Freemasonry, and what is its history? *How does one become a Freemason? *What are some of the most important Masonic symbols? *What do Masons get from their involvement in Freemasonry? What changes does it make in their inner and outer lives? *What is it like to participate in the initiatory rituals of Freemasonry? *What are some of the great historical controversies and myths surrounding Freemasonry? *How is Masonry relevant today?

This is an entirely different type of ritual guidance manual, aimed at assisting the officer tot understanding his existing ritual book more fully, and as an aid to learning. It is taken for granted that the Lodge will have adopted one of the standard working rituals, and that the Tyler will be equipped with a copy of the same ritual.

This book is a new edition of David Stevenson's classic account of the origins of Freemasonry, a brotherhood of men bound together by secret initiatives, rituals and modes of identification with ideals of fraternity, equality, toleration and reason. Beginning in Britain, Freemasonry swept across Europe in the mid-eighteenth century in astonishing fashion--yet its origins are still hotly debated today. The prevailing assumption has been that it emerged in England around 1700, but David Stevenson demonstrates that the real origins of modern Freemasonry lie in Scotland around 1600, when the system of lodges was created by stonemasons with rituals and secrets blending medieval mythology with Renaissance and seventeenth-century history. This fascinating work of historical detection will be essential reading for anyone interested in Renaissance and seventeenth-century history, for freemasons themselves, and for those readers captivated by the secret societies at the heart of the bestselling The Da Vinci Code. David Stevenson is Emeritus Professor of Scottish History at the University of St. Andrews. His many previous publications include The Scottish Revolution, 1637-1644; Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Scotland, 1644-1651; and The First Freemasons; Scotland, Early Lodges and their Members. His most recent book is the The Hunt for Rob Roy (2004). Previous edition Hb (1988) 0-521-35326-2 Previous edition Pb (1990) 0-521-39654-9

Freemasonry was a major cultural and social phenomenon and a key element of the Enlightenment. It was to have an international influence across the globe. This primary resource collection charts a key period in the development of organized Freemasonry culminating in the formation of a single United Grand Lodge of England. The secrecy that has surrounded Freemasonry has made it difficult to access information and documents about the organization and its adherents in the past. This collection is the result of extensive archival research and transcription and highlights the most significant themes associated with Freemasonry. The documents are drawn from masonic collections, private archives and libraries worldwide. The majority of these texts have never before been republished. Documents include rituals (some written in code), funeral services, sermons, songs, certificates, an engraved list of lodges, letters, pamphlets, theatrical prologues and epilogues, and articles from newspapers and periodicals. This collection will enable researchers to identify many key masons for the first time. It will be of interest to students of Freemasonry, the Enlightenment and researchers in eighteenth-century studies.

A new generation of seekers have inherited the craft, desirous of excellence, and without tolerance for ignorance or apathy. Freemasonry is being challenged from the inside with a call to restore Masonic excellence and revive the fundamentals of speculative Masonry. A philosophical companion for all Masons, The Renaissance of Freemasonry offers the sincere seeker a guidebook for Masonic introspection. By solemn contemplation of the topics addressed, a Mason will have cause to re-assess his perceptions and beliefs regarding the fraternity, thus rekindling his passion for Freemasonry, his quest for knowledge, and his search for sublime light. The first edition of this book was published in paperback and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. The Virginia Masonic Herald reviewed the first edition, giving it an A+ rating, citing "Worshipful Brother Brunelle provides a valuable, inspiring guide to Brethren seeking deeper and more spiritual Light in Masonry...The size of a pocket calendar, Brother Brunelle's finely honed book will enhance any Brother's Masonic thinking and learning in the most positive manner."

Masonry is a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory, illustrated by signs and symbols, and embodying ideals that transcend most human barriers. The work of masonry is based upon and filled with scripture, with beauty, and with God's love, irrespective of any one individual's relationship with God. The one requirement of a man who would like to join masonry is that he believes in God. As an evangelist, I want to hear the blessed name of Jesus on people's lips, but as a Mason, my duty is to help men make those decisions for themselves. This volume is designed to help masons and their families to seek light from scripture, whether they have a church or not, whether they are Christian or not. If I have written these scripture studies well, the readers should walk away from this book being better informed and challenged to read more and more scripture, seeking more about God within their traditions, and be more confident believers. People who are more confident in what they believe can have discussions that do not turn to bad arguments, and are not easily offended. Those who can discuss any topic can best work together and best agree. In most instances of this book, I have used the lines from ritual in full context, as too often Masons do not follow through and see where lines come from. At other times, the same Chapter of scripture might contain two or three different passages that are of special import to the Craft, thus are better served integrating them. There are many times when an entire chapter is important to read in order to get one short line that is used in a lecture or prayer or degree.Since not all masonic traditions use the same scriptures, I have endeavored to select scriptures from various masonic jurisdictions around the world, both in the "Blue Lodges" of the first three degrees and those of the Appendant Bodies. I do not identify which degree or source that each scripture reading comes from, as that is for each mason to learn if they do not immediately recognize the verses. All scripture used throughout this book is from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted. There are times when other translations give a better sense of the intentions of why we use the lines in Lodges. It is highly recommended that in any serious study of the Bible, several translations are used. For those interested, there are several websites of note, including BibleHub.com and BibleGateway.com. I often used these two sites to assist in my studies during the construction of this book. If you are interested in Biblical languages, I recommend using the BibleHub.com resources, clicking on Hebrew or Greek to take you to the original languages and helping you see where else each particular word is used as per Englishman's Concordance, Strong's, and several other major reference works. Where I have translated from Hebrew or Greek, it should be stated that the translations are mine, and any errors made are mine and not those of any source from which I sought assistance. I have tried to be faithful to scripture and modern English (American) language. While I had several brilliant Hebrew professors in both Seminaries I graduated from, my abilities do not show their great skill teaching, only my poor abilities learning. Several other works informed the discussions here, including The Anchor Bible Series of Commentaries, the Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament, the Story of God Bible Commentary, and many others. I have attempted to bring the benefit of scholarship without the burdens thereof so that this book might be easier to read and use.