Download or read book Freemasonry written by Andreas Önnerfors and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Freemasonry is one of the oldest and most widespread voluntary organizations in the world. Andreas Onnerfors sorts the facts from the colorful fictions surrounding this organization and outlines how the organization works, its rituals and symbols, its values, and the work it does in modern society.
Download or read book Freemasonry A Very Short Introduction written by Andreas Önnerfors and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-08-17 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Freemasonry is one of the oldest and most widespread voluntary organisations in the world. Over the course of three centuries men (and women) have organized themselves socially and voluntarily under its name. With a strong sense of liberation, moral enlightenment, cosmopolitan openness and forward-looking philanthropy, freemasonry has attracted some of the sharpest minds in history and has created a strong platform for nascent civil societies across the globe. With the secrecy of internally communicated knowledge, the clandestine character of organization, and the enactment of rituals and the elaborate use of symbols, freemasonry has also opened up feelings of distrust, as well as allegations of secretiveness and conspiracy. This Very Short Introduction introduces the inner activities of freemasonry, and the rituals, symbols and practices. Looking at the development of the organizational structure of masonry from the local to the global level, Andreas Önnerfors considers perceptions of freemasonry from the outside world, and navigates through the prevalent fictions and conspiracy theories. He also discusses how freemasonry has from its outset struggled with issues of exclusion based upon gender, race and religion, despite promoting tolerant openness and inclusion. Finally Önnerfors shines a light on the rarely discussed but highly compelling history of female agency in masonic and para-masonic orders. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Download or read book Freemasonry written by Mark E. Koltko-Rivera and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-01-20 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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?
Download or read book The Beats A Very Short Introduction written by David Sterritt and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-07-11 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the writers of the Beat Generation revolutionized American literature with their iconoclastic approach to language and their angry assault on the conformity and conservatism of postwar society. They and their followers took aim at the hypocrisy and taboos of their time--particularly those involving sex, race, and class--in such provocative works as Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957), Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" (1956), and William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch (1959). In this Very Short Introduction, David Sterritt offers a concise overview of the social, cultural, and aesthetic sensibilities of the Beats, bringing out the similarities that connected them and also the many differences that made them a loosely knit collective rather than an organized movement. Figures in the saga include Neal Cassady, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, John Clellon Holmes, Carolyn Cassady, and Gary Snyder. As Sterritt ranges from Greenwich Village and San Francisco to Mexico, western Europe, and North Africa, he sheds much light on how the Beats approached literature, drugs, sexuality, art, music, and religion. Members of the Beat Generation hoped that their radical rejection of materialism, consumerism, and regimentation would inspire others to purify their lives and souls as well. Yet they urged the remaking of consciousness on a profoundly inward-looking basis, cultivating "the unspeakable visions of the individual," in Kerouac's phrase. The idea was to revolutionize society by revolutionizing thought, not the other way around. This book explains how the Beats used their antiauthoritarian visions and radical styles to challenge dominant values, fending off absorption into mainstream culture while preparing ground for the larger, more explosive social upheavals of the 1960s. More than half a century later, the Beats' impact can still be felt in literature, cinema, music, theater, and the visual arts. This compact introduction explains why. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.
Download or read book Introduction to Freemasonry Entered Apprentice written by Carl H. Claudy and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-09-08 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A simple explanation of the period of learning and fundamentals. This book answers the elementary inquiries of the new brother to whom all the craft is strange. This set of books will also make many a Mason sit up in astonishment that what he thought obvious and uninteresting is so vividly alive.
Download or read book The Character Claims and Practical Workings of Freemasonry written by Charles G. Finney and published by . This book was released on 1869 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Famous American Freemasons written by Todd E. Creason and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2009 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Sacred Secrets written by Mike Neville and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2012-06-01 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who were Tubalcain, Aholiab and Zabud and what is their significance for the Freemason? There is a general interest in the rituals of Freemasonry, generated in part by the apparently obscure references they contain. This is the only book that offers a guide to the stories used in Masonic ritual and their links to the Bible and Christianity. The new Mason is directed to a 'serious contemplation of the Volume of the Sacred Law' — but that is easier said than done without a grounding in the Scriptures, something that fewer and fewer people have. The historical and geographical setting of the Bible is explained here, making such contemplation easier for Mason and non-Mason alike. Mike Neville has systematically cross-referenced the most influential Chapters of the Bible to the ceremonies. It is his intention to get Freemasons to understand the ritual — not just to memorise and regurgitate — as well as to elucidate for the non-Mason. Sacred Secrets will aid the clergy, theologians and any other person interested in Freemasonry to see the links between ritual and scripture.
Download or read book Isaac Newton s Freemasonry written by Alain Bauer and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-03-22 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of how modern Freemasonry enabled Isaac Newton and his like-minded contemporaries to flourish • Shows that Freemasonry, as a mystical order, was conceived as something new--an amalgam of alchemy and science that had little to do with operative Freemasonry • Reveals how Newton and his friends crafted this “speculative,” symbolic Freemasonry as a model for the future of England • Connects Rosslyn Chapel, Henry Sinclair, and the Invisible College to Newton and his role in 17th-century Freemasonry Freemasonry, as a fraternal order of scientists and philosophers, emerged in the 17th century and represented something new--an amalgam of alchemy and science that allowed the creative genius of Isaac Newton and his contemporaries to flourish. In Isaac Newton’s Freemasonry, Alain Bauer presents the swirl of historical, sociological, and religious influences that sparked the spiritual ferment and transformation of that time. His research shows that Freemasonry represented a crossroads between science and spirituality and became the vehicle for promoting spiritual and intellectual egalitarianism. Isaac Newton was seminal in the “invention” of this new form of Freemasonry, which allowed Newton and other like-minded associates to free themselves of the church’s monopoly on the intellectual milieu of the time. This form of Freemasonry created an ideological blueprint that sought to move England beyond the civil wars generated by its religious conflicts to a society with scientific progress as its foundation and standard. The “science” of these men was rooted in the Hermetic tradition and included alchemy and even elements of magic. Yet, in contrast to the endless reinterpretations of church doctrine that fueled the conflicts ravaging England, this new society of Accepted Freemasons provided an intellectual haven and creative crucible for scientific and political progress. This book reveals the connections of Rosslyn Chapel, Henry Sinclair, and the Invisible College to Newton’s role in 17th-century Freemasonry and opens unexplored trails into the history of Freemasonry in Europe.
Download or read book Freemasons For Dummies written by Christopher Hodapp and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-01-10 with total page 61 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Take the mystery out of the Freemasons Fascinated by Freemasons? Freemasons For Dummies is the internationally bestselling introduction to the Masons, the oldest and largest "secret society" in the world. This balanced, eye-opening guide demystifies Freemasonry, explaining everything from its elaborate rituals and cryptic rites, to its curious symbols and their meanings. With new and improved content, including updated examples and references throughout, this new edition of Freemasons For Dummies provides the most straightforward, non-intimidating guide to the subject on the market. Updated expert coverage of the basic beliefs and philosophy behind Freemasonry Revised information on the history of the society, including updates concerning its founding, famous historical members, and pivotal events New coverage devoted to the recent influx of younger membership The latest and ongoing controversies and myths surrounding Freemasonry The role of women in a Masonic organization, including opportunities for women to participate in Freemasonry The effects cultural and political changes and worldwide events are having on the organization If you're intrigued by the mystery that surrounds the Masons, get ready to learn the facts about this ancient order in Freemasons For Dummies.
Download or read book Education A Very Short Introduction written by Gary Thomas and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2013-03-28 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the schools of ancient times to the present day, Gary Thomas looks at how and why education evolved as it has. By exploring some of the big questions, he examines the ways in which schools work, considers the differences around the world, and concludes by considering the future of education worldwide.
Download or read book The Harlem Renaissance written by Cheryl A. Wall and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Very Short Introduction offers an overview of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural awakening among African Americans between the two world wars. Cheryl A. Wall brings readers to the Harlem of 1920s to identify the cultural themes and issues that engaged writers, musicians, and visual artists alike.
Download or read book 33 Degrees of Deception written by Tom McKenney and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2011-03-22 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The shadow of death hovers over many of the rites and rituals of Freemasonry. In Letters on the Masonic Institution by John Quincy Adams we learn of an ancient Masonic ritual known as The Fifth Libation, which involves drinking wine from a human skull. Every Mason takes death oaths and several Masonic executions have taken place throughout history. Author Tom McKenney exposes the deadly secrets of this fraternity, which has more than three million members around the world. In a careful and objective manner, he reveals the connection between Freemasonry and the New Age Movement, and he delves into the occult roots of this secret society. 33 Degrees of Deception is a very comprehensive book that tells the personal story of one completely dedicated Mason—Jim Shaw, who became a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor, Worshipful Master of the Blue Lodge, and Master of all Scottish Rite bodies. You will want to know why Jim Shaw left Masonry—and the price he paid for leaving. This book sheds light on the darkness of Freemasonry as the author gives penetrating answers to the questions many people ask about this secret society. Is there a connection between Masonry and the Illuminati? Why is Masonry opposed to Christian schools? Is Freemasonry a religion? Can a man be both a Christian and a Mason?
Download or read book The Siblys of London written by Susan Mitchell Sommers and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ebenezer Sibly was a quack doctor, plagiarist, and masonic ritualist in late eighteenth-century London; his brother Manoah was a respectable accountant and pastor who ministered to his congregation without pay for fifty years. Drawing on such sources as ratebooks and pollbooks, personal letters and published sermons, burial registers and horoscopes, Susan Sommers has woven together an engaging microhistory that offers useful revisions to existing scholarly accounts of brothers Ebenezer and Manoah, while locating the entire Sibly family in the esoteric byways of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Download or read book Freemasonry For Beginners written by Robert Lomas and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2017-01-31 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many people have heard of Freemasonry, but few have any idea what it is, what it does, or why it exists. Freemasonry is not a religion, but rather a spiritual self-help society whose declared purpose is to help members become better citizens, and it has a strong track record of doing just that since it began in Scotland in the 15th century. Freemasonry For Beginners explores the objectives and teaching methods of Freemasonry and describes its influence on society in the past, present, and future. It recounts the origins of the movement in Scotland and its spread to North America and the rest of the world. Not least of all, it shows how Masonic teachings have helped so many members over the centuries learn the skills to become leaders in society, science, and the arts.
Download or read book The Better Angels of Our Nature written by Michael A. Halleran and published by University of Alabama Press. This book was released on 2010-03-11 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first in-depth study of the Freemasons during the Civil War From first-person accounts culled from regimental histories, diaries, and letters, Michael A. Halleran has constructed an overview of 19th-century American freemasonry. The author examines carefully the major Masonic stories from the Civil War, in particular the myth that Confederate Lewis A. Armistead made the Masonic sign of distress as he lay dying at the high-water mark of Pickett's charge at Gettysburg.
Download or read book On the Masons and Their Lies written by Michael W. Witcoff and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-05-27 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this second edition of "On The Masons And Their Lies," ex-Mason Michael Witcoff breaks down Masonic philosophy line-by-line and point-by-point. Drawing from Albert Pike's "Morals And Dogma" and the thoughts of other 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Masons, Witcoff compares Masonic Ideology, Theology, Christology, Soteriology, sacraments and more to what is found and transmitted through the ages by the Holy Orthodox Church of Jesus Christ. Beginning with the story of his joining Freemasonry - and how the Holy Spirit eventually guided him out of it - Witcoff details the "4 Satanic Deceptions" which Masonic philosophy uses to draw the mind, heart, and soul of man away from the light of Jesus Christ. If you are a Mason concerned with the state of your soul and your place in the Kingdom Of God, then it is the author's sincerest hope and prayer that this book reveals God's truth and helps you untangle the web of Masonic deceit. It is written as a resource for priests, pastors, Christians and Masons who seek a fuller understanding of what each system teaches - and whether the two are truly compatible. By the time you're done reading this book, you'll know far more about Freemasonry than most of its own members do...and if you're a Christian buying this for someone you love, it just might be exactly what they need to see in order to save them from falling into grave sin and error.
