This book offers a highly engaging history of the world's most famous secret society, the Cambridge 'Apostles', based upon the lives, careers and correspondence of the 255 Apostles elected to the Cambridge Conversazione Society between 1820 and 1914. It examines the way in which the Apostles recruited their membership, the Society's discussions and its intellectual preoccupations. From its pages emerge such figures as F. D. Maurice, John Sterling, John Mitchell Kemble, Richard Trench, Fenton Hort, James Clerk Maxwell, Henry Sidgwick, Lytton Strachey, E. M. Forster, and John Maynard Keynes. The careers of these and many other leading Apostles are traced, through parliament, government, letters, and in public school and university reform. The book also makes an important contribution in discussing the role of liberalism, imagination and friendship at the intersection of the life of learning and public life. This is a major contribution to the intellectual and social history of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and to the history of the University of Cambridge. It demonstrates in impressive depth just how and why the Apostles forged original themes in modern intellectual life.

Freemasonry played a major role in the economic and social life of the Victorian era but it has received very little sustained attention by academic historians. General histories of the period hardly notice the subject while detailed studies mainly confine themselves to its origins in the early eighteenth century and its later institutional development. This book is the first sustained and dispassionate study of the role of Freemasonry in everyday social and economic life: why men joined, what it did for them and their families, and how it affected the development of communities and local economies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47788/CCZO9779

FREEMASONRY is a fraternity within a fraternity-an outer organization concealing an inner brotherhood of the elect. Before it is possible to intelligently discuss the origin of the Craft, it is necessary, therefore, to establish the existence of these two separate yet interdependent orders, the one visible and the other invisible. The visible society is a splendid camaraderie of "free and accepted" men enjoined to devote themselves to ethical, educational, fraternal, patriotic, and humanitarian concerns. The invisible society is a secret and most august fraternity whose members are dedicated to the service of a mysterious arcanum arcanorum.

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 OEnnerfors 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 OEnnerfors 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.

This occult tale of esoteric initiation is rightly renowned for its description of the Western mystical tradition, skillfully sheathed within an enthralling adventure story. Set in Napoleonic times, 'Brother of the Third Degree' records the saga of Alphonso Colono, a Mexican born in Paris, as he pursues his quest for truth and love amid the intrigues and machinations of Europe's grand political chessboard. In impressive detail, the novel reveals the covert workings of both Black and White occult brotherhoods in shaping the destiny of men and nations. This is an inspirational book, a metaphysical classic that can be enjoyed by both initiate and non-initiate alike.

THIS 56 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Restorations of Masonic Geometry and Symbolry Being a Dissertation on the Lost Knowledges of the Lodge, by H. P. H. Bromwell. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1564594173.

Contents: Uniforms; History of Degree; Officers; Stations; Signs; Drill; Invincible Crusaders No. 2; Officers; Candidate Being Prepared Waiting in Outer Room; Benediction; Third Part; and Crusade of Syria. Part III.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This volume contains two pamphlets entitled: Lessons in Capitual Masonry; and the Capitular Rite. "Lessons" intends a dual purpose: to marshal before the student of Masonry the essential factual material necessary for him to know in a unified way the composition of the structure of Capitular Masonry, and to have the interpretation of these symbols so clearly defined and explained that with their comprehension will come a greater vision of the beauties and truths of Royal Arch Masonry. "The Capitular Rite" is a statement of the place of the Royal Arch Degree in the York Rite and its relation to the system of Masonry as practiced in the ancient city of York, England. It contains a brief history of the origin and development of each of the Capitular Degrees and a discussion of their symbolism and Masonic significance.

Egyptian symbolism, with a comparison to Masonic symbolism. Contents: Why Egyptian teachings are of interest to Freemasons; Egyptian teachings and modern thought; Symbolism of The Book of the Dead; The key; One god in his manifestations; Divine man; Army of light; Great initiation; Summary; Glossary. Illustrated.

This volume discusses the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, Valley of Cleveland, Ohio, which contains the present officers, members living, deceased, etc., By-laws, election dates and other information, compiled for the information of the Brethren. It is based on the Annual Report to the Supreme Council for the year ending June 30, 1920.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Full Ritual and Secret Work of the Three Blue Lodge Degrees Profusely Illustrated. The Webb Work by a Past High Priest. Over One Hundred Illustrations. Several of them full page, give a pictorial representation of the Lodge Room and Chapter, ceremonies of the degrees, dress of candidates, signs, grips, etc. A Historical Sketch of the Institution and a Critical Analysis of the Character of Each Degree by President J. Blanchard of Wheaton College. Monitorial Quotations and nearly Four Hundred Notes from Standard Masonic Authorities, confirm the truthfulness of this Exposition and Show the character of Masonic Teaching and Doctrine.

Freemasonry played a major role in the economic and social life of the Victorian era but it has received very little sustained attention by academic historians. General histories of the period hardly notice the subject while detailed studies mainly confine themselves to its origins in the early eighteenth century and its later institutional development. This book is the first sustained and dispassionate study of the role of Freemasonry in everyday social and economic life: why men joined, what it did for them and their families, and how it affected the development of communities and local economies.

Human beings have believed in conspiracies presumably as long as there have been groups of at least three people in which one was convinced that the other two were plotting against him or her. In that sense one might look back as far as Eve and the serpent to find the world's first conspiracy. Whereas recent generations have tended to find their conspiracies in politics and government, the past often sought its mysteries in religious cults or associations. In ancient Rome, for example, the senate tried to prohibit the cult of Isis lest its euphoric excesses undermine public morality and political stability. And during the Middle Ages, many rulers feared such powerful and mysterious religious orders as the Knights Templar. Fascination with the arcane is a driving force in this comprehensive survey of conspiracy fiction. Theodore Ziolkowski traces the evolution of cults, orders, lodges, secret societies, and conspiracies through various literary manifestations-drama, romance, epic, novel, opera-down to the thrillers of the twenty-first century. Arguing that the lure of the arcane throughout the ages has remained a constant factor of human fascination, Ziolkowski demonstrates that the content of conspiracy has shifted from religion by way of philosophy and social theory to politics. In the process, he reveals, the underlying mythic pattern was gradually co-opted for the subversive ends of conspiracy. Cults and Conspiracies considers Euripides's Bacchae, Andreae's Chymical Wedding, Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, among other seminal works. Mimicking the genre's quest-driven narrative arc, the reader searches for the significance of conspiracy fiction and is rewarded with the author's cogent reflections in the final chapter. After much investigation, Ziolkowski reinforces Umberto Eco's notion that the most powerful secret, the magnetic center of conspiracy fiction, is in fact "a secret without content."

A detailed exploration of the remedies and methods used by the healers who journeyed along with the Crusading knights * Presents a traditional "cure-all" or leechbook of the ailments the Crusaders would have encountered and the remedies their mediciners would have employed, including recipes for many cures and instructions * Includes a comprehensive herbal, listing all the medicinal plants and materials needed to make the remedies, potions, elixirs, and unctions of the cure-all * Details the author's travels in the steps of the Crusader physicians where he met with healers still employing the mediciners' practices During the Crusades, chivalric knightly orders, such as the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller, brought along monastic mediciners to treat the sick and wounded. These mediciners not only employed the leading cures of medieval Europe but also learned new methods from the local folk-healers and Arabic healing traditions they encountered on their journeys. Presenting a traditional "cure-all" or leechbook of the Crusader physicians, Jon Hughes shares a comprehensive encyclopedia of the ailments the Crusaders would have encountered and the remedies their mediciners would have employed. He details recipes for many cures and a range of magico-medical applications such as charms, spells, enchantments, and amulets used to address the new illnesses of strange and foreign lands. He includes a detailed and comprehensive herbal, listing all the plants and materials needed to make and administer the remedies of the cure-all. He also details his travels in the steps of the Crusader physicians throughout Poland, the Czech Republic, Malta, Morocco, and the island of Rhodes where he met with healers still following this healing path who shared their practices with him. Revealing how the healers of the Crusades helped elevate Western medical knowledge through the integration of wisdom from their Middle Eastern counterparts, Hughes shows how their legacy continues through the many effective remedies and healing modalities still in use today.

Here is Manly P. Hall's classic work on history's most secretive brotherhood- reset and collected with two additional celebrated Hall volumes on occult Masonry.
Freemasonry is the subject of perennial fascination-recently the cover story of a national newsmagazine, the premise of the movie "National Treasure," and the anticipated basis of a forthcoming novel by Dan Brown. The twentieth century's great scholar of occult and esoteric ideas, Manly P. Hall was a Mason himself and nurtured a lifelong interest in the secret fraternal order, making it the focus of one of his earliest and best-loved books, "The Lost Keys of Freemasonry." In this celebrated work, he examines the ethical training required of a Freemason, and the character traits a Mason must "build" within himself. Hall's 1923 volume is now reset and made available exclusively in this new edition, along with the author's two further classics on Masonry:
- "Freemasonry of the Ancient Egyptians" (1937), which explores the roots of Freemasonry in the initiatory temple rites of Pharaonic Egypt; and
- "Masonic Orders of Fraternity" (1950), a fascinating work of short history that chronicles the reemergence of Freemasonry in Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It surveys the lives of Masonry's modern architects and the secretive organizations that immediately preceded the brotherhood.
This three-in-one volume features the original illustrations of each book, for a total of nearly thirty images, including recreations of scenes and rites from Masonry's unusual history. It also includes a new index encompassing all three titles.

"The Hiram Key" is a book that will shake the Christian world to its very roots. When Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, both Masons, set out to find the origins of Freemasonry they had no idea that they would find themselves unraveling the true story of Jesus and the original Jerusalem Church. As a radically new picture of Jesus started to emerge, the authors came to the startling conclusion that the key rituals of modern Freemasonry were practiced by the early followers of Jesus as a means of initiation into their community.