The early days of organised Freemasonry have been neglected for too long, largely because there is not a huge store of documents to be poured over and analysed. What the author has done in this valuable book is to look at the social, political, scientific, intellectual and religious background of the period in which we believe Freemasonry was originating and developing combined with personalities whom we know to have been involved in the early Grand lodge days and the major figures who formed part of their circles. Why are Freemasonry’s rituals laced with scientific concepts and the imperative for learning? Why such a reliance on allegory? Why is the outmoded science enshrined in Ritual so crucial? How did such a dubious group of founders create a brotherhood based on the strictest principles of humanitarian behaviour and why did the intrinsic beauty of the concept far outweigh their shortcomings? Continue reading →

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