Rivista di Massoneria - Revue de Franc-Maçonnerie - Revista de Masonerìa - Revista de Maçonaria
History Literature Music Art Architecture Documents Rituals Symbolism


The Canonbury Papers - Vol. 3.

Freemasonry and Religion
Many Faiths, One Brotherhood

Published by Canonbury Masonic Research Centre London, 2006.
Pp. x, 222 .
Price, £17.50
Postage and packing:
UK £2.50, Europe £3.50
Australia £6.00, North America £5.61
ISBN 0-9543498-2-2

Available from the publisher:
CMRC Bookshop


Foreword

CMRC is proud to deliver this third volume of The Canonbury Papers which form the transactions of the Sixth International Conference held at the Canonbury Tower in London in November 2004.

Once again the Centre's international perspective in these conferences has been maintained. We have papers from England, France, Italy, Hungary, Ireland and Sweden. Most of the distinguished authors are freemasons under various Obediences. All of them are actively involved in masonic research on a daily basis. Five of them hold academic appointments in various universities. Some may claim to be retired professionally though these contributions certainly belie any claim that they may have: stopped working.

The twelve papers offered here range generously over topics of current controversy -particularly of the rather fraught relations between established Freemasonry in England and various Christian organisations in the UK and elsewhere; general questions relating to the religious and theological dimensions of the emergent masonic phenomenon in the eighteenth century -particularly the production of Anderson's Constitutions in 1723 and 1738; a meticulous examination of the religiosity of the widely disseminated Emulation ritual; an examination of the contribution of the major pioneering masonic author of the English Enlightenment; an analysis of the connections between adherents of the Zoroastrian religion and Freemasonry -mainly in India; a study of the close parallels that can be found between some general features of Freemasonry and Mormonism and a fresh look at possible connections between Kabbalah and the development of English masonic rituals in the 1730s.

Once again, the CMRC hopes that readers will find plenty to stimulate their thinking and so continue the debate about many fascinating questions relating to the religious features of the Craft phenomenon.

Trevor Stewart