Product Description

At last, a plain-English guide to Freemasonry-the secret society that's reportedly at the center of Dan Brown's forthcoming novel The Solomon Key

With Freemasonry featured prominently in The Da Vinci Code as well as the hit movie National Treasure, it's no wonder that more and more people are curious about this ancient organization, and interest is sure to intensify when Dan Brown's new blockbuster appears. This balanced, eye-opening guide demystifies Freemasonry, explaining everything from its elaborate rituals and cryptic rites to the veiled symbols and their meanings. The book profiles famous Freemasons throughout history including many of America's Founding Fathers as well as prominent politicians and business leaders offers a balanced assessment of the many controversies and conspiracy theories that continue to swirl around Freemasonry. For anyone who wants an evenhanded overview of Freemasonry's past, present, and future, this guide is the key.

Christopher Hodapp (Indianapolis, IN) is a Mason who has traveled extensively reporting on Masonic practices in Great Britain, France, and elsewhere. He is currently a Past Master and a Master of his lodge. Hodapp edits the lodge newsletter and has written for the Grand Lodge magazine, the Indiana Freemason.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21409 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-30
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
"...a delight; no masonic prudery here, no academic dry ... simple readable style that encourages one to read on...great value..." (The Square, March 2006)

From the Back Cover
Covers Masonry's origins, purpose, and symbols

Your plain-English introduction to this ancient organization

Fascinated by Freemasons? This balanced, eye-opening guide demystifies Freemasonry, explaining everything from its elaborate rituals and cryptic rights to the veiled symbols and their meanings. You'll understand the Freemasonry philosophy, meet famous Masons throughout history, explore the many controversies and conspiracy theories that swirl around the organization, and discover the changes coming to the Craft.

Discover how to

• Get a handle on how this fraternal order operates
• Understand the degrees and groups of Freemasonry
• Gain knowledge of the Freemason degrees
• Recognize misconceptions about Masons
• Find a lodge

About the Author
Christopher Hodapp is a Mason who has traveled extensively, reporting on Masonic practices in Great Britain, France, and elsewhere. He has written for the Grand Lodge magazine The Indiana Freemason.

Customer Reviews

Informative
I bought this book because I'm just starting out as a Freemason. It was pointed out to me by a few of the brothers as a good way to get a glimpse into what Freemasonry was all about. Indeed several topics are covered in this guide and I did find many factoids & even formal versus informal presentations of different symbols and stories that were circulated about Masons in general. I wouldn't call it the most definitive source but it's for sure worth the price and a valuable resource for any brother who's just getting started with Freemasonry.

Excellent
I'm not one to give an in depth review of the books I give ratings to here at Amazon, you can read about those from others--but I just want it give this book my seal of approval, and add my opinion of how great I think this book is. I'm glad to see Masonry having a comeback. It really deserves it. So much bad publicity over the many years and most all of it is unfounded and untrue. Masonry is a beautiful organization and this book helps to prove it and explain it for members and seekers alike.

Start here
This is it, the skinny on everything you ever (and never) wanted to know about speculative freemasonry. Brother Hodapp has done a great work here and has really followed the for Dummies protocol and made each chapter independent from the others. I do wish there were more research notes, but this isn't that kind of book. For those interested, investigating, beginning or experienced in speculative freemasonry, THIS IS WHERE YOU SHOULD START!