Masonic Reading List

There is a distinct difference between Masons who read and those who do not.  Those who read grow intellectually and learn the meaning behind the rituals that we so readily perform.  Those who read are Masons who truly take to heart the meanings of the Masonic rituals and internalize them into their being and existence.  Those Masons who read and learn are those who are true Masons.  The question is, are you one of those Masons?

I have prepared this list of books and sources for any Mason who wishes to grow in the Royal Craft.  I have attempted to divide them into three groups, novice, journeyman, and master.  It is not suggested that one book is more esoteric or complete than the other, but I do suggest that some books are more reliable and easy to digest than others.  I conclude the list with a list of periodicals to which you may be interested in subscribing. 

Novice

 The Craft and its Symbols, Allen Roberts  ISBN 0880530588 – Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company

The Newly-Made Mason, H. L. Haywood  ISBN 0548118787 – Kessinger Publishing, LLC

Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia, Henry W. Coil  ISBN 0880530545 - Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company

Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, and its Kindred Sciences, Albert G. Mackey  ISBN 0766126501 & ISBN 0766147207 – Kessinger Publishing, LLC.  (These ISBN are for the two volume set.  I prefer the older one volume version of this work.)

Introduction to Freemasonry, 1, 2, & 3, also The Master’s Book, Carl Claudy  Available on the web:  http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/Claudy/

Revolutionary Brotherhood, Steven C. Bullock  ISBN 080784750X – The University of North Carolina Press

Freemasons for Dummies, Christopher Hodapp  ISBN 0-7645-9796-5 – Wiley Publishing, Inc

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Freemasonry, S. Brent Morris ISBN 1592574904 - Alpha

Journeyman

The Meaning of Freemasonry, Walter Wilmhurst Available on the web:  http://www.sacred-texts.com/mas/mom/index.htm

The Builders, Joseph Fort Newton  ISBN 1605065609 – Forgotten Books

Committed to the Flames:  The History of a Secret Masonic Rite, Arturo de Hoyos & S. Brent Morris  ISBN 0853182930 – A. Lewis

Freemasonry:  Its Hidden Meaning, George H. Steinmetz ISBN 0880530499 – Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company.

Beneath the Stone:  The Story of Masonic Secrecy, C. Bruce Hunter ISBN 1566641470 – Alexander Books

Master

Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation, Henrik Bogden  ISBN 0791470709 – SUNY

William Preston and His Work, Colin Dyer – Lewis Masonic

Masonic Periodicals and Research Societies

The Masonic Society - http://www.themasonicsociety.com/

The Philalethes - https://freemasonry.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

The Scottish Rite Research Society - http://www.scottishrite.org/what/educ/srrs.html

Masonic Book Club - http://masonicbookclub.org/

The Quatuor Coronati Correspondence Circle - http://www.quatuorcoronati.com/

Tennessee Lodge of Research - http://www.grandlodge-tn.org/TLR/tlr.htm

Grand College of Rites - http://www.grandcollegeofrites.org/index.php

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