BRMORRIS.ASC      Book review

                       THE REAL SECRETS OF MASONRY?
                         DR. S. BRENT MORRIS, 33
             Book Review Editor for THE SCOTTISH RITE JOURNAL

MASONS (and others) often debate what constitutes the "secrets of
Masonry."  Are they the signs, grips, and words, or is there
something deeper beyond the Ritual ceremonies?  In the two books
reviewed this month, the authors consider this issue from differing
perspectives.  Both Brothers Bailey and French firmly believe that
Freemasonry is more than forms and ceremonies and extends to a much
deeper level of human experience.


THE SPIRIT OF FREEMASONRY
   by Foster Bailey.  Lucis Pub-
   lishing Co., Box 722, Cooper
   Station, New York, NY 10276,
   153 pp., $6, U.S. postage, $1.75
   for 1, $.50 for each additional
   copy; outside U.S., $3.20 for 1,
   $.90 for each additional.


      WHEN I first ran across this little book, it was quite by
accident.  I was browsing through the shelves of my local
bookstore, and as usual I found myself in the section containing
Masonic literature, which was mixed with metaphysical and
esoteric works.

  The small, blue-covered book was quite unimpressive in appear-
ance, but after all, it did have Masonry in the title, so I
removed it from the shelf.  After reading the note of the book's
back cover, I realized that this little blue volume may be very
impressive indeed!  To give some idea of the wonderful nature of
the remarkable work, here is that notation:

       Masonry is much more than a social organization of frater-
   nal benefit to its members.  It is a way of life, and its
   destiny is to bring spiritual benefits to all men, Masons and
   non-Masons alike. Masonry is a spiritual quest. The right
   function of modern Masonry is to be the builder of each man's
   unseen temple of life.  We are concerned with true life values
   and right human relations.  We inculcate self-control,
   honesty, justice, mercy, morality, personal integrity, and
   brotherhood as the necessary foundation for spiritual growth.
   Indeed, the goal of every Mason is growth in understanding of
   spiritual values; the achieving of mastery of life itself is
   perfected in our succeeding initiations.  This is
   fascinatingly practical.

   One of the best treatments of esoteric Masonry this writer has
ever read, the Spirit of Masonry is full of the reasons for the
practical applications of our gentle Craft.

 Brother Bailey researches in great detail the esoteric and spiri-
tual meanings of our Order and gives a wonderful source of infor-
mation as to the way we can build that "Temple not made with
Hands."  It also gives us renewed hope that ours is a Blessed Art,
one that cannot become a Lost Art, for as the author says:  "The
Breath of God is upon our Order."

  The book has a very practical side, too.  It addresses such
issues as "Masonry at the Crossroads," "The Unrecognized  Masonic
Crisis," and "The Future of Freemasonry."  All these timely
issues are discussed with a keen eye to the future, and are dealt
with in an intelligent and creative way--a manner that every Mason
could adopt immediately with tremendous results.

  This little blue book--this remarkable, intelligent, little
blue book--should be in the library of every Mason.  It is a
perfect example of a lesson taught throughout Masonry, one of the
first we learn as Masons:  We can't judge a book by its
cover--until we read it!

                  Dr. John McKenna Colwell, 32





MASONOLOGY: AN ANTHOLOGY, by Dr. George H. T. French,
    Texas Lodge of Research, P.O.
Box 1850, Dallas, TX 75221, 1988,
301 pp., hardbound, $15.00, post-
paid (quantity discounts available
to Masonic groups).


      THIS monumental work is a collection of the best articles
written by one of Freemasonry's most honored and widely pub-
lished authors, Dr. George H. T. French.  Some of these essays have
come from The Texas Freemason, The Royal Arch Mason, The
Philalethes, and other prominent Masonic magazines.

   The author received the Norman B. Spencer Award for excel-
lence in Masonic research from Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 in
London, and he is a Fellow of both the Texas Lodge of Research and
the Philalethes Society.  This is the second book of Brother French
published by the Texas Lodge of Research, the first being Masonry
Along the Brazos Valley which commemorated the 1987
sesquicentennial of the Grand Lodge of Texas.

   The title of Masonology is taken from a word, coined by Alex
Mellor, which Brother French helped to popularize.  It is defined
as that body of knowledge which includes the principles, doctrines,
tenets, history, jurisprudence, and symbolism of Freemasonry.
Brother French describes the three sides of our Fraternity as
ceremonial Masonry (the Ritual), corporate Masonry (the laws
and administrative functions), and Masonology, which includes the
tenets, doctrines, history, and symbolism of the Fraternity.  The
principal message of the book is summarized of page 243:

  Memorized Ritual and rubric, however, no more constitute
  Freemasonry than reading, writing, and arithmetic constitute an
  education, or than a knife, fork, and spoon constitute a dinner.
  The Masonic Ritual is a tool....Beyond the Ritual lies Masonry
  with its real hidden secrets.

Masonology is a book which should interest every reader.

           James S. Peterson, 32


   The world's most basic needs can be summed up in four words:
bread, brains, beliefs and brotherhood. Sunshine Magazine


