The History Of Freemasonry Vol. IV by Albert G. Mackey
European Masonic Development
Regional Historical Accounts
Cultural Influences on Craft
The History of Freemasonry, Volume IV marks a pivotal shift in Albert G. Mackey’s monumental study, turning from ancient origins and operative guilds to the formal establishment and evolution of modern speculative Freemasonry.
This volume opens with the founding of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717, examining whether this event represented a revival or a reinvention of Masonic tradition. Mackey traces the early development of speculative Masonry, including the transformation of ritual, the emergence of catechisms, and the crafting of the three-degree system. He explores how the degrees of Fellow Craft and Master Mason were not inherited from operative practices, but rather developed as symbolic structures within the new speculative framework.
Further chapters document the decline of operative Masonry and the rise of philosophical Masonry, as well as the spread of the Craft into continental Europe—particularly France. Mackey also details the formation of competing Grand Lodges in England, Scotland, and the eventual schisms that would shape the fraternity’s internal politics, including the creation of the Atholl Grand Lodge and the Lodge of Antiquity.
Rich in historical detail and interpretive insight, this volume is essential for understanding the institutional foundations of modern Freemasonry and its evolution from a guild-based society into a global initiatic tradition.
Contents
Chapter XXIX – Organization of the Grand Lodge of England
Chapter XXX – Was the Organization of the Grand Lodge in 1717 a Revival?
Chapter XXXI – The Early Years of Speculative Freemasonry in England
Chapter XXXII – The Early Ritual of Speculative Freemasonry: The Catechism
Chapter XXXIII – The One Degree of Operative Freemasons
Chapter XXXIV – Invention of the Fellow-Craft’s Degree
Chapter XXXV – Non-Existence of a Master Mason’s Degree Among the Operative Freemasons
Chapter XXXVI – The Invention of the Third or Master Mason’s Degree
Chapter XXXVII – The Death of Operative and the Birth of Speculative Freemasonry
Chapter XXXVIII – Introduction of Speculative Freemasonry into France
Chapter XXXIX – The Grand Lodge of All England, or the Grand Lodge of York
Chapter XL – Organization of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
Chapter XLI – The Atholl Grand Lodge, or the Grand Lodge of England According to the Old Institutions
Chapter XLII – The Grand Lodge of England, South of the Trent; or the Schism of the Lodge of Antiquity
Additional information
| Author | Albert G. Mackey |
|---|---|
| Pages | 262 |
| Size | 6 x 9 in |
| Collection | Freemasonry Books |
| Imprint | Freemasonry Books |
The History Of Freemasonry Vol. IV by Albert G. Mackey
European Masonic Development
Regional Historical Accounts
Cultural Influences on Craft
The History of Freemasonry, Volume IV marks a pivotal shift in Albert G. Mackey’s monumental study, turning from ancient origins and operative guilds to the formal establishment and evolution of modern speculative Freemasonry.
This volume opens with the founding of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717, examining whether this event represented a revival or a reinvention of Masonic tradition. Mackey traces the early development of speculative Masonry, including the transformation of ritual, the emergence of catechisms, and the crafting of the three-degree system. He explores how the degrees of Fellow Craft and Master Mason were not inherited from operative practices, but rather developed as symbolic structures within the new speculative framework.
Further chapters document the decline of operative Masonry and the rise of philosophical Masonry, as well as the spread of the Craft into continental Europe—particularly France. Mackey also details the formation of competing Grand Lodges in England, Scotland, and the eventual schisms that would shape the fraternity’s internal politics, including the creation of the Atholl Grand Lodge and the Lodge of Antiquity.
Rich in historical detail and interpretive insight, this volume is essential for understanding the institutional foundations of modern Freemasonry and its evolution from a guild-based society into a global initiatic tradition.
Contents
Chapter XXIX – Organization of the Grand Lodge of England
Chapter XXX – Was the Organization of the Grand Lodge in 1717 a Revival?
Chapter XXXI – The Early Years of Speculative Freemasonry in England
Chapter XXXII – The Early Ritual of Speculative Freemasonry: The Catechism
Chapter XXXIII – The One Degree of Operative Freemasons
Chapter XXXIV – Invention of the Fellow-Craft’s Degree
Chapter XXXV – Non-Existence of a Master Mason’s Degree Among the Operative Freemasons
Chapter XXXVI – The Invention of the Third or Master Mason’s Degree
Chapter XXXVII – The Death of Operative and the Birth of Speculative Freemasonry
Chapter XXXVIII – Introduction of Speculative Freemasonry into France
Chapter XXXIX – The Grand Lodge of All England, or the Grand Lodge of York
Chapter XL – Organization of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
Chapter XLI – The Atholl Grand Lodge, or the Grand Lodge of England According to the Old Institutions
Chapter XLII – The Grand Lodge of England, South of the Trent; or the Schism of the Lodge of Antiquity
Additional information
| Author | Albert G. Mackey |
|---|---|
| Pages | 262 |
| Size | 6 x 9 in |
| Collection | Freemasonry Books |
| Imprint | Freemasonry Books |