The final volume in J.S.M. Ward’s series on the Craft degrees, The Master Mason’s Book offers a detailed exploration of the Third Degree, its symbols, legend, and ritual significance. Rooted in the Emulation Rite, the text investigates the dramatic structure of the degree and its philosophical implications, particularly concerning death, resurrection, and the search for the lost word.
Ward approaches the narrative of Hiram Abiff with interpretive depth, drawing connections between Masonic allegory and broader esoteric traditions. More than a manual, the book reads as a meditation on the culmination of the initiatic path within Craft Masonry.
A work of lasting influence, it has served generations of Masons seeking to understand the spiritual and moral dimensions of the Master Mason degree.
Table of Contents
- Author’s Preface
- Introduction
- Chapter I – Questions and Pass Word
- Chapter II – The Opening
- Chapter III – The Symbolical Journeys, etc.
- Chapter IV – The Exhortation
- Chapter V – The Secrets
- Chapter VI – The Badge
- Chapter VII – The Legend
- Chapter VIII – The Tracing Board, etc.
- Chapter IX – The Closing
- Chapter X – Conclusion
