Customer Reviews

The Masonic Myth: Unlocking the Truth About the Symbols, the Secret Rites, and the History of Freemasonry

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Kinney did a really good job with this book. He clearly stated his goals in the Introduction, setting expectations for the reader. Then he competently met those expectations and, in some cases, exceeded them.

Like most people, I had very little idea of what the Masonry was about (before reading this). The relatively few things published about the Masons have generally been of such dubious integrity that a discerning reader must dismiss them as agenda-driven propaganda rather than serious non-fiction on the subject.

Some of the information in the public sphere is very positive. For example, we've all seen the Shriners at the parades and are aware of their good works with Children's Hospitals. Granted, the connection to Masons is weak enough that some of us don't make it but it's still there for the observant to see.

As there's no sensationalized agenda for this work, there's no sinister plot or alarmist message to hook the reader. That's one of the "problems" with true nonfiction in general. Of course, there are exceptions--for example, when the work is about a bizarre event, a tragedy, or a famous criminal.

Writing a factual book about the Masons is a challenge in itself, for several reasons. Making it interesting is a further challenge, also for several reasons. Kinney handled these challenges well, with a combination of dry wit, logic, and good writing. From his 30 or so pages of notes, we can conclude that his work is also heavily researched. That research is especially valuable, because it wasn't from the outside looking in. He is a practicing Mason, but not just an "ordinary" one. He's the librarian and director of research for the San Francisco Scottish Rite, plus he's heavily connected in other ways. If he has a question, he is positioned extremely well to get the right answer.

Reasons that writing a factual book about the Masons is a challenge include:

There is no monolithic Mason Order, Society, or other form of organization. Thus, there is no central information source. Not even close.
Most of the previous works are grossly inaccurate, poorly researched, hyperbolic, and agenda-driven.
Masonry is practiced in autonomous "Lodges" that are divided geographically. They have their own bylaws and officers. They don't follow the bylaws of any "home office" and there are no "higher" officers coordinating things. So the facts vary depending on which group you're looking at.
The largest body of facts would be the "degrees," which are intricate initiation rituals. While the symbols used in these rituals are widely on display, the actual rituals vary by "Lodge" and members are supposed to keep those details secret.
Reasons that making a factual book about the Masons interesting is a challenge include:

There really isn't anything sensational to write about. The details of the rituals are not all that interesting. That is not to say the rituals are boring, as they apparently are not. There's a reason why people play basketball rather than sit around reading books describing how basketball is played--it's the experience that they find interesting.
While lack of something sinister or sensational prevents the author from writing an expose, the need for editorial integrity also prevents him from writing a hyped up "rosier than real" marketing piece.
The basic elements are history and secrets. The history hasn't influenced world events, and the "secrets" are the details of the initiation rites.
The main purpose of Masonry is to provide a brotherhood network and moral standards for men. These things, while of great benefit to the participants, are not "exciting" in the modern era.
Here's a fact that surprised me: About 95% of today's masons are over the age of 70. Now, that's interesting....

This book consists of 11 Chapters. The first four tell us the history of Masonry (which he refers to as The Craft). The thumbnail here is that many centuries ago, some construction tradesmen called masons (bricklayers, essentially) formed an association of fellow masons. These associations morphed over time (the particulars are in the book) from being "worker" oriented to being "philosopher" oriented (my words). Despite the name, few modern Masons spend their days picking up a trowel with one hand and a brick with the other (in fact, I have a cousin who is a mason but not a Mason). Understanding that history helps the reader understand today's Masonic orders.

Chapter 5 explains the structure, such that it is, of Masonry. This is far simpler than is widely assumed.

Chapters 6 and 7 explain the rites, rituals, and degrees of Masonry. This is the area in which Masons pledge their secrecy, but the author gives us enough information for us to get the general idea. Not much "there" there, unless you are actively involved yourself.

Many conspiracy theorists provide cloud cover for the real conspiracies all around us, by engaging in ridiculous speculation that defies the known facts. Several books exist on this problem, and the author gives a nice summation of the conspiracy theory self-delusion process. Yes, there are conspiracies. But the ones that get the most press usually exist only in the imaginations of those who expound on them. They get a notion, then cherry pick (and usually distort) facts or alleged facts to support that notion.

Masonry has been a victim of this kind of "analysis," and most of that centers on the "Satanic" symbols of Masonry. As you read the alleged "evidence," you find that it typically is based on "secret" Masonic symbols. I have always found that hilarious, because Masons wear various emblems with those same symbols right on their suit coat jackets. That's a strange way to keep a secret. In Chapter 8, Kinney explains what various symbols mean. None of them, of course, have anything to do with world domination. The symbols largely represent personal virtues, and the purpose of the symbols is to help the individual Mason keep those virtues in mind.

Chapters 9 and 10 explore some of the more grandiose claims about Masonry. I've never read a cogent argument in the positive on such claims, so was never convinced. In these chapters, Kinney's analysis shows why those arguments fail.

The final chapter examines the future of Masonry. It's bleak. Masonry is anachronistic in many ways. For example, the dress code and formality fit the 1950s very well but do not enjoy the same level of appeal today. Kinney provides the actual numbers, but suffice it to say that it's the rare Mason who doesn't qualify for membership in the AARP and Masonry rolls have been on a steady decline for decades.

I'm not going to say whether I think Masonry has outlived its usefulness. In my own case, I simply do not have time to participate in something like this no matter how beneficial it might be. The author, of course, is not happy with the current trend.

Masonry itself hasn't been at the center of world events, so there isn't the practical "need" to read this book as there would be for, say, a book on managing personal finances. However, this book offers a value that Kinney probably didn't intend and that isn't mentioned on the jacket. I feel this value more than justifies the price of the book.

What value might that be? Let me precede the answer with a short explanation. I see half-baked, irrational "arguments" all the time. They dominate our culture, political sphere, and what passes for "news" in the "mudstream" media. When I was on the Debate Team in High School (so long ago, it seems it was just before Moses crossed the Red Sea), we had to construct an argument a certain way for it to be valid. Debates weren't won on the basis of who was loudest or most shocking, who could make up the most absurdities about the other side.

One core aspect of debating back then was you had to prepare a case both for and against the proposition, and argue each side at various times. This forced you to see an issue objectively, and discourse on it the same way. This ability to think rationally and objectively is fairly gone, today. Maybe it's one of the anachronisms the Masons cling to as their membership declines.

Kinney's book is an example of how to present an objective discourse on something, using valid arguments. He does it time and again, drawing from verifiable fact gleaned from reputable sources. He puts the facts together with logic (a basic tool of reasoning that is normally abused or absent altogether in today's culture). A person reading this book can experience what proper analysis is. That can be a lesson for those not aware of it, or it can be a source of encouragement for those, like me, who mourn its near absence today.

If asked what to read about Freemasonry, I would now answer "Gnosis (Summer 1997)" and "the Masonic Myth" both by Jay Kinney.

I read that old issue of Gnosis magazine when I first wondered about the secrets of Freemasonry. Then, a decade + later, I discovered his current book "Masonic Myth," in which Jay briefly writes about the alternative histories and mythologies that he explored in 1997. Except the current book "Masonic Myth" is based on a look at Masonic Folklore from someone (Jay) who has now spent years inside the Brotherhood. Some of it is honestly funny - it is always good to have an alchemist at a funeral or the tiler's sword would be hard pressed (literally) to cut cheese cubes. It all really comes across as the reflections of one of the better reflective thinkers in Western Traditions. Jay has certainly methodically researched the archives for his writing. And he shares a lot of that research in this book..
If you are curious, this book can be a fun - and informative - read.
If you are a conspiracy theorist, best go eat a plate of cheese cubes far from here.
Jay cuts to the chase after laying a foundation about the nebulosity of Masonic Origins. It seems to me that what Jay is saying is: "To truly know the Masonic experience is to BE a Mason."

The Masonic Myth succeeds equally on several different levels, addressing readers new to Freemasonry as well as those who have studied it for years. Kinney combines an insider's mastery of the subject with an outsider's skeptical irreverence, making him a very trustworthy guide through this hall of mirrors. He addresses the concerns of readers with little knowledge of Masonry, Masons with much insider knowledge but little grasp of its historical meaning, and those who think they know a fair amount about Masonry but are confused by unreliable sources where misinformation is rife. Kinney devotes considerable attention to some of the most widely diffused misconceptions that have flourished for centuries. "Things you thought you knew about Masonry that are wrong" are scattered throughout the book and debunked persuasively. As Dan Brown's latest novel brings a new round of speculation about Freemasons' role in American history, the time is ripe for a serious explanation of Masonic myth and reality.

The first four chapters are an engagingly written, solidly researched account of the origins of the Craft. This makes the book the best place to start for anyone seeking a reliable and accessible guide to Freemasonry. The middle four chapters provide an informed account of Masonic rites, symbols, and hierarchies. As Kinney leads readers through a labyrinth of degrees and orders, his personal involvement with Masonry brings meaning to what is otherwise a bewildering landscape. Without proselytizing, Kinney conveys an appreciation for the value contemporary Masons find in the brotherhood and its not-so-secret-after-all practices. In the final three chapters Kinney explores the vast realm of misinformation about Masonry conveyed in a variety of conspiracy theories, and considers the likely future of the Craft. He confronts paranoid notions about Illuminati and Masonic occultists that have appeared in a fascinating variety of sources. We learn that the Craft's influence on the Founding Fathers has been greatly exaggerated, and that international Masonry is far too fragmented and diverse to be the basis of any global domination schemes as envisioned by conspiracy theorists.

Based on scholarly research that will be cited for decades to come, written in an engaging first person narrative by an author long recognized as a reliable guide to the entire realm of Western esoteric traditions, The Masonic Myth is the first book to read for anyone intrigued by the mysteries of the Craft.

We've all heard about secret societies and their rituals. THE MASONIC MYTH takes you on a journey that allows you to understand the Freemasons. Find out the reasons behind certain symbols and rituals that have been concealed for hundreds of years.

I'm always up for a good conspiracy theory or secret society book, so when I was given the option to review this book, I just had to get my hands on it. I was not disappointed! This book opened my eyes wider than I thought possible.

The Freemasons is a secret society that is plagued by people determined to learn its secrets. They have been associated with many groups from the Knights Templar to Satanists and credited with great wealth and ancient wisdom. It's hard to know where to get the facts for many writers are concentrating on proving their own theories.
Jay Kinney, author of The Masonic Myth, is in a unique position to provide the reader with the hidden truth. He has spent years as an editor in chief of a Gnostic magazine, researching mysteries. He is also a Mason himself and more important, he is librarian and director of research of the San Francisco Scottish Rite. This gives him access to files and information other writers don't have.
This book traces Masonry from the first mentions of it in public literature to the present. It discusses the actual origins and how so many other groups became linked to the group. He tries to find how and when the basic rituals were included into the Craft, as the Masons call it, and where the rites are derived from. Finally, he discusses a very real issue, what the future of the Masons? Enrollment drops each year and the average age of a Mason increases.
This book was unusually conservative for a Masons book. Many writers are publishing books because they have a theory about the secret intent of the Masons and they want to share with everyone. Kinney doesn't start with a radical theory, he simply intends to give a through accounting of the Masons, sticking to fact and avoiding theory.
This book cuts away many of the `truths' factual sources often state as fact. One of the more interesting examples is the birth of the Masons. It is often reported as fact that the Masons descended from the Knight Templar. Kinney tears through the myth and finds the evidence the Masons are descended from actual stone masons and not Crusader knights.
Kinney also isn't as radical as many authors who tell word for word the actual rituals. He honors the wishes of the Masons by not revealing things they want to keep secret. If you want to know the exact code words and handshakes, go elsewhere. However, if you want a book that gives the truth and strips away fantasy, The Masonic Myth is it.

An excellent work clearly presented about what in other hands would be a murky, difficult to understand subject.

Many years ago, I started to caddy at a golf course. As a greenhorn, I worked there for several days, but then one of the caddies told me I couldn't keep working there unless I was initiated. When I asked "Why," I was told it was a secret. When I asked what initiation was like. I was told, "It's a secret, I can't tell you." When I asked how long initiation had been going on, no one knew; "Years, many years!"

Initiation consisted of stripping naked in the woods in front of other caddies, and having my clothing thrown up over tree limbs or into jagged blackberry bushes. After reading The Masonic Myth: Unlocking the Truth About the Symbols, the Secret Rites, and the History of Freemasonry, my initiation rite into the caddy group with its secret or forgotten history reminded me of the Masons with their secret symbols, secret rites, and secret or at least alleged history.

Masonic symbols have fascinated masons and non-masons for centuries. One reason for secrecy is this: a symbol "might" have a basic general meaning or it can have whatever meaning a Mason gives it. Originally, Masonic symbols stood for the tools stone masons carried during medieval times. These men wore waist aprons where they kept their plumbs, squares, and levels, used to create the magnificent cathedrals and monuments, many of which still stand.

These same tools came to have a deeper meaning: a plumb with its cord symbolized that the stone mason should walk proud and upright before the eyes of his fellowman and the all-seeing eye of God. The ninety degree angle of the L-shaped square meant that a man would "square his actions" by demonstrating solid virtue and morality before God and man. The level symbolized that all men are equal in nature, balanced--side by side so to speak.

These symbols can be seen on the apron worn by Masons today during ritualistic events in their temples and/or lodges. One of the pictures in The Masonic Myth, shows George Washington giving an address in a Masonic lodge adorned with his apron. Masonic symbols are far too many to count. Yet, one can look at almost any one symbol and give it a meaning where truth, honor, justice, and a proper way of life are concerned.

On one side of a U.S. dollar bill, one can see a pyramid above thirteen stacked layers, probably of stone. Atop it sits a piercing all-seeing eye of God. The bill also reads Novus Ordo Seclorum: A New Order for the Ages. Is this to be interpreted that our founding fathers thought the newly formed United States to be a "New Order?" Or could it simply mean that Freemasonry should be the "New Order" for the ages? In reality, both of these meanings blend together to make good sense.

What about the secret rites and rituals of Masonic gatherings? Once again, according to The Masonic Myth, these activities are probably kept secret because they are very mundane, somewhat uninteresting, and "much ado about nothing." The ritual for becoming a mason requires the initiate to wear special clothing. He must knock three times on a secret inner chamber door, and then once admitted, he is lead around the room blindfolded while tethered to another member.

Next, he is questioned, sometimes repeatedly, for answers to questions about Masonry's past history which varies considerably in Masonic libraries. In many cases, the candidate must give rather rote answers from a catechism, which is more like a secret unwritten work than anything definitely factual. Finally, the initiate must swear on his bible to uphold the truths and righteous living standards of all Masons everywhere. This is far easier than my initiation as a golf caddy.

Historically, Masonry traces itself back to two main sources: 1) guilds of stonemasons and 2) the Knights Templar of much earlier times. In order to protect their skills and wisdom, the medieval stone masons joined together in pacts to protect the secrets of their trade. I used the word "wisdom" because one can only imagine the innate engineering skill a stonemason had in order to make two towering Gothic columns meet in a central arch far above an aisle, apse, sanctuary, or main body of a church.

Of course, they learned by their mistakes. After several structures collapsed, these masons developed the idea of flying buttresses to send the outward force of high archways to the outside perimeter of the building and into the ground. Lodge minutes dating back to 1599 have been uncovered in the British Isles of Scotland.

The other highly speculative historical origin for Masonry is based on Temple Mount, the alleged site of the original Temple of King Solomon. Some even claim that Masons built the King's temple. To this day, many structures created by Freemasons for their ritualistic activities, are modeled on a minor scale to represent Solomon's vast temple network.

Most interesting is this: Freemasonry is not a religion. It does not attempt to indoctrinate a candidate with a particular brand of belief or faith. So what is its critical attribute? After reading The Masonic Myth, I would have to answer: Freemasonry is an order of people historically united in spirit by a natural impulse to improve their world.

What has kept it alive down through the ages is its quest for self-knowledge and self-discipline. During the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, mankind began to turn away from a strictly religious interpretation of life. People began to endorse a more scientific outlook, searching to know about the world--what made it tick--and about their own physical and mental make-up. Fear of religious reprisal or interference was waning.

When you read The Masonic Myth, you will learn that Freemasonry's very secrecy protects its ideals and its members. It is an order for common folks, you and me, who are free to openly express feelings of caring and support for one another. Most religions have strict rituals, statues, prayers, special books. But the rituals of the Freemasons are symbols of personal integrity and an inner spiritual search to build a better world. Their symbols are a constant inner and outer reminder of this noble quest.

If you are a historian, you will enjoy reading The Masonic Myth. If you are a Mason, you will enjoy the book's slant on Freemasonry "rumors, accusations, and hoaxes." If you are ignorant like me, suspicious of Masonry, you'll find this book pleasantly enlightening. If you attend a particular church, you will find Masonry is not an organization or movement to be feared. I would recommend this book to all interested readers because in its own quiet secret way, Freemasonry might be doing a better job rejuvenating our world than any organized religion.

Other interesting books:
Freemasons For Dummies (For Dummies (History, Biography & Politics))
Cathedral Builders: The Story of a Great Masonic Guild
Masonry: Beyond the Light
The Mysteries of Free Masonry: Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred

I must admit, before reading this book I didn't know very much about the masons. Just the usual stuff about the secret handshakes, the aprons, and the rolled-up trouser legs. But who better to guide us through the murky waters of freemasonry than Jay Kinney, former editor of Gnosis magazine, author of two books on esoterica, and, as we learn here, something of an apronista himself.

The received story goes that modern masonry evolved from guilds of real medieval stoneworkers. The problem with this theory is that there isn't actually very much evidence for it. Masonry as we know it appears suddenly in London, and there is no obvious line of development from the working masons of Scotland -- nor, for that matter, from the historical Knights Templar. From London it spread higgledy-piggledy to continental Europe and to eighteenth-century America.

Having surveyed the history (and the myths about it), Kinney introduces us to the structure and rites of freemasonry. Those 33rd degree masons you hear about are not, in fact, thirty ranks above ordinary master masons. The additional orders represent only possible lines of development for a mason. In any case, they are a late addition. The author then explains the rituals and the system of progressing from degree to degree, and goes on to discuss some of the symbols and, indeed, the whole question of symbolism as a system of development.

The theme of the book is dismissing the myths surrounding freemasonry. Kinney returns to this theme when he fills us in on the Illuminati, who, he says, died out in the late eighteenth century and remained dead until they were resurrected by twentieth-century conspiracy theorists.

Most interesting is a 1638 Scottish poem he quotes that refers to both the Rosicrucians and the masons: "For we be Brethren of the Rosie Crosse; We have the Mason word, and second sight." The tone, he remarks, is satirical, and shows that masons already held a place in the popular imagination, at least in Scotland.

A final chapter asks where masonry will go in the future in light of a declining and ageing membership.

Kinney's book is lucid and well-informed and comes with informative and often charming period illustrations. It's also very timely, given the release of Dan Brown's recent megaseller, The Lost Symbol. Yet today's public has a pretty short attention span. Today I learned that Dan Brown had already been knocked off Amazon's #1 spot -- by Sarah Palin.

The Masonic Myth is a trustworthy and illuminating guide through the otherwise obscure maze of Masonic history and symbolism. Grounded in unbiased research and peppered with humorous anecdotes, author Jay Kinney provides a well-balanced look at one of the oldest not-so-secret secret societies in Western Civilization. Perfect for newcomers to the Craft as well as long-time Masons interested in more than a steak dinner.

As reviewed in Philalethes magazine, Fall 2009:

Jay Kinney is a San Francisco Bay Area writer, probably best known as the publisher of Gnosis magazine (a publication sorely missed since it ceased publication a number of years ago). In 2001, after a career of writing about esoteric and mystical subjects, he became a Freemason. Since then, he has written a number of articles (particularly for the Scottish Rite Research Society) bearing on Masonic history and current attitudes.

The Masonic Myth, his first book-length discussion of Freemasonry, is an engaging account of Brother Kinney's encounter with and understanding of Freemasonry. In his words, it "recapitulates my journey of discovery as I confront the many puzzles within puzzles that are strewn across the Masonic landscape." (p.'xiii) Targeting predominantly the non-Masonic reader, it documents the author's expectations, questions and eventual conclusions over the last eight years. The release of the book was timed by HarperOne to coincide with the availability of The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown's sequel to The DaVinci Code. As this novel was long-rumored to be concerned with Freemasonry in the United States, it has actually given rise to a bumper crop of similar books, seeking to reveal "the truth" about Freemasonry'_'almost none of them actually written by Masons. For this reason, it is fortunate for the fraternity that a writer of Bro''Kinney's market visibility, knowledge and skill has authored HarperOne's entry into the fray. The author's long experience in the study of conspiracy theories and esotericism ensures that the reading will not be dull.

The eleven chapters cover topics such as the origins of Masonry, the development of Continental European Masonry, anti-Masonry, symbolism, and speculation about the Craft's future.

A majority of the sections deal extensively with the ravings of anti-Masonic groups'--'perhaps more so than some readers who are part of the fraternity would prefer'--'but this was most likely in anticipation of anti-Masonic content in Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol and the many spin-off books and television specials to which it will give rise. 'Kinney grants the anti-Masons no quarter, ruthlessly exposing the misconceptions and prevarications of the Order's opponents.

Along the way, he also manages to shine some cynical light upon the work of some of Masonry's own writers, particularly the earliest ones and those more modern individuals (e.g., Manly P. Hall) who intertwine their perception of the fraternity with mythical histories. This sometimes has the effect of making the fraternity seem little more credible than its detractors, but perhaps it is necessary in order to illustrate the diversity of claims that have been made about the Craft.

With 'Kinney's background as a writer about esotericism, it is natural for the reader to expect some insights regarding the serious implications of Masonic ritual and symbolism. The Masonic Myth characterizes the degrees as "rites of passage for men who are ready to move from the chronic isolation and fragmentation of modern life into a community based on `brotherly love, relief, and truth.''" (p. 113) While the author expresses disappointment at a lack of coherent doctrine in Freemasonry, and doubts that the authors of the rituals were "trying to make subtle theological points," (p. 210) he also relates that there is evidence that early Freemasonry was more than the drinking club so many have made it out to be. For example, Bro''Kinney expresses that "while granting Masonry's piecemeal evolution over time, it seems to me that some key men among the earliest developers of speculative Masonry must have consciously set out to found what might be described as a new kind of do-it-yourself mystery school: a nondenominational, philosophical, initiatory order..." (p. 208) In particular, he opines that "it seems likely that someone (singular or plural) conversant with Kabbalistic concepts and symbolism contributed to the evolution of the ritual." (p. 202)

But that is not to say that The Masonic Myth presents what those connections might be in much detail. In fact, the author later argues that any such elements "provided some of the structure and some of the decor, but they were not really the content. ['In]'a certain sense, there was no content. A bunch of marching around and banging of gavels and a Master's Word....'do not constitute the secret wisdom of the ages. Beyond a certain point, the initiate had to supply his own content, so to speak." (p. 209)

The Masonic Myth is a most engaging documention of the personal journey of a highly thoughtful Masonic initiate of the twenty-first century, and should be enthusiastically welcomed as an extremely valuable addition to the debate over what Freemasonry was, is, and can be again.'