Customer Reviews

Turning the Hiram Key

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Freemasonry is a personal thing, and Brother Lomas's personal testament is well worth reading as it deals with the emotional impact of being made a Mason and the value of that experience.

The United Grand Lodge of England, where Dr Lomas swore his obligation, defines the 'secrets' as the passwords and grips of the various degrees and Lomas does not reveal those. The UGLE rules say that all the myths, rituals and symbols can be discussed, and Lomas does this in a thoughtful and sensitive manner. Not since W. L. Wilmshurst's books and lodge papers of the 1920s and 30s has there been such a positive and serious study of Freemasonry as a system of spiritual philosophy. Lomas is not only a follower of the teaching of W.L Wilmshurst, he also belongs to the Lodge which Wilmshurst founded and it shows in his careful explanation of Wilmshurst's teachings.

The response of the previous reviewer does make me wonder what 'secret's' he thinks he is trying to hide or protect, by falsely accusing a Brother Mason of breaking his obligation? If that is how he practises the Freemasonry he claims to be part of then, small wonder he wants to keep it a secret. Is he ashamed of the Masonic rituals?

Brother Lomas is obviously proud of them, and true Masons are proud of his attempt to understand, teach and explain them. Read and judge for yourself. He will inspire you, just as he has inspired me. And what better recommended could you have than the fact 99.9% of the 'it's a secret' fanatics, don't want you to read it. Don't be put off.

This work extends well beyond the narrow confines of Masonic ceremony covering a wide-ranging, and timely, scientific account of what is known about the effects of spirituality and sexual arousal on the mind and body. In spite of the breadth of topic the subject matter is concise, surprisingly deep, and able to hold the interest of the non-scientist reader. It gives an extensive list of learned references for those wishing to pursue matters further. This book meets a great need to explain modern brain research and its implications for spirituality. Lomas is a scientist with the skill to communicate with the general public, rather than just with fellow scientists.

I thought I understood Freemasonry. For me this book was a breath of fresh air. Suddenly everything clicked into place. It was so clear. I have learned much from this title. It is a must for any one interested in freemasonry. It is the first time I have ever read a convinced Mason explaining why he enjoys his Masonry and then explaining why Masonic ritual can make this happen
If you liked the Hiram Key you really have to buy this book. It is so much better and more personal

"Turning the Hiram Key" is yet another fine offering from Dr Robert Lomas continuing his quest to uncover the reasons behind the rituals employed in Freemasonry and to seek a deeper understanding of what the Brethren are or were supposed to be about. In this tome, the first of his works published by Lewis Masonic, he considers the purpose and practice of the ritual from practical, scientific and then spiritual angles giving the reader an insight into what it actualy feels like to be a Freemason.

The publication itself is presented in such a way as to be easy on the eye, and lends a flow in print to the thoroughly well crafted narrative. From a historic and Scientific viewpoint, Dr Lomas backs supposition and theory with hard evidence, and avoids the classic text book drone by relating to events and experiences of his own.

Personally, I was surprised to be able to learn so much from this work regarding Freemasonry and as a non-Mason with a view coloured perhaps by the typical prejudicial reportage that is normally associated with the secrecy and practice of Freemasonry, I find myself intrigued and wanting to learn more. Dr Lomas' book has opened my eyes to the other side of the argument and made Freemasonry far more accessible to the 'average joe'.

I await Robert Lomas' next book with the anticipation of surprise, wonder and fascination.

After reading the Hiram Key, I was all to excited to run on down to a local store and buy this book. It is informative to a point, but the author has gone so deep into his own exhaustive personal experience that I found it almost unreadable.

Great author but this book is one to skip unless you prefer absolute tedium.

Turning the Hiram Key: A Worthwhile If Uneven Effort
Reviewed by William Courson


Robert Lomas is the co-author of several previous works on the subject of Freemasonry including "The Hiram Key," "The Second Messiah," and "Uriel's Machine." A Freemason himself, Dr. Lomas is an engineer by profession and teaches technology management at Bradford University in Yorkshire. This is his latest offering in an ongoing series of books exploring the history, doctrine, polity and ritual of the Freemasonic Order.

"Turning the Hiram Key" is a detailed, step by step elaboration of the initiatory rituals of Freemasonry, at least as it is practiced in the 'regular' lodges of the United Kingdom, the author's personal transformation resulting from his participation, and an explication of the methods of pedagogy underlying those rituals.

The book is divided into three distinct parts: the first dealing with Dr. Lomas' personal experience of the rituals and an appreciation of their results, the second with the psychology underpinning the use of ritual as an instructional method, and the third offering a summarization of the preceding two, along with, although seemingly incidental to the book's purpose, a fascinating overview of the "Kirkwall Scroll" issue, whose discovery and scientific dating has turned so-called 'mainstream' accounts of Freemasonry's origin in 1717 London deservingly on their ear.

I thoroughly enjoyed parts one and three of this work, particularly for his deeply personal accounting of the effects felt as a result of his Masonic involvement that the author undertakes (and it is worth noting that he accomplishes this end without even the hint of transgressing any initiatic vow, no small thing). The second part of the book, captioned "The Hidden Mysteries of Ritual and Myth" I found to be difficult to read and more than a bit tedious (although its reading may be of profit to a reader unfamiliar with the issues dealt with). Nonetheless, the first and third sections are more than amply worth the price of this volume.

I enthusiastically recommend this volume to anyone with any degree of curiosity about the `deeper side' of Freemasonry. Freemasons who truly understand the Craft will applaud Dr. Lomas' efforts.

Congratulations to Brother Lomas for having the strength of his convictions to publish such a personal understanding of our Craft. Having sat for many years asking many questions to many Brethren, being met with the same blank expressions, this work now resonates an understanding and should be enjoyed by both masons and non-masons. For too long our prescious science has stagnated through the imposition of inner secrecy to such a degree of apathy that we are in danger of loosing our reason to exist.

I only wish that i could of heard other Brethrens true insights into our system of spiritual improvement before and after joining.

The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasonry, and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Jesus [HIRAM KEY]
Fascinating stuff, even though, Jew or Christian, it is contrary to what we have been taught from childhood. Much of it is valid, although much is a matter of interpretation -- and a few errors of fact. Yet, it surely connects and explains the source of Masonic rituals

The author tells about about masonry being a journey to discover yourself that it is a spiritually oriented organization which promotes mental exercises to make you a better man, not better than other men, but better than yourself. Morality and charity are part of this key to making you a better person which in turn makes society greater as a whole.

This book is divided into 3 sections:
1. The author's personal experiences in becomming a Freemason,
2. Philosophical and scientific conjecture on life the universe and everything, and
3. A combination of the first two sections + conclusions.

For me, the first section was worth the purchase of the book. It is a step by step journal of Robert Lomas going from non-Mason to Master Mason - his thoughts, initiation procedures and related experiences. It made the whole subject of Freemasonry feel "real" without the reader needing to commit to joining anything. This section received 5 stars.

The second section had me scratching my head and falling asleep in boredom. Philosophy and human behaviour related to scientific conjecture is for me just a platform for someone to voice their thoughts and beliefs. Sure, Lomas is completely entitled to this, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it.

The last section was a bit of a mix and I was glad to see the last page.

Everyone who reads this book will like (and/or hate) different aspects of it as I did, although maybe for different reasons or even the different sections.

Overall, the positives for me made the book worth it.

I loved the others in this series but there is not much new here. Too much of his personel jourmey for me. Read the others twice but skip this one.