Customer Reviews

The Virgin and the Pentacle: The Freemasonic Plot to Destroy the Church

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

 

 

The premise of the book based on the title is the destruction of the church by the freemasons. Butler never actually addresses this thesis and this is my reason for the two stars. He seems to ramble about the influence of Goddess religions in the Craft and in society, but never really ties the two together. His thinking is scrambled, and it almost seems as if the author cut and pastes this book from paste writings and musings to push out another book. The author is not anti-Masonic if you will and his statements concerning the Craft seem to have a positive slant. The book is not difficult to read and one can get through it quickly. If you are an anti-Mason looking for proof that the Craft is secretly ruling the world, you have found the wrong book. If you are a Brother and like to read some of the fringe statements and hypothesis concerning the Work, you will not receive any new light from this one. If you a looking for an average and quick read concerning the idea that Masons as a whole are free thinkers and the like then this book will read quickly, but not memorably.

The premise of this book is fascinating--that the split between the Catholic Church and Freemasonry can be reduced to a clash between patriarchal (the Church) and matriarchal (Freemasons) views of the godhead. I don't think the author conclusively proves his case, but he definitely puts enough evidence out there to get to the jury. I relied on this book in researching a novel about Templars in American, Cabal of The Westford Knight: Templars at the Newport Tower, and found it very helpful and informative. Recommended for readers looking to delve deeper into the history of the Templars and Freemasons.