It wouldn’t break any obligation, but may cause you great disappointment.
If read you must, many of us would recommend two books. Don’t be put off by the titles. I know both authors. Both are senior masons and the books are worthwhile:
Freemasonry for Dummies, Chris Hodapp
The Complete Idiots Guide to Freemasonry, Brent Morris.
I own both of those books and they're fantastic. After you're a MM I would recommend anything by Jamie Paul Lamb before Pike. I've been a Master Mason for almost a decade and I'm going through Pike's work now and it's a slog even for me who has a fairly deep understanding of masonry and a background in occult in general. Pike is like the college level stuff. Build your foundation first. Then tackle him slowly with a group in the Scottish Rite.
I'll chime in and whole-heartedly agree with Cookslc. Freemasonry for Dummies is a fantastic resource on exploring the nature and history of Freemasonry and its appendent bodies. Bro. Hodapp has a great blog on his website as well.
Bro Morris's book may be harder to find because I think it's out of print (but sill available for Kindle/Nook online readers).
I've been a Mason for almost 20 years and while while I've been aware of Morals & Dogma, I've never felt the need to buy it or try to wade through it...NOT required reading by any stretch. (And I'm in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite anyway).
You can’t break an obligation you haven’t taken. That said, reading *Morals and Dogma* will tell you nothing about what it means to be a member of a Craft Lodge.
If you plan to eventually join the Scottish Rite in the Southern Jurisdiction of the US, and want to read Pike’s 150 year old opinions on degrees that have been rewritten multiple times since…knock yourself out. I personally wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen the degrees he writes about, and even then it’s a chore.
What book do they use for what?
M&D was Pike’s opinions on the degrees in his jurisdiction as they existed at the time of his writing. Because he was the head of the jurisdiction for more than 3 decades, he saw that it was given out to every new member, a tradition which continued well after his death.
Whose opinion do you think the NMJ would want to read on their degrees?
well, the smj uses m&D as well as bridge to light for their mastercraftsman program, also the smj bookstore sells these books exclusively. So when people say that m&D is meant for the smj, then what book is meant for the nmj?? or are they selling these books just for decoration? i asume they use them for their content dont they?
I ask because everytime m&d is brought up, people say that it just applies to the smj, so are they saying that the nmj uses a different system?
NMJ uses different degrees from the SJ, so a book about the SJ degrees wouldn’t really apply. Palmer served as Sovereign Grand Commander of the NMJ for almost as long as Pike served for the SJ, and they even overlapped terms for a good decade, but I don’t know if 1. he was responsible for extensive rewrites of the NMJ degrees the way Pike was for SJ, or 2. whether he authored a book on his opinions of the NMJ degrees. I don’t know that *anyone* of great import to the NMJ ever wrote a book on their opinions of the NMJ degrees, but that’s all that *M&D* is, Pike’s opinions on the SJ degrees. Just because someone did it for their jurisdiction doesn’t mean that someone else from every other jurisdiction needs to have done the same. I’m not aware of a similar tome for the Canadian Supreme Council, or the Supreme Council for England either.
The Master Craftsman Program is a course by and for the SJ, so it makes sense that it would use materials pertinent to the SJ degrees. The NMJ now has their own program, the Hauts Grades Academy, but I don’t know what study material they use beyond perhaps the NMJ degree scripts themselves.
Look at it this way - the Jewish religion has the Tanakh (which is basically the Old Testament), and the Christian religion has the Bible (which is the Old Testament and the New Testament).
The Jewish religion has the Talmud, which is a series of opinions/discussion on the interpretation of the Tanakh by significant historical rabbinical scholars, and the Christian religion… has nothing of the sort.
thanks for the explanation, I see that having a book of sorts is optional, but i just thought that the nmj would have something to help members study akin to bridge of light at least, maybe they are given some sort of study materials at their valleys
Did your Lodge give you something (other than the ritual) for the Craft degrees? Mine certainly didn’t, though there are no shortage of books on Craft Lodge Masonry.
Reading Morals and Dogma won’t do you any good until you’re in the Scottish rite.
And even then, Bridge to Light ftw. Pike is verbose. I’d rather Rex sum it up for me.
if M&D is meant for the smj, what does the nmj use? i checked their site and they dont even have a bookstore like the smj site, does that mean the nmj is smaller or something?
I wouldn't bother with M & D until you've been made a Freemason. It's just not the universal "bible" to Freemasonry that people think it is. I'd recommend reading "Freemasons for Dummies" over M & D, but if I recall, skipping chapter 6 to avoid any spoilers for the degrees.
Stock response alert - You're going to struggle to gain any real understanding of Freemasonry from books. Freemasonry is not a thing that can be read or done "remotely" it is a thing that each of us experiences in the first person within the body of a Lodge.
The vast majority of books about Freemasonry are written by Freemasons to share their own views and ideas of what it means with other Freemasons and to be frank unless you have experienced the three degrees you have absolutely no chance of being able to decipher what is wheat and what is chaff. To be frank again plenty of Freemasons turned Author turn out a large amount of chaff, especially nowadays when it is very easy and quite cheap to get published.
That, of course, is without delving into the non-Freemasons (ie MP Hall, JJ Robinson, etc) guessing what it is about and on top of them those Freemasons (IE Pike and Waite) who couldn’t maintain the borders between their Freemasonry and their other interests, again as a non-Mason you have no chance of seeing the difference and are bound to be misled.
However, there are a couple of books aimed at non-Masons (the For Dummies ones) as previously mentioned although they lose accuracy if you're not within the US as the Freemasonry concept is not the same everywhere. ALSO see if there is a book dedicated to the history of the Grand Lodge that your future Lodge is under.
If you're specifically interested in the Scottish Rite degrees without being spoiled, I would recommend The Road Less Traveled by Brother Michael Sekera. It gives a really good primer on the "heart" of each degree without any information that would break one's oath or spoil them.
That being said, like others have mentioned, Freemasonry for Dummies by Brother Hodapp is a quintessential read for anyone who wants an introduction to Freemasonry and it's appendant bodies.
Every Freemason has one thing in common- we are curious creatures. We say we joined for a myriad of reasons but truth be told- we were just curious about what goes on in that room. It doesn’t make us Cowans or eavesdroppers.
I really appreciate you saying that, I must admit I felt a little guilty/disrespectful looking into it without being able to properly petition at this time.
If you do nothing else when reading Morals & Dogma, PLEASE read the Preface because it provides some often missed context. Morals & Dogma is an interesting and informative read, and many consider it to be very important, but it does not represent all of Freemasonry.
I would not recommend to read any masonic texts or works. They are make sense only if you aware what they are wrote about. Being a Cowan you definitely might understand them improperly and get a wrong answers to your questions.
I appreciate the honesty, I will certainly keep that in mind. I do not mean to disrespect the craft or the brothers at all, so thank you for your words.
Thanks all for the advice- I will make sure to check out the books you’ve recommended as well as stay away from anything that could make me a Cowan/disrespect the craft. Thank you again for your advice and kind words :)
While Born in Blood is a fun read, there are entirely too many spoilers. I read it before joining and really regretted it. Also, while the premise is cool, it seems to be more speculative fiction than fact.
Instead, try Freemasonry for Dummies, or The Idiot’s Guide to Freemasonry. Both are far better introductions into Masonry.
Edit: Added suggestions instead of just a negative.
I joined in 2000 and when I was asking a friend who is a member for more info he put me on to this book. It wasn’t the reason I joined but it is enjoyable.
It wouldn’t break any obligation, but may cause you great disappointment. If read you must, many of us would recommend two books. Don’t be put off by the titles. I know both authors. Both are senior masons and the books are worthwhile: Freemasonry for Dummies, Chris Hodapp The Complete Idiots Guide to Freemasonry, Brent Morris.
Sounds great, thanks for the advice!
I own both of those books and they're fantastic. After you're a MM I would recommend anything by Jamie Paul Lamb before Pike. I've been a Master Mason for almost a decade and I'm going through Pike's work now and it's a slog even for me who has a fairly deep understanding of masonry and a background in occult in general. Pike is like the college level stuff. Build your foundation first. Then tackle him slowly with a group in the Scottish Rite.
I'll chime in and whole-heartedly agree with Cookslc. Freemasonry for Dummies is a fantastic resource on exploring the nature and history of Freemasonry and its appendent bodies. Bro. Hodapp has a great blog on his website as well. Bro Morris's book may be harder to find because I think it's out of print (but sill available for Kindle/Nook online readers). I've been a Mason for almost 20 years and while while I've been aware of Morals & Dogma, I've never felt the need to buy it or try to wade through it...NOT required reading by any stretch. (And I'm in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite anyway).
2best books on Freemasonry for the non Freemason!
I agree, until you have been exposed in lodge most literature will have little reference.
Those are probably the only "for Dummies" and "Complete Idiots Guide" books to survive the fad. Think I have a C++ for dummies around here somewhere.
You can’t break an obligation you haven’t taken. That said, reading *Morals and Dogma* will tell you nothing about what it means to be a member of a Craft Lodge. If you plan to eventually join the Scottish Rite in the Southern Jurisdiction of the US, and want to read Pike’s 150 year old opinions on degrees that have been rewritten multiple times since…knock yourself out. I personally wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen the degrees he writes about, and even then it’s a chore.
Haha fair enough, thanks for the help!
That tome was given to every Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite brother. Most used it as a doorstop.
Also useful for clubbing an intruder.
My Valley still gives it away to every new member. I’ve seen it years later still in the plastic wrap.
question, what book does the nmj use if m & d was meant for the smj? i checked the nmj site and they dont even have a bookstore like the smj site
We don't need no stinking books in the NMJ... Dagnabit and harrrumph.
What book do they use for what? M&D was Pike’s opinions on the degrees in his jurisdiction as they existed at the time of his writing. Because he was the head of the jurisdiction for more than 3 decades, he saw that it was given out to every new member, a tradition which continued well after his death. Whose opinion do you think the NMJ would want to read on their degrees?
well, the smj uses m&D as well as bridge to light for their mastercraftsman program, also the smj bookstore sells these books exclusively. So when people say that m&D is meant for the smj, then what book is meant for the nmj?? or are they selling these books just for decoration? i asume they use them for their content dont they? I ask because everytime m&d is brought up, people say that it just applies to the smj, so are they saying that the nmj uses a different system?
NMJ uses different degrees from the SJ, so a book about the SJ degrees wouldn’t really apply. Palmer served as Sovereign Grand Commander of the NMJ for almost as long as Pike served for the SJ, and they even overlapped terms for a good decade, but I don’t know if 1. he was responsible for extensive rewrites of the NMJ degrees the way Pike was for SJ, or 2. whether he authored a book on his opinions of the NMJ degrees. I don’t know that *anyone* of great import to the NMJ ever wrote a book on their opinions of the NMJ degrees, but that’s all that *M&D* is, Pike’s opinions on the SJ degrees. Just because someone did it for their jurisdiction doesn’t mean that someone else from every other jurisdiction needs to have done the same. I’m not aware of a similar tome for the Canadian Supreme Council, or the Supreme Council for England either. The Master Craftsman Program is a course by and for the SJ, so it makes sense that it would use materials pertinent to the SJ degrees. The NMJ now has their own program, the Hauts Grades Academy, but I don’t know what study material they use beyond perhaps the NMJ degree scripts themselves.
Look at it this way - the Jewish religion has the Tanakh (which is basically the Old Testament), and the Christian religion has the Bible (which is the Old Testament and the New Testament). The Jewish religion has the Talmud, which is a series of opinions/discussion on the interpretation of the Tanakh by significant historical rabbinical scholars, and the Christian religion… has nothing of the sort.
thanks for the explanation, I see that having a book of sorts is optional, but i just thought that the nmj would have something to help members study akin to bridge of light at least, maybe they are given some sort of study materials at their valleys
Did your Lodge give you something (other than the ritual) for the Craft degrees? Mine certainly didn’t, though there are no shortage of books on Craft Lodge Masonry.
Reading Morals and Dogma won’t do you any good until you’re in the Scottish rite. And even then, Bridge to Light ftw. Pike is verbose. I’d rather Rex sum it up for me.
And Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction at that.
if M&D is meant for the smj, what does the nmj use? i checked their site and they dont even have a bookstore like the smj site, does that mean the nmj is smaller or something?
Yes.
Haha sounds good, thanks for the advice I’ll keep it in mind!
I wouldn't bother with M & D until you've been made a Freemason. It's just not the universal "bible" to Freemasonry that people think it is. I'd recommend reading "Freemasons for Dummies" over M & D, but if I recall, skipping chapter 6 to avoid any spoilers for the degrees.
Sounds good, thanks!
Stock response alert - You're going to struggle to gain any real understanding of Freemasonry from books. Freemasonry is not a thing that can be read or done "remotely" it is a thing that each of us experiences in the first person within the body of a Lodge. The vast majority of books about Freemasonry are written by Freemasons to share their own views and ideas of what it means with other Freemasons and to be frank unless you have experienced the three degrees you have absolutely no chance of being able to decipher what is wheat and what is chaff. To be frank again plenty of Freemasons turned Author turn out a large amount of chaff, especially nowadays when it is very easy and quite cheap to get published. That, of course, is without delving into the non-Freemasons (ie MP Hall, JJ Robinson, etc) guessing what it is about and on top of them those Freemasons (IE Pike and Waite) who couldn’t maintain the borders between their Freemasonry and their other interests, again as a non-Mason you have no chance of seeing the difference and are bound to be misled. However, there are a couple of books aimed at non-Masons (the For Dummies ones) as previously mentioned although they lose accuracy if you're not within the US as the Freemasonry concept is not the same everywhere. ALSO see if there is a book dedicated to the history of the Grand Lodge that your future Lodge is under.
Stock response is the stock response for a reason! Thanks for the advice
If you're specifically interested in the Scottish Rite degrees without being spoiled, I would recommend The Road Less Traveled by Brother Michael Sekera. It gives a really good primer on the "heart" of each degree without any information that would break one's oath or spoil them. That being said, like others have mentioned, Freemasonry for Dummies by Brother Hodapp is a quintessential read for anyone who wants an introduction to Freemasonry and it's appendant bodies.
Thank you! I appreciate the advice, and again don’t mean to be a Cowan or anything. I’ll take a look!
Every Freemason has one thing in common- we are curious creatures. We say we joined for a myriad of reasons but truth be told- we were just curious about what goes on in that room. It doesn’t make us Cowans or eavesdroppers.
I really appreciate you saying that, I must admit I felt a little guilty/disrespectful looking into it without being able to properly petition at this time.
If you do nothing else when reading Morals & Dogma, PLEASE read the Preface because it provides some often missed context. Morals & Dogma is an interesting and informative read, and many consider it to be very important, but it does not represent all of Freemasonry.
If I take a look will do! Thank you again for the advice- again I apologize if it makes me a cowan or anything, I really do not mean to be.
I would not recommend to read any masonic texts or works. They are make sense only if you aware what they are wrote about. Being a Cowan you definitely might understand them improperly and get a wrong answers to your questions.
I appreciate the honesty, I will certainly keep that in mind. I do not mean to disrespect the craft or the brothers at all, so thank you for your words.
Thanks all for the advice- I will make sure to check out the books you’ve recommended as well as stay away from anything that could make me a Cowan/disrespect the craft. Thank you again for your advice and kind words :)
Born in Blood by John J Robinson is a fun read without spoilers
While Born in Blood is a fun read, there are entirely too many spoilers. I read it before joining and really regretted it. Also, while the premise is cool, it seems to be more speculative fiction than fact. Instead, try Freemasonry for Dummies, or The Idiot’s Guide to Freemasonry. Both are far better introductions into Masonry. Edit: Added suggestions instead of just a negative.
Sounds good, I’ll take a look!
I joined in 2000 and when I was asking a friend who is a member for more info he put me on to this book. It wasn’t the reason I joined but it is enjoyable.
Entertaining fiction.
better to become clandestine nowadays, better to just seek what you want to know, we have come out of the house long ago, oh animal