Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society - Volume 4 - Number 1 - Spring 2016
Ritual , Secrecy and Civil Society : Issue No . 7 , Spring 2016
Freemasonry : Spirituality and Symbolism Foreword by Pierre Mollier , Editor-in-Chief
The French Revolution was an event whose consequences extended well beyond
France and lasted for the whole of the nineteenth century . Our first article examines a little-known episode showing the way religion was considered during those years . The Roman Catholic Church ’ s opposition to the new régime initially aroused strong anticlericalism , which was then followed by different attempts to create a new religion . According to the mindset of the time , a political régime had necessarily to be underpinned by religious concepts . One of these plans for a new religion was “ Theophilanthropy ,” which was closely related to freemasonry .
French freemasonry is often difficult to understand from the British or American point of view . In France and beyond , in countries of Latin culture such as southern Europe and South America , the burden of power wielded by the Roman Catholic Church caused liberals to enter Masonic lodges in massive numbers ; they then proceeded to turn these into organizations ready to combat in favor of the new ideas . André Combes , one of the most respected French Masonic historians , first offers us an overall picture of the history of French lodges from 1815 to 1945 . He then introduces an author , Oswald Wirth ( 1860-1943 ), who was a very important figure in the history of Latin freemasonry . At a time when the lodges were deeply engaged in the political fight to establish democracy in France , this French Mason of Swiss origin pleaded for a restoration of work on initiation and symbolism . He was at the origin of a real “ symbolic revival ” which would gradually spread to all Masonic circles . A whole facet of freemasonry in Latin countries today has its origin in the writings and ideas disseminated by Oswald Wirth between 1882 and his death in 1943 .
Next , we are offered a fine portrait of a man , Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa ( 1875- 1953 ), who was at the crossroads between freemasonry and Theosophy ; this is followed by a study of freemasonry in Turkey . Although , of course , freemasonry originated in Europe , it very quickly took root in other continents , and the encounter between freemasonry and other cultures makes for a fascinating study .
2 doi : 10.18278 / rscs . 4.1.1