The Foundations of Modern Freemasonry: The Grand Architects: Political Change and the Scientific Enlightenment, 1714-1740 - Hardcover

Berman MA, Ric

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1845194799 ISBN 13: 9781845194796

Publisher: Liverpool University Press, 2011

Synopsis

Following the appointment of its first aristocratic grand masters in the 1720s and in the wake of its connections to the Enlightenment, Free and Accepted Masonry rapidly became part of Britain's national profile and the largest and most influential of its extensive range of clubs and societies. The new organization did not evolve naturally from the mediaeval guilds and religious orders that pre-dated it but was reconfigured radically by a largely self-appointed inner core. It became a vehicle for the expression and transmission of their political and religious views, and for the Enlightenment concepts they championed. Through an examination of new and previously unexplored primary documentation, Berman contributes to an understanding of the contemporary political and social culture and explores how freemasonry became a mechanism that promoted the interests of the Hanoverian establishment, connecting elite metropolitan and provincial figures.  A range of networks centered on the aristocracy, parliament, professional societies and the magistracy are examined, as are the key individuals instrumental in spreading the Masonic message.  The book concludes that freemasonry should be recognized not only as the most prominent of the many 18th-century fraternal organizations but also as a significant cultural vector and a component of the social, economic, scientific and political transformation then in progress. Berman's analysis throws a new and original light on the formation and development of what rapidly became a national and international phenomenon. "...a valuable work for serious Masonic historians." Choice, October 2012, Vol. 50 No. 02.  Now in its second edition.

About this title

About the Author

Dr Richard (Ric) Berman is the author of The Foundations of Modern Freemasonry; Schism, a discussion of the origins of Antients Freemasonry; and Espionage, Diplomacy & the Lodge. Ric's work on American freemasonry includes Loyalists & Malcontents, now in its second edition, which looks at the origins of freemasonry in South Carolina and Georgia; and From Roanoke to Raleigh, which outlines a fresh analysis of how freemasonry developed in North Carolina. Ric holds a Masters in Economics from the University of Cambridge and a Doctorate in History from the University of Exeter. He continued his research at the University of Oxford's Modern European History Research Centre and is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at Oxford Brookes University. Ric was appointed Prestonian Lecturer for 2016 and his lecture - Foundations - now in its second edition, sets the context for the 300th anniversary of the Grand Lodge of England. Born in London, Ric lives with his family in Oxfordshire.

Review

“The transformation of English Freemasonry after the foundation of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717 was especially marked by the (largely nominal) leadership of young pro-Hanoverian Whig aristocrats who transformed Freemasonry into an important component of the economic, scientific, social, and political changes of the 18th century. Freemasonry rapidly became an important facet of the upper reaches of English society, and Berman (Oxford) traces the role these aristocratic architects played in the formation of what quickly became the most prominent and socially elite fraternal order of the modern era. There were important connections between Freemasonry and the judiciary, the Royal Society, and other learned and professional societies. Berman provides a useful introduction to these key figures, as well as a series of valuable appendixes, giving readers the Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of England, excerpts from the Masonic 1723 Constitutions, a list of the various military lodges, and an inventory of the Masonic membership of selected professional societies. Although its origins as a doctoral thesis are all too clear, this remains a valuable work for serious Masonic historians. Recommended.”  —Choice

Edition details

• Publisher: Liverpool University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1845194799
• ISBN 13: 9781845194796
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320