Sacred Secrets

Masonic 'secrets' are of great interest to a wide audience - whether Freemasons or not. The popularity of Dan Brown's books has shown the enormous interest in Masonry. There is, however, no other book that offers any form of guide to the stories used in Masonic ritual and their links to the Bible and Christianity. Additionally, this book is user friendly and easy to read, and will be a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in Freemasonry. The new Mason is directed to a 'serious contemplation of the Volume of the Sacred Law' - this book will enable initiates to understand the Biblical text. Furthermore, it is a guide to the historical and geographical setting of the Bible for all Freemasons and will allow them to make a 'daily advancement in Masonic knowledge'. Much of the ritual is based on the Bible, but many younger Masons may not have had 'scripture' lessons at school or attended Sunday school. Hence, many of the Biblical characters and stories will be unknown to them. Without this knowledge, much of the ritual is very difficult to understand. This book bridges that gap. It will help Freemasons to learn the ritual - it is easier to remember people, places and things if you understand who or what they are. It is the author's mission to get Freemasons to understand that ritual, not to just memorise and regurgitate it. The contents will aid the clergy, theologians and any other person interested in Freemasonry to see the clear links between ritual and scripture. It names the chapters of the Bible which have the most influence on the ceremonies and challenges the view that the ritual is 'Satanically inspired'.

Résumé
Who were Tubalcain, Aholiab and Zabud and what is their significance for the Freemason? There is a general interest in the rituals of Freemasonry, generated in part by the apparently obscure references they contain. This is the only book that offers a guide to the stories used in Masonic ritual and their links to the Bible and Christianity. The new Mason is directed to a 'serious contemplation of the Volume of the Sacred Law' but that is easier said than done without a grounding in the Scriptures, something that fewer and fewer people have. The historical and geographical setting of the Bible is explained here, making such contemplation easier for Mason and non-Mason alike. Mike Neville has systematically cross-referenced the most influential Chapters of the Bible to the ceremonies. It is his intention to get Freemasons to understand the ritual not just to memorise and regurgitate as well as to elucidate for the non-Mason. Sacred Secrets will aid the clergy, theologians and any other person interested in Freemasonry to see the links between ritual and scripture.