Traces the history of the Freemasons from the Knights Templar to America's Founding Fathers. In The Temple and the Lodge, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh reveal the survival and evolution of a world‑changing order through the birth of the Masonic lodge. Recounting the brutal events in the fourteenth century that led to the sudden disappearance of the Knights Templar—a powerful military and banking order founded in 1119 and active in the Crusades—the authors document the Templars’ reappearance in the court of excommunicate Scottish king Robert the Bruce. Tracing the survival of certain Templar traditions in the birth of the Masonic lodge, they chart the history of Freemasonry from its medieval roots into the modern era, and from Europe to colonial America and the young United States. Baigent and Leigh marshal the evidence that the order’s contribution to fostering tolerance, progressive values, and cohesion in English society helped preempt a French‑style revolution in England. Freemasonry was an essential keystone in the formation of the United States, and the authors argue that America itself is an embodiment of the ideal “Masonic Republic.” Their groundbreaking analysis challenged the accepted history of the influence of Freemasonry on America’s framers and revolutionists, which most mainstream historians ignored until recently. Thirty years since its original publication, The Temple and the Lodge remains a trenchant and essential work on the influence of esoteric thought and beliefs in Western history.
Contents:
Foreword: Esoteric history and our history: Rediscovering The Temple and the Lodge / by Mitch Horowitz Part one: Robert Bruce, heir to Celtic Scotland Bruce and his struggle for power Military monks: the Knights Templar Arrests and torture The disappearance of the Templar fleet Celtic Scotland and the grail legends Part two: Scotland and a hidden tradition The Templar legacy in Scotland The Scots guard Rosslyn Freemasonry: geometry of the sacred Part three: The origins of Freemasonry The earliest Freemasons Viscount Dundee The development of Grand Lodge The Masonic Jacobite cause Freemasons and Knights Templar Part four: Freemasonry and American independence The first American Freemasons The emergence of Masonic leaders The resistance to Britain The war for independence The Republic.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.