The Evolution of Masonic Podcasts

Many years ago, Brother Stephen Dafoe hit upon the notion of a Masonic podcast, called Radio Free Mason, interviewing Masonic authors or notable Masons across North America. Like everything else, doing this stuff can be a grind, especially when it's a volunteer labor of love, and Radio Free Mason soon languished. Brother Robert Jump resurrected the idea at The Three Pillars Forum, but it soon stopped regular updates, as well.

Illinois brother Eric Diamond has hept his Xoriente podcast going for several years now. It is up to Episode 27, and he has not shied away from controversial subjects: in July, he interviewed the brother known as "I M Hiram" from West Virginia, who contributes to the Masonic Crusade website about the ongoing controversy over the suspension of PGM Frank Haas.

Several months back, Brother Cory Siegler of The Working Tools discovered the miracle of TalkShoe, an easy to use, toll-free "talk radio" service that allows hosts, guests and listeners to record a podcast, archive it, and keep past shows available for future listeners.

Brother Greg Stewart of Masonic Traveler blog fame is the latest entrant in the Masonic podcast world, with a regular, outstanding, and very broad range of guests, not just from the ranks of the Masonic world. His show is called Masonic Central, and in a brief period, he has presented a wide range of guests on a broad spectrum of topics.

EPISODE1 - Br. Fred Miliken (The Beehive)
EPISODE 2 - Tim Bryce
EPISODE3 - John Ratcliff
EPISODE4 - Tom Accousti (The Tao of Freemasonry)
EPISODE 5 - Dr. Patrick Swift, author of One Mountain, Many Paths: Common Sense for the Spiritual Traveler
EPISODE 6 - Round Table discussion
EPISODE 7 - Jennifer Emick, author of the Everything Book of Celtic Wisdom
EPISODE 8 - Paul M. Bessel and Jerry Samet, PGM of the District of Columbia

This Sunday's Episode #9 will feature brother Adam Kendall, Curator of Collections with the Henry Wilson Coil Library & Museum of Freemasonry for the Grand Lodge of F. & A.M. of California.

Future shows will feature Pennsylvania's Thomas R. Jackson, Past Grand Secretary, book reviewer for The Northern Light magazine, and one of the principal forces behind this summer's World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges in Washington DC; author Stephen Dafoe on October 12th, discussing his two upcoming Templar projects; and on October 19th, Jessica Harland-Jacobs, author of the fascinating book "Builders of Empire: Freemasons and British Imperialism, 1717-1927" .

Bravo to Brother Stewart and to all of these brethren who have used this technology to bring these kinds of guests to a larger audience.