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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Folger's "Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in Thirty-Three Degrees"

Cornerstone Book Publishers has released a new reprint of Robert B. Folger's 1862 The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in Thirty-Three Degrees, with a new introduction by Michael Poll. This 814-page work came five years after Albert Pike's first attempts at rewriting the degree rituals ("The Magnum Opus") that were rejected by the Supreme Council, and provides Folger's version of the history of the degrees, complete with 400 pages of supporting documents.

Folger was involved with the Cerneau Rite, and his work was, and still is, considered controversial. Twice he was expelled from Freemasonry by the Grand Lodge of New York, and at various times had his hand in at least six clandestine Scottish Rite Supreme Councils—yet he was reinstated and died a Mason in good standing. This volume is invaluable in understanding the evolution of the degrees of the Scottish Rite before and after Pike.

Pre-order the book here.

See also Brent Morris' and Art De Hoyos' recent work, Committed To The Flames, a translation of Folger's encrypted Rectified Rite degree rituals.

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