Review- The Masonic Myth by Jay Kinney

Truth Behind the Symbols, Secret Rites, and History of Freemasonry

Oct 17, 2009

Author Jay Kinney explains the history behind Freemasonry, attempting to debunk the conspiracy theories and reveal the truth behind the sometimes mysterious organization.

Author Jay Kinney has published what is bound to become a popular book, releasing in sync with The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. Dan Brown's new book is filled with conspiracy theories and secret symbols involving the Masons. Jay Kinney has purported to reveal those secrets and tell the truth about the Freemasons in his current book: The Masonic Myth: Unlocking the Truth About the Symbols, the Secret Rites, and the History of Freemasonry.

The History of the Freemasons

Jay Kinney himself admits that the actual origins of Freemasonry are shrouded in mystery. It is most likely, though, that they developed from a guild of masons in the Middle Ages to a gentleman's club interested in scientific inquiry and brotherhood in the 1700's. The more outlandish aspects and stories of the history, Jay Kinney dismisses. Among them, tales of Egyptian origins, a history going back to Noah, and an association with the Knights Templar. To support his premise of a more "modern" history, the author lists both the dates and places that early Freemason Lodges opened- most in the 1700's and continuing up to today.

Why is Freemasonry So Attractive to Conspiracy Theorists?

Author Jay Kinney admits that Freemasonry has been at the center- or at the edge- of many conspiracy theories throughout the years. He attributes it to two things:

The Secret Symbols and Rites of the Freemasons

In exhaustive detail- and using a somewhat dry writing style- Jay Kinney takes the reader through some of the "secret" rites. He explains the meaning of the 33rd degree, which turns into a boring tale at the hands of the author. He runs through the basic ritual that a new mason goes through when graduating the three degrees, including pictures for the reader who might be confused. The author admits, though, that he doesn't reveal anything that is meant to be kept secret. This doesn't so much make the reader more curious, as would be expected, but relieved that there isn't any more to be read of dry rituals that mean little to nothing with the pomp, circumstance, and secret information stripped away.

About the Author

Jay Kinney's primary qualification to write this book is his own experience in the Freemasons. He is a member of the New York Rite and a 32nd degree KCCH in the Scottish Rite. In addition, his position as librarian and director of research for the San Francisco Scottish Rite gives him unique access to books and persons familiar with both the history and current meaning of the Freemasons. In that past, he spent fifteen years as editor-in-chief of Gnosis, a journal dedicated to spiritual paths and esoteric- understood only by those of a certain group- traditions.

The back cover of the book promises that "the truth is far more compelling than the stories." If so, that truth isn't revealed in this book. While the history of the Freemasons is interesting and keeps the reader moving through the book, the rest of the book is filled with dry ritual and secret meanings that really aren't "secret." Author Jay Kinney spoke with Robert Siegel in an interview for NPR radio. Mr. Kinney's own summation of the group perhaps also summarized the book best: "It's largely, at this point, a social organization that people enjoy each other's company," he says. "But there isn't discussion of power politics or how we're going to run the universe."

The copyright of the article Review- The Masonic Myth by Jay Kinney in History/Philosophy Books is owned by Jennifer Landsberger. Permission to republish Review- The Masonic Myth by Jay Kinney in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.