THE CANONBURY PAPERS VOLUME 3: Freemasonry and Religion – Many Faiths, One Brotherhood. Ed. Trevor Stewart Published by Canonbury Masonic Research Centre, London 2006. Hardback, 222 pages, £17.50 ISBN 0-9543498-2-2

Few Freemasons will be aware of the very strong influence of religion in general, and Christianity in particular, in the development of masonic rituals and underlying moral principles. The authors of the twelve chapters in the transactions of the sixth international conference held at the Canonbury Tower in London in 2004, go a very long way in addressing this rather neglected aspect of masonic history.
     Together they clearly show that theological concepts were inseparable from the origins of the Craft, particularly during the religiously turbulent 18th century.
     The spiritual universality of Freemasonry is well illustrated by papers on the intriguing similarities between the Craft and the Zoroastrian faith, the likely influence of the Kabbalah on the development of the Third Degree and even parallels between the Craft and Mormonism, which may be more than coincidence.
     ‘Is Freemasonry compatible with Christianity?’ The many Freemasons who have been confronted by this cliché question will find the chapter on Freemasonry and religion in England by John Hamill extremely informative and helpful. It is clear that the attitudes of the churches in England are not nearly as negative as the antagonists to Freemasonry within these churches like to believe. This enlightening chapter is followed by an account of the life of Geoffrey Fisher, a former Archbishop of Canterbury and an active Freemason – sure evidence for compatibility! The long-standing difficulties between the Craft and the Roman Catholic Church are clearly reviewed, ending with the open question of whether these difficulties can be resolved.
     In this context, the contribution by David McCready provides an impressive analysis of the theological content of the Emulation ritual and, in the words of the author “… seeks to show the consonance of that theology with Christian orthodoxy.”
     In the final chapter, John Acaster addresses spiritualities born of humanism and of faith by reference to British and French Freemasonry and, by asking what is the centre of a true heart, hints that they may not be diametrically opposed.
     In fine, this set of scholarly, wellselected and well-written papers portray an important and currently relevant aspect of masonic history that members of the Craft and the general public will find both fascinating and enlightening.

John Grange