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Morals and Dogma
- Thread starter drapetomaniac
- Start date
jwhoff
Premium Member
I have read both Morals and Dogma and the newer publication by the brothers out of north Texas. I got so interested in that one I chased the setting sun all around the yard each evening during the two-week aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Once you've gotten into Pike you can move along well enough. For the most part, his work is well worth the effort. However, I do admit there were a few chapters that were more work than worth. His work was momumental at the least.
bjdeverell
Premium Member
Yeah, the thing about Pike is his flow. Once you're used to his sentence structure and delivery you should be good to go. Especially if you're well versed in ancient religions and history. It's the same as any of the works of Manly P. Hall. They both use extremely out of date terminology that will throw you off until you get used to it. Prime example, they both call Muslims, Mohammedens. Not really a big deal, just not used today. Other than that they were two of the greatest minds we've ever had.
Frater Cliff Porter
Premium Member
Morals and Dogma is one of the best put together encyclopedic studies of comparative religion with social and political commentary that has ever been constructed.
The annotated version will be out shortly so we can actually see some of the sources for the first time, which were painstakingly translated by Pike before Babel Fish made it everyone's game, some of which included "dead" languages and archaic text of the Druze.
I do not think you can have a true understanding of the Scottish Rite if you don't read this book. If it is hard. Good. Masonry is labor, why do we want Masonry to be easy? Go for it. It will be hardwork and you will be better for it.
The annotated version will be out shortly so we can actually see some of the sources for the first time, which were painstakingly translated by Pike before Babel Fish made it everyone's game, some of which included "dead" languages and archaic text of the Druze.
I do not think you can have a true understanding of the Scottish Rite if you don't read this book. If it is hard. Good. Masonry is labor, why do we want Masonry to be easy? Go for it. It will be hardwork and you will be better for it.
Frater Cliff Porter
Premium Member
Enjoy Brother. I have made a huge study of this tome...so PM me if you run up against something...I may have run up against the same thing and sourced it, etc.
cemab4y
Premium Member
There have been some posts about the new "translation". Please see http://www.morals-and-dogma.com The text has been updated, into 21st century English. I also recommend "Commentaries on Morals and Dogma" by Henry Claussen. It is a "cliff's notes" version, and an excellent introduction into the text.
jwhoff
Premium Member
Please keep us posted on this version. I've studies many of the resources of Morals and Dogma, but not all.
I do find this the most interesting of all the aspects of Brother Pike's work. Considering all his adventures in life, including the years in the Indian territories, where did he get all the time to prowl the best libraries. He quotes from many many ancient and later works.
Oh but to get a grant to live among the volumes at the Library of Congress. With spell check and a scanner to boot!
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Jacob Johnson
Registered User
I answered the poll with "I have not", and "I hope to someday", thought to be more accurate I'd have answered "It's a part of my summer reading list". I'm at an idle on the MM degree chapter right now, so I can finish another, shorter book which is more specific to my interests (Harmonies of Heaven and Earth: Mysticism in Music from Antiquity to the Avant-Garde). That one should only take a few more days, so I plan on really hitting M&D hard this weekend, after the Reunion on Saturday.
It's not hard reading, really. It is all about understanding the rhythm and syntax that Pike uses. That should take about a chapter to get used to, if you're used to reading college texts. Also, I will agree that these LECTURES (don't forget that that's what they are) are intended to be heard aloud, and reading a bit aloud may help you "get" Pike's style. Although, that method is super slow, and once you've got the flow of the book, you can abandon it.
That said, I started reading it with a PDF. What a horrible reading experience! Dunno about you brothers, but I can't read 800 pages from a computer screen or a cell phone. Anything over a page is just painful. The good news is that a 1963 copy in good condition was only like 10 bucks, with maybe 3 bucks shipping.
It's not hard reading, really. It is all about understanding the rhythm and syntax that Pike uses. That should take about a chapter to get used to, if you're used to reading college texts. Also, I will agree that these LECTURES (don't forget that that's what they are) are intended to be heard aloud, and reading a bit aloud may help you "get" Pike's style. Although, that method is super slow, and once you've got the flow of the book, you can abandon it.
That said, I started reading it with a PDF. What a horrible reading experience! Dunno about you brothers, but I can't read 800 pages from a computer screen or a cell phone. Anything over a page is just painful. The good news is that a 1963 copy in good condition was only like 10 bucks, with maybe 3 bucks shipping.
I'm with the brother who posted above. Buy a cheap copy off Ebay.
I read through all of it as part of the Master Craftsman program. It's not required, but I found it to make the endeavor much more enriching. As you read the Ritual Monitor and Guide for each degree, I recommend reading the associated chapter in Morals and Dogma.
I read through all of it as part of the Master Craftsman program. It's not required, but I found it to make the endeavor much more enriching. As you read the Ritual Monitor and Guide for each degree, I recommend reading the associated chapter in Morals and Dogma.
Benton
Premium Member
I'm the same way. There's been a couple of times when people link long Masonic documents on these forums where, as soon as I open them, I either close them, or immediately get up and take a break, because I find it a real strain reading long documents digitally. For short spurts that I can skim, digital is great, but if I'm going to have to spend awhile looking at it (something like M&D) I'd rather read from paper.
That said, I haven't read M&D. Waiting until I go through the SR degrees, so it'll be more immediately relevant and hopefully make more sense.