Brought to Light Contemporary Freemasonry, Meaning, and Society [Paperback]

Secret societies are becoming increasingly controversialthrust into public awareness by popular books, films, the Internet, and a host of recent documentaries. In academia, this exposure finds a parallel in the proliferation of research, institutes, and conferences. Yet the media depictions tend to be caricatures, a playing to pervasive stereotypes for public consumption, while the academic stress historical and philological matters. Indeed, to the extent a sociological focus exists, it largely emphasizes the roles these groups played in social history. And for the societies members themselves, there has been a paucity of work on the contemporary meaning of these groupsa neglect made mystifying by the vast social changes that have taken place over the past century. In this study, and for the first time by any scholar, Kenney moves beyond history and applies the methods and theoretical tools of contemporary sociology to study the lived world of freemasons in todays society.

To provide a clear portrait of the patterned experiences of contemporary freemasons and the issues faced by the Craft today, Kenney draws on qualitative data from three primary sources: (1) extensive interviews with 121 contemporary freemasons in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia; (2) video footage shot for a feature film on contemporary freemasonry; and (3) his observations and experiences in nearly fifteen years as a freemason.Brought to Lightprovides a highly original contribution to sociology, Masonic scholarship, and the social sciences generally.

``Freemasonry has provoked reactions varying from fascination and curiosity to shock and anxiety ever since it became popular in the early eighteenth century. While there have been many historical studies, Scott Kenney's enthralling and groundbreaking book offers for the first time a detailed sociological analysis of contemporary Freemasonry. The book is packed with memorable first-hand insights into the reaction of individual FrlS.