- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Saint Austin Press; 3rd Revised edition edition (1 May 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1901157709
- ISBN-13: 978-1901157703
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 13 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 757,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
Product Description
Synopsis
Is being a Freemason compatible with one's duty to God as a practising Christian? That is the question which the Rev. Walton Hannah, then a Church of England clergyman (but later a Catholic priest), set himself to answer with the publication of his Darkness Visible in 1952. Over 45 years later, this classic is now in its 17th impression, and is as popular as ever. Hannah wrote this book to prove his conviction that for a religious or quasi-religious organisation such as Freemasonry to offer prayers and worship to God from which the name of Jesus Christ has been deliberately excluded represents the abandonment of the Christian faith which many of its members nevertheless profess to uphold. No intelligent answer to his case has ever been made. Darkness Visible has been continuously in print since 1952. It includes the entire and authentic texts of the Masonic ritual of the first three degrees and of the Royal Arch. The accuracy of these has never been questioned, and was confirmed to a special Working Group of the Synod of the Church of England in 1987 by Commander Higham, Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England. In 1983 Stephen Knight's informative, wide-ranging and best-selling critique of Freemasonry, The Brotherhood, devoted a number of pages to Hannah's book which, he said, "alone deals conclusively with the matter of whether or not Masonry is a religion".
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
This book is conveniently split into two halves. The first part contains Rev Hannah's opinions why a Christian cannot be a Freemason. Well, he was entitled to his views but many Vicars, Bishops, and other Churchmen have no difficulty being "On the Square" and even some Roman Catholic clergy, as Hannah himself became, are secretly Freemasons as their church, NOT The Craft, would bar them. The second half of "Darkness Visible" is first class, an accurate description of Masonic Ritual free of the sensationalism and false embelishments of both earlier and later books on this subjects such as the ridiculous and inaccurate "The Brotherhood". I commend "Darkness Visible" to both Brethren and non-Masons wishing to make a serious study of The Craft but take the authors adverse opinions and theological reasoning under advisement!
9 of 13 people found the following review helpful
I bought this book to educate myself which i have. its bias is unfortunate and the bigotry not very sensible. the author admits his antagonism at the start, but then he is cleric and should know better, if he were not so narrow minded.
the non mason may find this interesting because it provides the basic ritual, albeit the 1950 version which is now out of date and has changed somewhat.
anybody who wants to believe that masons are wicked will be encouraged, those with an open mind may find its symbolism attractive. happy to discuss with any reader.
9 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Having read "Darkness Visible" by Rev Walton Hannah, a former ordained Anglican priest who deserted that Church for Roman Catholicism, I have to say it is "good in parts" like the Curate's Egg, rather apt given Hannah's profession.
The accuracy of the Masonic Rituals is first class, indeed many Freemasons actually buy this book as an aid to learning their words and understanding more about The Craft. As to Rev Hannah's opinions, well, we all have an opinion and I feel his are shaped by his Romanist viewpoint. I personally feel that there are more incompatible issues between Christianity and Roman Catholicism than between Christianity and Freemasonry but do not feel the need to write a book on this nor do I condemn RCs who genuinely believe in and practice their faith. Masons do a great deal of good behind the scenes for those less fortunate both in the UK and abroad. So in fine, "Darkness Visible" 5 stars for accuracy of ritual with no invention, 5 "rasberries" for its subjective and biased opinions.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Only half the story
Ground-breaking, serious, intelligent, and an excellent read, but probably wrong. The assertion that it has never been intelligently answered is incorrect. Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2006 by pjs
A mixed bag
I have read this book and bought it again for a Masonic Friend. There are two parts to Walton Hannah's great work. Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2000
Are Christianity and freemasonry compatible?
Hannah's first book is a classic, for which he personally paid a high price. It exploded the myth that a Christian can be a freemason with any integrity, by quoting the main craft... Read more
Published on 5 Aug 1999
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
