MAGI Reviews

MAGI launched three months ago, with a lofty vision for our work. Since 1982 and the publication of The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, hundreds of bookshave been published about Freemasonry… not counting others that discuss subjects which have come to be associated with the Craft, such as the Knights Templar, Rosslyn Chapel, and the Illuminati. These sensationalist publications and productions are a modern phenomena. For over 300 years much has been written about Freemasonry, but it was mainly done so by Freemasons for Freemasons, or by their critics.Today, Freemasonry, as an institution, finds itself in a most curious position: non-Masons are writing about it, and the principal customers for most of these unreliable books are Freemasons. It is now apparent that because Freemasonry does not defend or promote itself in the publishing world, or on the internet, writers are free to produce anything they wish about the Craft.As a result, Freemasons’ own research about their fraternity is distorted by publications, videos, and websites that are produced by non-Masons, anti-Masons, and assorted lunatics. Unfortunately, Masonic organizations often give these products equal standing with academic-quality publications, simply because there is no way to tell the difference.It is for this reason that we created a professional guild for those who research, write, edit, and publish materials related to Freemasonry. Membership is by invitation only, and offered only to those who meet or exceed the guild’s standards, which are modeled on those of professional associations and journals like the Organization of American Historians or The Journal of Scottish History.Did MAGI achieve its aims? Do listeners find our podcasts interesting? What will be in season two? There’s only one way to find out!