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‘Two approaches to freemasonry’ explains that the view of freemasonry is characterized by two main approaches: idealization and distrust. It outlines two very opposed, but representative images of freemasonry. One idealizes the fraternity and its values, their impact upon introverted personal development and extroverted charity. The other, as in popular perception and governmental policies, is critical of secrecy, seeing it as a danger for society and transparency. A basic chronology is provided to place the themes of subsequent chapters within time and space. Religious and philosophical ideas in the Western tradition that have shaped the worldview of freemasonry are outlined, with an overview of the history and practices of freemasonry. ...Less

When freemasonry entered the 18th century, a new layer of ideas was added. The brotherhood associated itself and was associated with science in general and with the new culture of Newtonian experimental science in particular. ‘Enlightenment foundations’ explains that during the first phase of its modern existence, there was considerable overlap between scientific culture and freemasonry. Freemasonry is saturated with key Enlightenment concepts such as progress, perfectibility, and cosmopolitanism. The 1723 The Constitutions of the Freemasons is discussed along with the continued requirement for secrecy as well as how philanthropy, charity, and cosmopolitanism are also major elements of masonic thought. ...Less

The Bible has had a huge impact on European culture. The evidence for this is examined in ‘The Bible in High and Popular Culture’. With reference to the retelling of biblical stories in music, its impact on major works of classical music from Bach to Britten is clear and the Bible has been one of the most important influences on western music. Art too, from the Renaissance and before, has been hugely influenced by biblical themes. Such themes are also taken up in metaphor and symbol, not just in art or music, but in literature too. ...Less

The Introduction explains that like all popular music styles, the best country music balances the personal with the commercial; it is both nostalgic and progressive, reflecting earlier influences while rejecting their limitations; and ultimately it is expressive of our cultural values—both the laudable and the lamented. Country music is the most “popular” of all musical styles in terms of sheer numbers. While it rises to the surface of America’s consciousness occasionally, it is country’s deep-rooted, almost subterranean, nature that has made it in many ways America’s most profound indigenous pop music. It is a music of timeless themes, telling stories of love gone wrong and families torn asunder. ...Less

There is no coherent ideology or doctrine of freemasonry, but the fraternity is characterized by a considerable conceptual inclusiveness promoting an ethics of action and all brotherhoods aim to promote processes of real and imagined community building, establishing bonds between individuals and across nations and epochs in historical time. Throughout the centuries, freemasonry has absorbed concepts of the past as much as of contemporary times. Thus a unique eclectic mix has been established embracing central ingredients of Western thought and appearing in multiple layers. ‘Historical legacies’ describes how ideas from the medieval craft guilds and Order of the Knights Templar to the Reformation and Renaissance period have been incorporated. ...Less

Starting with early negative treatment in the press, freemasonry became the object of public persecution by governmental and church authorities across Europe—persecution that peaked with the first papal ban in 1738 (a ban that was renewed a number of times). However, the brotherhood was first seriously exposed to governmental regulation when the alleged contribution of freemasonry to the French Revolution was formulated as an element in widespread political conspiracy theories. ‘Perceptions, prejudices, and persecutions’ outlines the relationship of freemasonry with the press; the history of regulation and suppression through the 19th and 20th centuries; and describes the modern conspiracy myth that perpetuates with freemasonry. ...Less

Was the Reformation the mother of modernity? ‘Legacy’ looks at the long-term consequences of the Reformation. The Weberian idea of a link between Protestantism, progress and secularization is flawed due to the lack of necessary connection between them. Scientific progress took place in Catholic lands too, and Christian fundamentalism has its roots in the certainties of the Reformation. The legacy of the Reformation is in many ways the inverse of its goals. Pluralism was an unintended result of the attempt at uniformity, and the secular state emerged from the failure to create a single religious ideal. Religion became a discrete part of society, not its basic structure and grammar. ...Less

‘Popular geopolitics’ considers the interconnection between popular culture and geopolitics. It focuses on the sensorial nature of popular geopolitics—the power and politics of images and sound. Social media in particular reminds us that images and stories can amplify and exaggerate the controversial and emotive qualities of geopolitics. Film and television have been judged to be significant interventions in the making of geopolitical cultures. While established media forms such as newspapers, television, and radio remain highly significant in producing and circulating news worldwide, it is new media forms such as the internet and social media practices, such as blogging and podcasting, which will command increasing attention from those interested in popular geopolitics. ...Less

‘Three centuries of freemasonry’ explores each century of freemasonry history, highlighting key events and trends. It begins in the late 1710s when freemasonry emerged as a specialized form of voluntary and self-organized sociability within the associational world of urban London. Founded on previous traditions of medieval stonemasons, modern freemasonry evolved its spiritual message, rituals, and organizational forms to fit the new age of Enlightenment and scientific culture. After the French Revolution, freemasonry faced a serious crisis throughout Europe but was revived in France at the turn of the 19th century by Napoleon. The impact of the two world wars is described, and challenges facing freemasonry at the start of the 21st century. ...Less

The Beats were very popular during the 1950s and 1960s, their fame exceeding their size. ‘The Beats and popular culture’ examines how we have come to our image of the Beat Generation today and tries to dispel some of the myths. Most of our impressions come from cinema or TV. The Beat look changed over the years. Some Beats grew scruffier, others became more clean cut. Although the Beats will always be associated with Greenwich Village, they didn't spend much time there. One of the Beat's key inspirations was the rise of modern jazz. ...Less