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Freemasonry and Ritual in South Africa

Dissertation (MTh)--University of Pretoria, 2019.

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Other Authors: Beyers, Jaco
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2019
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Beyers, Jaco
author_browse Beyers, Jaco
author_facet Beyers, Jaco
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MTh)--University of Pretoria, 2019.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:31.522Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/71375 Freemasonry and Ritual in South Africa Beyers, Jaco claudio@platteland.live De Jonge, Claudio Joel UCTD Ritual Studies Phenomenology Irish Freemasonry Religion/Religiosity Sociology Theology theses SDG-04 Theology theses SDG-10 Theology theses SDG-16 Dissertation (MTh)--University of Pretoria, 2019. This study discusses key concepts and definitions in the fields of practical theology, ritual studies and phenomenology with a focus on understanding religion, especially in South Africa, as an anthropological discourse concerning every facet of life often with far reaching implications. The study also includes a practical example of this value and definition of religion through a brief iconographic study of the Amarna letters, the Akhetaten stelae and religious reform in Egypt during 1390-1352 BCE and the occurrence of the ‘outstretched hand/arm’ in key texts in Exodus 6:6 and 7:1. This highlights the social projection theory of religion and its impact on material religion in the Ancient Near East over time. This serves as part of the precursor discussion to a more specific focus on two Freemason rituals as expounded by McDade & Tonkin (2013) in “My Handbook and Rituals”. This is the prescribed handbook given to members and is used for the training and proper functioning of the rituals and other Freemason matters of the Irish Constitution of Freemasonry in South Africa. This study takes an interdisciplinary approach to the question of ritual and religion in order to bridge the gap between social groups through a holistic understanding of the ‘others’ symbols drawing on the work and methods of Richard Osmer, Ronald Grimes and Victor Turner among others. The study also observes the corporate structure and highlights key developments and identification of the history of Freemasonry in three parts, namely; legendary, documented and undocumented history. Through a consideration of the ritual phenomena and symbolic understanding within the first two ritual degrees of Freemasonry (Entered Apprentice Degree, Degree of Fellow Craft), aided by a deeper sociological and psychological understanding of normative social structures, the veil of perceived secrecy may be lifted. This study may serve as further example of the value of objective, interdisciplinary research which does not rely on theologically comparative methods. Rather, a model may be developed by which to better study phenomenology of religion, rituals and ‘normative’ social structures. ae2025 Science of Religion and Missiology MTh Unrestricted SDG-04: Quality education SDG-10: Reduced inequalities SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions 2019-09-17T08:39:27Z 2019-09-17T08:39:27Z 2019 2019 Dissertation De Jonge, CJ 2019, Freemasonry and Ritual in South Africa, MTh Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/71375> S2019 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/71375 en © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Ritual Studies
Phenomenology
Irish Freemasonry
Religion/Religiosity
Sociology
Theology theses SDG-04
Theology theses SDG-10
Theology theses SDG-16
Freemasonry and Ritual in South Africa
title Freemasonry and Ritual in South Africa
title_full Freemasonry and Ritual in South Africa
title_fullStr Freemasonry and Ritual in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Freemasonry and Ritual in South Africa
title_short Freemasonry and Ritual in South Africa
title_sort freemasonry and ritual in south africa
topic UCTD
Ritual Studies
Phenomenology
Irish Freemasonry
Religion/Religiosity
Sociology
Theology theses SDG-04
Theology theses SDG-10
Theology theses SDG-16
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/71375