Schism: The Battle that Forged Freemasonry Paperback – January 7, 2013

Schism examines the creation of the Antients Grand Lodge and traces the influence of Ireland, the London Irish, and especially Laurence Dermott, the Antients' Grand Secretary, in the development of Freemasonry in the second half of the eighteenth century.  Berman demonstrates the greater accessibility of Antients Freemasonry and contrasts this with the relative exclusivity of the 'Moderns', the original Grand Lodge of England. Schism replaces dated Masonic histories of Irish and Antients Freemasonry, contributes to a better understanding of the London Irish in the long eighteenth century, and perhaps most importantly, offers a Masonic prism through which England's calamitous relationship with Ireland can be explored. Read more