World Conference on Fraternalism, Freemasonry, and History: Paris 2015

World Conference on Fraternalism, Freemasonry, and History: 
Research in Ritual, Secrecy, and Civil Society 

The Bibliotheque Nationale- Paris, France 

May 29-30, 2015 


Convened by the journal Ritual, Secrecy, and Civil Society in cooperation with the Bibliotheque Nationale, the first World Conference on Fraternalism, Freemasonry, and History: Research in Ritual, Secrecy, and Civil Society, focuses on the study of ritual, secrecy, and civil society vis-à-vis the dynamics of Masonic scholarship around the world. The conference aims to explore how civil society, secrecy, and ritual have been important elements during different episodes of local and world histories, and indeed still are.

The conference will be held bi-annually in Paris, and hopes to open new doors while promoting multilingual and multicultural scholarship in areas such as, the relations between such Masonic-related subjects as the Companionnage, guilds, friendly societies, and Greek fraternities.

The call for papers is now open, and perspectives on and interpretations of all time periods and geographic zones are welcome. Paper and panel proposals should be submitted to Whitney Shepard, Registrar of the Conference, at wshepard@ipsonet.org. Papers accepted for presentation will be published by Westphalia Press in three collections: Vital Masonic Scholarship in the 21st Century, New Research in Secret Societies, and European Scholarship in Secrecy and Ritualism. Additionally, some presentations will be made available for online streaming and video recorded through the American Public University System.

Conference Committee: Guillermo De Los Reyes (Conference Chair- University of Houston), Paul Rich (George Mason University), Daniel Guiterrez-Sandoval (Policy Studies Organization), Pierre Mollier (Editor, Ritual, Secrecy, and Civil Society), Maria Eugenia Vazquez-Semadeni (University of California, Los Angeles), Brent Morris (Scottish Rite Supreme Council), John Belton (Manchester Association of Masonic Research)

Keynote Address by John Cooper, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of California, President of the North American Conference of Grand Masters- Into the Maelstrom: The Issue of Masonic Regularity, Past and Present Commentator: Alain Bauer
Chair: Guiillermo De Los Reyes

Conference Website

Call for Papers

Thanks to John Slifko, and the Policy Studies Organization.

At a Perpetual Distance: Universal Freemasonry and Its Historical Divisions - Conference 2014

At a Perpetual Distance: Universal Freemasonry and Its Historical Divisions" An International Public Conference 
March 23, 2014, 2:00 to 5:00 P. M. (PST) 

Roosevelt Center for the
Study of Civil Society and Freemasonry
Los Angeles, California

Keynote Speaker:
Professor Cécile Révauger, University of Bordeaux 
Distinguished Speaker: 
Dr. John Cooper, Grand Master Grand Lodge of California, 2014
Distinguished Speaker:
Dr. Roger Dachez, President Masonic Institute of France 

Although Freemasonry prides itself as being universal, it is divided along historic cultural lines based on sex, religion, and - in some cases - ethnicity and race. This conference will examine the uniqueness of these streams of Freemasonry, as well as what they have in common. 

•Are the divisions of Freemasonry into a male-only fraternity, a female-only fraternity, and a mixed gender fraternity helpful or harmful to its universality?
•Is it possible for a form of Freemasonry which requires a belief in a Supreme Being as a condition of membership to be compatible with a form of Freemasonry which has no such requirement?
•Have historic forms of Freemasonry which originated as a result of racial distinctions, such as Prince Hall Freemasonry, make a positive contribution to the universality of Freemasonry?
•Can there be an organizational framework within which all expressions of Freemasonry work in harmony?

Liberal Arts Lodge Building
2244 Westwood Boulevard 
Los Angeles, California 
90060

Inquiries may be sent to:
Info@therooseveltcenter.org