Is The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown an Accurate Depiction of Freemasonry?

Writer Dan Brown exploded into the literary scene with The Da Vinci Code. That book, with its story line based around events involving the Catholic Church, caused discussions and debate worldwide. Millions of copies were sold.

His most recent book, The Lost Symbol, is set in Washington, D.C. The story line of this book is based on Masonry, and a treasure of knowledge that was supposedly lost by the Freemasons. This is a novel-a work of fiction. However, many of its readers have been taking it literally. As it describes many locations, organizations, etc. that exist in real life, they assume that everything written about the freemasons is fact. This raises the question: How can readers distinguish between the factual descriptions of masonry and the fictional elements?

To find the answer to this question, I read the book, researched Freemasonry, and then spoke with active Masons. Here's what I found out.

If in doubt, go to the source. Don't trust The Lost Symbol. Dan Brown is not a Mason. Talk to a Mason. Despite all of the rumours that they are a "secret society" or that there are many secret members, Masons are usually encouraged to discuss their participation in Masonry. As a Mason told me, "Freemasonry is not a secret society. It is a fraternal society with secrets." If you don't know who to talk to in person, there are plenty of reliable resources.

Always remember that the internet is full of information, and some of it is even true. To find information on the internet, look up a Grand Lodge. Every state in the U.S. has one; in the UK, the Grand Lodge is the UGLE. Their website is very user friendly and full of information. No matter how you contact them, all of the Grand Lodges will have information for non-members, and many of them have libraries that are open to the public. If you prefer traditional printed media, I recommend Freemasons for Dummies, by Chris Hodapp, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry, by Brent Morris (current Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge of Research, London).

Despite how readily available information is, many people are still apprehensive about the Freemasons. If you read the book, don't take everything at face value. Look it up. For example, the book gives the impression that Freemasonry is unified world-wide. This simply isn't true. There is no central ruling or organizational body of Freemasonry. Also, although there are lots of Masonic symbols and images in Washington D.C., it is pretty obviously a construct of the novel that the entire city was built as a home to the ultimate secret of Freemasonry. The premise of The Lost Symbol is that masonry guards a powerful secret, hidden through a series of symbolic clues. Obviously Freemasonry is not really just an ancient secret society designed to protect a hidden message. However, if the world were to learn something important from the freemasons, what would it be? In an active Mason's words, "That we're dedicated to improving the individual and thereby mankind." You do get a glimpse of this in the novel, but it is only a hint of how involved masons really are with charity. (An extra piece of information for you: the Shriners, famous for their charitable work, are all Masons.)

In the novel, Freemasonry is described as a secular organization, and yet throughout the novel it becomes increasingly involved with religious themes and concerns, particularly The Bible and the relationship between God (or deity by any name) and man. In real life, there are active Masons who belong to a number of different religions (or none at all). Is there a relationship between masonry and religion? Does the Masonic emphasis on morality help to enrich a man's spiritual and moral life regardless of which religious faith they adhere to?

To put it simply, yes. Masonry is not a religion. However, it is based on morality and faith. Members are required to believe in deity, no matter what name they adhere to it. When they join, they swear an oath on a holy book (similar to in court), but they have their choice of which book to use (the Bible, Koran, etc.). Members testify that their membership has helped them to be better, more thoughtful people.

Just like I felt that the "revelation" in The Da Vinci Code was a let-down, I felt like the discovery in The Lost Symbol was anticlimactic. The discoveries using noetics were interesting, but there were no big secrets revealed from the mason's fictional secret that aren't already being openly taught by people in real life.

Using Freemasonry as a vehicle for the novel makes for a book that will intrigue lots of people, and the plot keeps up a quick tempo full of dramatic moments. Just remember that it is a novel, not a work of non-fiction. Many of the descriptions of freemasonry are accurate, and Langdon's attitude towards Masonry is very respectful, but not everything is true, and not all of the true things are taken in context. So enjoy the book, but remember that it's just a book.