Brief History of Secret Societies The Hidden Powers of Clandestine Organizations and Elites from the Ancient World to the Present Day

Throughout history there have been societies of closed membership and covert purpose. In this comprehensive work, David Barrett explores these movements from their roots in the carliest civilizations to the present day. Marked by carefully graded and progressive teachings leading to hidden and unique truths, access only for selected individuals, and the practice of rituals of which nonmembers are not privy, these societies--from the Knights Templar and the Gnostics to the Cathars, Rosicrucians, and Freemasons--promise the initiated a realm of personal benefits beyond their reach, and even their comprehension. Barrett unlocks the ancient widsom of the Mediterranean civilizations, which formed the basis of many groups and whose tenets, principles, and esoteric religious beliefs surfaced in medieval times, and describes in detail how they survive in secret societies today.Barrett, David V. is the author of 'Brief History of Secret Societies The Hidden Powers of Clandestine Organizations and Elites from the Ancient World to the Present Day', published 2007 under ISBN 9780786719839 and ISBN 0786719834.