A Bridge to Light by Rex R. Hutchens

For many Freemasons, especially Scottish Rite Freemasons of the Southern Jurisdiction, the former book issued to Scottish Rite Masons,Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike seems outdated, cumbersome and difficult to read. Pike’s Victorian style of writing, language and copious use of references to the cultures and religions of ancient societies may make his book seem (to some readers) like intellectual overkill.
Today every Scottish Rite Mason of the Southern Jurisdiction receives A Bridge to Light by Dr. Rex R. Hutchens 33° GC. This excellent piece of work is more of an abridged version of Pike’s Morals and Dogma and a must read for every Scottish Rite Mason.

In this book Hutchens breaks down each of the Scottish Rite degrees and in a simple and readable fashion communicates the tenets, symbolism, philosophy, duties and questions for reflection of each of the degrees. Hutchens’ explanation of Scottish Rite philosophy is more concise than Pike and more comprehendible to much of the readers of today.

Complete with regalia illustrations and relative imagery, Hutchens has taken the vast amount of Scottish Rite philosophy as communicated in the degrees and has produced a valuable piece of work without which the elements of Scottish Rite philosophy might have been subject to not only years of misinterpretation, but possibly complete neglect.

However, if you wish to jump in with both feet and endeavor to readMorals and Dogma, then I suggest you have by your side A Glossary of Morals and Dogma also by Hutchens and The Bible in Morals and Dogmaby Hutchens and Donald Monson 33°.

Review by John A. Nichols