In the original dust cover. Red cloth binding with gilt title on the spine. Dust cover worn.

We provide an in-depth photographic presentation of this item to stimulate your feeling and touch. More traditional book descriptions are immediately available

• Note: This book carries a £5.00 discount to those that subscribe to the F.B.A. mailing list

First Edition. Very good cloth copy in a good if somewhat edge-torn (with some loss) and dust-dulled dust-wrapper. Remains quite well-preserved overall. Physical description; 222 p. 23 cm. Notes; Includes index. Subjects; Freemasonry. Freemasonry Religious aspects Christianity. Freemasonry Christian viewpoints.

Christian by Degrees: Masonic Religion Revealed in the Light of Faith by Walton Hannah (Augustine Press, 1954/1956) is a critical examination of Freemasonry’s religious nature. It argues that Masonic ritual is inherently anti-Christian and acts as a separate, Gnostic religion, arguing that it is incompatible with Christian theology and membership. 

Key Aspects of the Book:

• Theological Argument: Hannah, a priest, argued that the “higher” Masonic degrees are closer to early Gnostic mystery cults than to traditional Christianity, challenging claims that Masonry is merely an ethical, pro-Christian organization.
• Context: The book arose from debates about whether Freemasonry could be compatible with Anglicanism.
• Reception: It is considered a rare, highly influential, and critical work within the field of Masonic studies, providing detailed insights into the ritual.
• Publication Note: While often cited in editions from the mid-1950s, it is also found in later reprints and editions (e.g., 1954, 1964). 
• www.chiltonbooks.online +6

Category: MASONIC – Chilton Books

Christian By Degrees. Masonic Religion Revealed in the Light of Faith. By: HANNAH, Walton. … 1st ed. The author argues that Maso…

William Walton Thomson Hannah (9 October 1912 – 26 February 1966) was an English priest from Forest Row, Sussex. Originally an Anglican priest, he later became a Roman Catholic priest. He was the author of the controversial book Darkness Visible about Freemasonry.

In January 1951, Hannah wrote an article, “Should a Christian be a Freemason?”, in Theology, a magazine produced by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. This was controversial, as both the King and Geoffrey Fisher, the Archbishop of Canterbury, were Freemasons, as were many Anglican clerics. The Church of England Assembly discussed the subject in June 1951, although there was no substantive conclusion.

Darkness Visible was published in 1952. He later published Christian by Degrees, left England for Canada and became a Roman Catholic priest.

Hannah earned his M.A. from the University of Edinburgh in 1934. He died in Montreal in 1966.