It is proverbial that good things come in small packages—a holiday truth as well as a general one. As it happens, the books in this month's column are all small in size, but valuable in content. And a couple of them are hot off the press.

C. Bruce Hunter & Andrew C. Ferguson, Legacy of the Sacred Chalice: A Secret Vision Becomes a (Modern) Ritual, Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., Inc., 2001, 129 pages, illustrations. ISBN 0–88053–091–X $17.50 + shipping. Macoy Publishing, P.O. Box 9759, Richmond, VA 23228–0759 Order item number M335. VISA and MasterCard accepted; toll free number for CREDIT CARD ORDERS ONLY is 1–800–637–4640. For specific shipping charges or to order a catalog, call 804–262–6551 or fax 804–266–8256.

This little book took me by surprise. I thought almost everything had been written which could be written about the possible Knights Templar involvement with the beginnings of Masonry. I was wrong. I'm not yet completely persuaded by the book's arguments, but I am having to rethink some long-held opinions. Hunter and Ferguson build the most logical case I have seen for Templar involvement in the Battle of Bannockburn and for the alleged creation by Robert Bruce of a secret order of knighthood for them in return.

Even more intriguing is the suggestion that Chretien de Troyes' great masterpiece, Conte del Graal (Story of the Grail) written in the late 1100s, might actually be a sort of fraternal proto-ritual or teaching legend. The Conte del Graal is the source of the Grail-quest legends and stories, and few books have had so profound an impact on later culture and literature.

I'm still deciding what I think about this book, but I certainly recommend it for anyone who has an interest in the Templar stories or Masonic origin theories. It's an easy read and makes you think.

Ill. Erwin Connell Ward, 33°, The Oddities of Time, Thomson–Shore Publishers, 2001, 65 pages, ISBN 0–9712424–0–2 $8.95 + S/H. Order from Lemuria, 202 Banner Hall, Jackson, MS 39206, Tel. 1–800–366–7619; also available online at www.amazon.com.

Speaking of making you think, take a deep breath before diving into this book. Like diving into the ocean, it can reveal wonderful things, but it isn't an easy swim. The book is about the nature of time and, specifically, whether time is a universal factor. Note that in the book, the term universal is used in its literal sense of that which is tied to the universe. In other words, did time come into being when the universe did (in which case there is no "before") or does time exist independently of the universe? Most current thinking is that time is universal, but Brother Ward argues that it is not.

"And why," I hear you ask, "is that question of the slightest concern to the typical Mason?"

Essentially, if time is universal, many people believe that this eliminates the possibility of God and of creation, since there would not have been a time in which God could have existed or created. That argument has been behind most of the views on philosophy and religion of the 20th Century. If, on the other hand, time is independent of the universe, the problem disappears. Personally, I've never conceived of God as being "in" time, so I've never had a problem with this issue. Again, this isn't an easy read, but it is a very interesting book and recommended.

Arthur Edward Waite, Some Deeper Aspects of Masonic Symbolism, $5.95 + $2.00 S/H Templar Books, 1999, 43 pages, ISBN 0–9683567–5–3 Order from Templar Books www.templarbooks.com.

Most readers who encounter this author are either fascinated by Waite or regard him as a quack of the first water. I admit that, while I often strongly disagree with him, I always enjoy reading his works. This book (really an extended essay) is no exception. It isn't a new publication (Waite died in 1942), but it is interesting in that it provides an overview of Masonic symbolism.

To sweeten the deal, there is a fine introductory essay by the Reverend Joseph Fort Newton, one of my favorite writers. And there is a good essay, "Pythagorean Symbolism," by Stephen Dafoe on the symbolism of the right triangle, just to round out the contents. This would make a good last-minute stocking stuffer gift for a Masonic friend.

Jim Tresner is Director of the Masonic Leadership Institute and Editor of The Oklahoma Mason. A frequent contributor to the Scottish Rite Journal and its book review editor, Illustrious Brother Tresner is also a volunteer writer for The Oklahoma Scottish Rite Mason and a video script consultant for the National Masonic Renewal Committee. He is the Director of the Thirty-third Degree Conferral Team and Director of Work at the Guthrie Scottish Rite Temple in Guthrie, Oklahoma, as well as a Life Member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, author of Albert Pike, The Man Beyond the Monument and Vested in Glory, The Regalia of the Scottish Rite, and a member of the steering committee of the Masonic Information Center. Ill. Tresner was awarded the Grand Cross, the Scottish Rite's highest honor, during the Supreme Council's October 1997 Biennial Session.