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Overview
Bound by religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the Knights Templar were a Military Crusading Order engaged in religious war in the Holy Land. At the end of the thirteenth century, after their withdrawal from Syria, they became the apparently innocent victims of a campaign of slander and persecution mounted against them by the French government.
The ruthless dissolution of the Knights Templar was only the beginning of a new and strange chapter in their history. They soon became the focus of numerous beliefs about their presumed occult powers, and by the eighteenth century their history had undergone a mythical metamorphosis—they figured highly in occult fantasies of magical practices and hidden knowledge as well as in the romance of the Gothic novel, with its frequent tales of monastic impropriety.
In this widely praised book, author Peter Partner elucidates the history of the Templars as well as the beliefs that have developed around them in more recent times. From the tangled traditions of occultism to concepts of crusading chivalry, from political conspiracy to governmental greed and papal corruption, Partner shows how a medieval act of political injustice grew into a modern fantasy.
Synopsis
This widely praised study of the rise and fall of the Knights Templar examines the history of the Templars and the beliefs that have developed around them. From the tangled traditions of occultism and chivalry, to the intrigue of political conspiracy, governmental greed and papal corruption, the author shows how a medieval act of political injustice grew into a modern fantasy.
The Book Reader
"A systematic examination of the Knights Templar around whom such great magical myths have arisen... Partner has created a rational, terrifying picture of the barbaric times when popes were cruel and kings killed with impunity...Excellent work."
Editorials
London Times Literary Supplement
"An excellent argumentative discussion...often original and always fascinating."The Book Reader
"A systematic examination of the Knights Templar around whom such great magical myths have arisen... Partner has created a rational, terrifying picture of the barbaric times when popes were cruel and kings killed with impunity...Excellent work."Religious Studies Review
"Illuminating and very well written...enlightening and entertaining."Mark Stavish
"Refreshing reading in light of much of Templar oriented books over the last 10 or 15 years. Well worth reading . . . clear, to the point, and supported with numerous references."Mike Gleason
"This book is well-written and informative. And, while it probably won't appeal to the New Age-style reader, it deserves a place on the bookshelves of those seriously interested in the history of this intriguing organization."Michael Gleason
"This book is well written and can easily serve as an introduction for those interested in the subject. . . . it lays a solid foundation for further reading and research."From the Publisher
"This book is well written and can easily serve as an introduction for those interested in the subject. . . . it lays a solid foundation for further reading and research."