Frankism in the Order of the Asiatic Brethren
Aaron French
Abstract
The Order of the Asiatic Brethren plays a unique role in the history of Freemasonry and the development of modern esotericism, yet the extent to which Frankism influenced the teachings of the order, as well as those of later occult groups, is not well understood or appreciated. While scholars of Judaism have researched these connections, the nature of esoteric transfers from Frankism to the Asiatic Brethren — whether they were alchemical, antinomian, or Kabbalistic — remains unclear. Scholars of modern esotericism seem especially unfamiliar with this history, although the Asiatic Brethren were an important source of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century occultism (e.g., the Hermetic Order of the Dawn). Heretical Kabbalah and aspects of Frankism undoubtedly shaped the order’s teachings, and there are important similarities between the Frankists’ project to create a universal religion and the aims of Freemasonry and contemporary esotericism. By revisiting the history of Frankism and the Asiatic Brethren and demonstrating how this connection lives on in contemporary occult groups, this article contributes to scholarship on “constructed tradition” in esotericism and situates Frankism within the history of modern occultism.
Keywords
Frankism; Judaism; Freemasonry; Kabbalism; contemporary esotericism