Martinism and Freemasonry, a flirt from the Belle Époque

There are polysemous words which create many confusions. Roger Dachez, Freemasonry historian, tries to define in this presentation what is "Martinism", we is meant by "Martinism" and the ambiguous relations that Martinism and Freemasonry have always had.
- What continuity do we observe between saint-martinian ideas (Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin), martinezist (his master: Martinès de Pasqually) and those of their "spreader" Gérard Encausse, Papus, creator of the Martinist Order  a century later?

- - What means to "be a martinist"?  Is it having read all the works of the unknown Philosopher? To practice Martines de Pasqually's theurgy? Or simply to be a Freemason working in the Scottish Rectified Rite?

"It is in good taste, nowadays, to have on the occultist movement of the 19th century a haughty vision and vaguely despising" precises the author, but it is important if we want to understand this time, to replace this movement in its historical context. Occultists were the only intellectuals seeking a "third way", trapped in a pincer movement by a positivist society on one side, or the triumphant science evicts every form of religious debate and on the other side a catholic church, getting old and ossified, which after six revolutions, "doesn't realize it still exists".

Christian theosophy, which three pillars are Jakob Böhme (17th century), Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin(18th century) and Jean-Baptiste Willermoz (19th century), has never been so flourishing in its whole history.  The history of organizations which joined its ideas is complex, and thanks to searchers like Roger Dachez, it has never been as well known as it is know: this 65-minutes presentation is addressed to every "Men of Desire" wishing to takes things in consideration between legend and reality.










A conference organized by the Librairie de la Table d'Hermes (Toulon)