Knight of the East and West
Knight of the East and West is the seventeenth degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. Charles T. McClenachan's 1885 book treats it as the beginning of a philosophical series leading into the eighteenth degree, Rose Croix. Its subject is the inward Temple, expressed through biblical visions, moral instruction and the search for religious truth.[1]
A change of setting
The preceding degrees concern the building and rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem. Here McClenachan introduces a figurative Temple within the human heart. His preliminary explanation states that the seventeenth degree prepares material whose fuller treatment belongs to the Rose Croix degree.[2]
The imagery draws extensively on the Book of Revelation, including the seven churches, a sealed book and the contrast between light and darkness. McClenachan also brings John the Baptist and his disciples into his account. These biblical figures and images form a symbolic composition within the degree.[3]
Moral and religious interpretation
The moral instruction includes truthful dealing, care for the poor and fair treatment of strangers. It condemns slander and hatred, while asking for prudence and fidelity in one's dealings with others. McClenachan's discussion of the insignia insists that honourable titles require honourable conduct.[4]
Light is used as an image of understanding and the removal of ignorance. The concluding lecture introduces the study of religious and philosophical traditions, with the expectation that meaning may be expressed through several layers of allegory. These are McClenachan's explanations of the degree's purpose.[5]
Legend and historical context
McClenachan includes a story connecting the degree with medieval crusading knights. It forms part of the book's traditional explanation of the title; it does not establish a medieval origin for this Masonic degree. The Southern Jurisdiction's historical account locates the development of Scottish high-degree Masonry in the eighteenth century.[6][7]
The Supreme Council for Australia describes the seventeenth degree as philosophical preparation for the eighteenth.[8] McClenachan groups the two in a Rose Croix Chapter, as the modern Northern Masonic Jurisdiction also does.[9][10]
Related pages
Overview of degrees 4° to 17° · Previous: 16° Prince of Jerusalem · Next: 18° Rose Croix
References
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), pp. 213, 220, 240-241. Digitised copy.
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), pp. 213, 220. Digitised copy.
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), pp. 221-224, 229-230, 239-240. Digitised copy.
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), pp. 228-229, 235, 237-238. Digitised copy.
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), pp. 232, 240-241. Digitised copy.
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), pp. 220. Digitised copy.
- ↑ Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, History of the Rite. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Supreme Council for Australia, AASR Degrees. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), pp. 10, 213. Digitised copy.
- ↑ Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, Our Degrees. Accessed 23 September 2026.