‘A Sufi Perspective of Freemasonry’

    

This month’s lecture at the Livingston Library will approach Freemasonry from an under appreciated direction: Sufism.

Sufis, according to the great F.E. Peters, one of my favorite professors in my university days, “prefer the knowledge that comes by inspiration, to the exclusion of that acquired by study. Again, they desire neither to study such learning nor to learn anything of what authors have written on the subject; to inspect neither their teachings nor their arguments. They maintain on the contrary that the ‘way’ consists in preferring spiritual combat, in getting rid of one’s faults, in breaking one’s ties and approaching God Most High through a single-minded spiritual effort. And every time those conditions are fulfilled, God for His part turns toward the heart of His servant and guarantees him an illumination by the lights of understanding.”

From the publicity:

A Sufi Perspective

of Freemasonry:

The Bektashi Order

of Dervishes

by Nazmi Mete Talimcioglu

Thursday, November 30

7:30 p.m.

Masonic Hall, Jacobean Room

RSVP here

This talk will be a high-end discussion of Sufism and, in particular, the Bektashi Order of Dervishes, its brief history and organizational structure, and the common elements of its belief system with respect to Freemasonry.

Mete Talimcioglu

R∴W∴ Mete Talimcioglu has been a Freemason since 1995, he founded Anatolia Lodge 1183 and was the first Master of the lodge. Mete was also the Assistant Grand Lecturer of his district. He served the Scottish Rite Valley of New York City, having presided over all four bodies, and received both the Meritorious Service Award and the 33°, and served as Deputy’s Representative from 2011 to 2020. Brother Talimcioglu also served in high leadership positions in Royal Arch Masonry and the Cryptic Rite.