Companions, whence come ye ?
By EComp John Hamill – 25 minutes
In this paper John Hamill considers a number of theories of the origins of the Royal Arch including that it was a mutilation of the Third Degree, that it was originally part of the Ceremony of Installation in the Craft and amongst others that it was descended from the Jerusalem Church.
He explains that identifying the origins are complicated by the lack of any contemporaneous documentation and that unlike the Craft the Royal Arch was not in the public eye.
He concludes by linking the development of the Royal Arch to what its underlying purpose is namely to focus on our relationship with the deity.