At first sight the lives of hermits, living in solitude and committed to a life of prayer and contemplation seems to be a world apart of the active practice of interfaith dialogue. Yet, there is a long tradition of seeking the divine together and thus making a contribution to better mutual understanding and an active contribution to peace between Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism in India. The Reverend Dr Peniel Jesudason Rufus Rajkumar, Programme Executive, Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, World Council of Churches, Switzerland Gene: That’s uncanny. But we’re told that - “We need not enlarge upon these evils. They are apparent to all and lamented over by all, and it is the duty of a Mason to do all in his power to lessen, if not to remove them… There is no obligation resting on us to trumpet forth our disapproval of every wrongful or injudicious or improper act that every other man commits.” David: The story I had heard before was that they were building a Tower to reach into Heaven, but this story says that they were building a Tower to survive the next flood… when God had already promised that there wouldn’t be one if they’d obey the laws.

A wonderfully fluent account of how the strange magic of water, and the beings that inhabit it, can enchant and intoxicate” Chris Yates Gene: Basically that while you were away on a Crusade defending the Holy Lands, you’ve been swindled out of your land by Count Reinfred and a Bishop of Vienna. In the Ritual, Adolf the Saxon says that “I returned to find my inheritance shared between the Count and the church, one-half to each, and all appeal has been denied me to this I pledge my Knightly word.” David: Join us next time as we continue our exploration of “Morals and Dogma: The Annotated Edition”. David: Ah, that’s too bad. So what about the Jewel of the Degree? It’s silver with an arm and sword and the words, “Fiat Justitia Ruat Caelum” - “Let there be justice, though the Heavens fall”.There are fascinating tracts in here about the role of hermits in past societies and lots of practical advice – how to shape cabin poles, catch trout and build fires using techniques Smith learnt from Indigenous Canadians – but it feels as though there’s something more important lingering here, too, a kernel of kindness and an idea for a society built on warm, good-natured reciprocity with each other and all the beings among whom we live. Smith seems to stand like a shy, modest trailblazer and perhaps the most unlikely of life coaches, just nodding encouragingly from his woodpile, saying, ‘Go on, why not give it a go?’

David: Right. The Tower was a hedge against Divine Providence, which is doomed to failure because Divine Providence is inevitable by definition. And that’s what’s symbolized by the Tower’s destruction.

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Gene: It’s pure arrogance and the Lecture says that “Arrogance is a weed that ever grows on a dunghill… There is no arrogance so great as the proclaiming of other men's errors and faults.”

Gene: Correct. And, a complication here is that the Count, who you are accusing, sits as one of the Freischoffen, which is what the judges of the Vehmgericht are called. Huge credit to the ghostwriter, Will Millard, who has created such a coherent, engaging narrative.” Country Life magazine

Gene: Yes, and you’re instructed on what it means to be a Prussian Knight. You’re told that “You shall not have honor as a Knight, unless you (have) earned it... Know that laziness is degrading, and inactivity shameful. Be ever alert, seeking opportunities to win honor by doing good deeds. Be loyal in word and deed. Keep your promises. Aid widows and orphans, and God will reward you… liberate yourself from the illusion that the accumulation of wealth is the purpose of life. Let not your tongue make mischief between other men, by speaking flattery or gossip.” As I mentioned in the opening of my book I always wanted to be a hermit. However, this wish had to wait for years as I was a missionary in Africa and then started an academic career. To become a hermit or a monk requires a long process of discernment and this process was carried out over a period of twenty years with the informal support of different spiritual directors. I would say that the decision was taken when Cardinal O’Brien encouraged me to follow this different path within the archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh. The hermitage and the daily routines developed out of an ongoing prayer life rather than out of an institutional setting. This was seven years ago in Scotland and then I opened a hermitage in Chile. There are fascinating tracts… and lots of practical advice – but it feels as though there’s something more important lingering here, too, a kernel of kindness and an idea for a society built on warm, good-natured reciprocity with each other and all the beings among whom we live.” Geographical Magazine