Templar Revival Began in the 18th Century

Actually, Neo-Templarism is the correct term, not “Templar Revival”, because in reality so-called “revivalists” did not revive the order of Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (it was and is impossible). They were building (under the “Templar” brand) a totally different organization – something that the order of Templars never was.

Some of these “revivalists” claim to be secret continuations of the original Templars (in other words, to be founded by Templars who survived persecutions of the early 14th century).

This is total bunk because there was only one genuine successor to Knights Templar – the Military Order of Christ in Portugal. Those surviving Templars that did not join it, mostly joined Hospitallers or other monastic orders (military or civilian) … or just returned to the secular life. No one was them was even thinking about reviving the order of Templars even in secret as it was impossible.

However, these ideas took hold and in the 18th century, a notion of the Templars secretly continuing their existence and activities began to spread, particularly within freemasonry in France and Germany.

This idea was based off of previous legends (yes, fiction) of the Templars embedding themselves in Freemason guilds to continue their activities; this (totally preposterous) idea led to the creation of several Templar grades in various Freemason organizations.

Out of such was formed the masonic rites of the Strict Templar Observance created by Baron Karl von Hund, which Jean-Baptiste Willermoz subsequently turned into the Rectified Scottish Rite.

Gradually, the latter gradually crafted the rite’s mythology (yes, mythology) and symbolism to place less emphasis on historical Templar succession and more focus on symbolic Temple rebuilding and restoration of man’s original innocence.

However, Christian concepts and theology were made increasingly central which was the only connection of this Rite to Knights Templar. Still, ultimately through this change this Rite gave up the claimed connection to the Templars.Actually, Neo-Templarism is the correct term, not “Templar Revival”, because in reality so-called “revivalists” did not revive the order of Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (it was and is impossible). They were building (under the “Templar” brand) a totally different organization – something that the order of Templars never was.

Some of these “revivalists” claim to be secret continuations of the original Templars (in other words, to be founded by Templars who survived persecutions of the early 14th century).

This is total bunk because there was only one genuine successor to Knights Templar – the Military Order of Christ in Portugal. Those surviving Templars that did not join it, mostly joined Hospitallers or other monastic orders (military or civilian) … or just returned to the secular life. No one was them was even thinking about reviving the order of Templars even in secret as it was impossible.

However, these ideas took hold and in the 18th century, a notion of the Templars secretly continuing their existence and activities began to spread, particularly within freemasonry in France and Germany.

This idea was based off of previous legends (yes, fiction) of the Templars embedding themselves in Freemason guilds to continue their activities; this (totally preposterous) idea led to the creation of several Templar grades in various Freemason organizations.

Out of such was formed the masonic rites of the Strict Templar Observance created by Baron Karl von Hund, which Jean-Baptiste Willermoz subsequently turned into the Rectified Scottish Rite.

Gradually, the latter gradually crafted the rite’s mythology (yes, mythology) and symbolism to place less emphasis on historical Templar succession and more focus on symbolic Temple rebuilding and restoration of man’s original innocence.

However, Christian concepts and theology were made increasingly central which was the only connection of this Rite to Knights Templar. Still, ultimately through this change this Rite gave up the claimed connection to the Templars.