Almighty builder of all worlds
The Almighty Builder of All Worlds (ABaW) (also: Great Builder of the Universe or Triple Great Builder of the Whole World ) is a symbolic term of Freemasonry for the principle of creation . The concept of the Demiurge as a Great Architect is also known in Gnosticism and in some religions.
term
The term has platonic and Gnostic references (demiurge) and is mentioned in the New Testament :
"Because he expected the city that has the foundations, the builder and creator of which is God."
In the Talmud , builders are mentioned in a comparison in the treatise Sabbath 114a: When asked “Who are the builders mentioned [in the Mishnah]?” The answer is: “They are the scholars [bonajich] because they are concerned with the construction of the world employ."
Freemasonry
In Freemasonry, this construct does not represent a direct image of God, but is a symbol for a superordinate principle of creation, the expression of which, including the filling of a personal God, is reserved for the personal faith of each brother.
The Masonic symbol of the ABaW can be seen as a symbol that would like to invite you to strengthen your own moral will in wisdom and to recognize your own imperfections. Christian Masonic lodges in particular, in which the Bible is used , open it at ( Jn 1,1 EU ) to refer to the ambiguous concept of the Logos , which is equated with the Almighty Master Builder of all worlds and primarily represents the rational principle of the universe .
The term ABaW came up at the time of Deism and can be found in the old duties of 1723 in the formulation of the "Great Architect of the Universe".
Historical meaning
As 1877, the Grand Orient de France for the sake of freedom of conscience ( Frédéric Desmons : "Freemasonry has principles, the absolute freedom of conscience and human solidarity to exclude anyone for his faith..") To the symbol of the Great Architect of all worlds waived, the United Grand Lodge of England unilaterally broke off contacts and since then has no longer recognized the Grand Orient of France and the grand lodges and lodges recognized by it as regular .
literature
- Helmut Reinalter : Die Freemaurer , Munich 2000 (6th edition 2010).