Modern Templarism and Society: A Christian Perspective - Essay Example

"There are many popularly believed myths about the Order of the Temple. The first is that there is very little evidence surviving about the Order. In fact, a great deal of evidence survives. It is true that the central archive of the Order is lost: this was originally held at the Order’s headquarters, at first in Jerusalem, then at Acre, then (after 1291) on Cyprus." 1 It was in the recaptured city of Jerusalem that the Templers were alleged to have begun to deviate further and further away from the practices of Christianity.

It was in Jerusalem that they were supposed to have learned the secret arts of the Kabala, which was an ancient variant of Jewish magic along with its dark rites and from the Christian perspective dubious rituals. The Jews were thought to have learned the dark arts of black magic from the pagans of ancient Egypt during the times of enslavement to the Pharaoh and developed them inside Babylon for the time of Navakanazar during their Babylonian captivity.2 It was in fact during the year 1307 that King Philip IV of France arrested the Knights Templar within his kingdom upon the very serious charges of the denial of Christ, heterosexual promiscuity, as well as homosexuality and idol worship as well as the use of black magic.

It was seven years later in the year 1314 that the then incumbent pontiff Pope Clement V declared that all the Knights Templar were actually heretics to Christianity. Clement V went on to order all their considerable properties and wealth to be seized. Indeed the leader of the Knights Templar Jacques de Molay was quickly captured and burnt at the stake for being a heretic. The Knights Templar were cornered and apparently doomed. However just when it seemed that their order was finished forever a glimmer of hope arose unexpectedly.

The order went from a seemingly fatal and certain end, to an unplanned point at which they were to find a safe haven as well as an ally.