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As Dan Brown claims, the word ‘Illuminati’ does mean
illumination, or enlightened ones, and there is no doubt that various groups of
people have used this name to refer to themselves through history, notably the
Bavarian Illuminati that was formed in 1776. But there is little evidence for
The Illuminati described in the story, i.e. a secret society founded by
Galileo in the 1500s (p28). For an interesting Wikipedia article on the
subject, please see here.
The organization described by Brown is a most fascinating
one. On the one hand, it is dedicated to pure science and considers the church
to be “spewing superstition” (p32) and yet it integrates with ideas from
occultists, mystics, and even Satanists (p28). Even in modern times they
consider the world to be made of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. On a related note, it is true
that the period of history known as the Enlightenment saw great advances in
science, and growing threats to church authority.
Notes
- On page 95, the phrase “Novus Ordo Seclorum” is mistranslated, it means New
Order for the Ages / Generations, and not “New Secular Order.”
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| Contributed by: Adrian Wyard
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