author
Joseph Fort Newton
1876–1950
A preacher and prolific writer, he brought religion and Freemasonry to a wide audience with a warm, accessible style. Best known for The Builders, he spent decades speaking and writing about faith, fellowship, and moral life.
1 Audiobook
The Builders: A Story and Study of Masonry
by Joseph Fort Newton
About the author
Born in Decatur, Texas, in 1876, Joseph Fort Newton was an American minister, author, and one of the best-known Masonic writers of the early 20th century. Sources consistently describe him as a gifted preacher whose career moved across Baptist, broader Protestant, and later Episcopal circles, reflecting an interest in religion that reached beyond narrow denominational lines.
Newton wrote widely on faith, ethics, and Freemasonry, with The Builders becoming his most enduring book. His work helped introduce many general readers to Masonic symbolism and ideals, while his sermons and essays emphasized spiritual fellowship, character, and a humane religious outlook.
He died in 1950, leaving behind a body of work that continued to be reprinted long after his lifetime. Readers still turn to him for a style that is reflective, sincere, and easy to follow, especially where religion and moral philosophy meet.