Author name: D. B. Smith

D. B. Smith is an independent historian, ritualist, and comparative religion scholar specializing in the intersections of Western esotericism, Freemasonry, and Eastern contemplative traditions. He formerly served as Librarian and Curator at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, overseeing historically significant artifacts and manuscripts, including those connected to George Washington’s personal life. Initiated into The Lodge of the Nine Muses No. 1776, a philosophically focused lodge in Washington, D.C., Smith studied under influential figures in the Anglo-American Masonic tradition. His work has been featured in national and international Masonic publications, and his efforts have helped inform exhibits, lectures, and televised documentaries on the history and symbolism of Freemasonry. Smith’s parallel study and practice of Soto Zen Buddhism—including ordination as a lay practitioner in the Katagiri-Winecoff lineage—has led him to investigate convergences between ritual, mindfulness, symbolic systems, and the evolving role of spiritual practice in secular societies. He is the founder of Science Abbey, a platform for interdisciplinary inquiry across religion, philosophy, science, and cultural history.

Community, Ethics & Society, Integrated Humanism, Neutral Analytical Vigilance Institute (NAVI), Politics & Economics

An Integrated Humanist Guide to the History and Governance of International Organizations 

Explore the history and governance of international trade and organizations—from the Silk Road and the Congress of Vienna to the UN, WTO, G-20, and regional unions—through an Integrated Humanist lens that highlights cooperation, challenges, and the future of global governance.

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