Candidates are those in training to be a Commissioned Governing Member, or Deacon, or Presbyter or consecrated Abbot. The point at which a person becomes a Candidate is by means of a Rite of Entrance whereby he or she is inducted into the Novitiate. The point at which a person completes the Novitiate and is no longer a Candidate is the Rite of Incorporation.
Also see Novitiate, Rite of Entrance, and Rite of Incorporation.
Canons are the ecclesiastical governing protocols adopted by Basileia that express the whole of Basileia’s charism, albeit in a structural and operational way. The Canons are the structural and operational form of the meaning of the Constitution of Basileia in its entirety. Thus Basileia’s Liturgy and Catechism are not separate from the Canons, but are themselves fully structural and operational just as Basileia’s Canons are fully sacramental and instructional. We therefore recognize that the principle of lex agendi est lex orandi et credendi (“the rule of action is the rule of prayer and of belief”) is not more equally ultimate to the rules of prayer and of belief that also shape our Canons.
Also see Catechism, and Liturgy.
While all members of the Church are equal in authority to rule, no two have exactly the same measure of cultivated ability in the exercise of their charism and office. Thus all decision-making according to the will of God in community arrives at consensus in a ministerial way according to the Apostolic Rule of Faith in order to incorporate the contributions of all, regardless of their capacity.
Also see Apostolic Rule of Faith, Charism, Consensus Decision-Making, Counsel of Many, and Ministerial Authority.
The Catechism is the specific educational protocols adopted by Basileia that express the whole of Basileia’s charism, albeit in an instructional and formative way. The Catechism is the instructional and formative form of the meaning of the Constitution of Basileia in its entirety. The original catechism of the Church is the annual cycle of holy days and feasts originally give to Israel, adapted by Christ and His apostles, which today is called the Church Year. Therefore, while we may speak of the Catechism in a specialized sense as that period of time when a person prepares to become an Adult Communicant Member, in a complementary and more general sense all who Journey with Basileia are constantly engaged in the Catechism as our 24/7/365 way of life in Christ. Basileia’s catechism is thus formation for life, not just information about what we believe. Our Catechism equips us to embody what we believe according to the principle of lex credendi est lex vivendi, “the law of belief is the law of life.” Thus Basileia’s Liturgy and Canons are not separate from the Catechism, but are themselves fully instructional and formative just as Basileia’s Catechism is fully sacramental and structural. We therefore recognize that the principle of lex credendi est lex orandi et agendi (“the rule of belief is the rule of prayer and of action”) is not more equally ultimate to the rules of prayer and of action that also shape our Catechism.
Also see Canons, Catechumen, Catechumenate, Church Year, and Liturgy.
A Catechumen is a person who is in training to be an Adult Communicant Member of Basileia. The point at which a person becomes a Catechumen is by means of a Rite of Entrance whereby he or she is inducted into the Catechumenate. The point at which a person completes the Catechumenate and is no longer a Catechumen is the Rite of Incorporation.
Also see Catechism, Catechumenate, Rite of Entrance, and Rite of Incorporation.
The Catechumenate is the specific period of formation during which a person, called a Catechumen, becomes an Adult Communicant Member of Basileia. The Catechumenate begins with a Rite of Entrance and ends with a Rite of Incorporation. It may be thought of as a time when Basileia’s Catechism becomes embodied by a member in an ecclesially accountable way. While all Basileians in general are called to embody Basileia’s charism as a lifestyle, the goal of the Catechumenate is for the Catechumen to make this Basileian lifestyle officially, publically accountable to the Church. The significance of this is comparable to an elected civil candidate becoming officially and publically accountable to the civil constitution of the land in the oath of office taken at his or her inauguration (a civil rite of incorporation). Until that oath of office is taken and the candidate is sworn in, he or she is not officially able to exercise the office to which they have been elected. Thus the Rite of Incorporation that brings the Catechumenate to a close is comparable to a swearing-in ceremony of a civil official. Or it may also be compared to a man and a woman becoming officially and publically accountable to the marriage covenant in the exchange of their marriage vows (a familial rite of incorporation). These types of rites of incorporation, done in the name of Christ, are vital to forming an official, public kingdomculture that is able to replace the Fallen World System with the Kingdom of God. Adult Communicant Members are not more “spiritual,” “better,” or “more important” than Basileians or even guests and participants who have not taken this step; they simply have different functions in making the Kingdom visible through the official, public accountability of their lifestyle to the Church.
Also see Adult Communicant Member, Catechism, and Catechumen.
When the word catholic is spelled in lower case, then it means “universal.” This is the meaning in the phrase in the Creed that confesses the Church to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic. When the word is used in reference to the Catholic Church, then it is capitalized.
Also see Church.
Basileia identifies with and adapts for the 21st century certain features of Celtic Christianity including 1) communities in which people belong in order to believe, meaning that all members are on a journey together to discover, embrace and fulfill their destiny, 2) the formation of believers, not into “local churches,” but into communities (often done today first virtually and then in various face-to-face ways over time) that operate like colonies of heaven on earth in the midst of the world, 3) communities that have a monastic dimension, lived out more intensively by some and less so by others, but shaping the life of all, 4) communities that are missional and therefore see all members, ecclesial structures and governing offices of members as called to advance the Kingdom, not just administrate what has already been established, 5) communities that have a mystical connection with the divine in and through creation, giving rise to the care and stewardship of creation, 6) communities that are “thin places” where the veil between the realms of heaven and earth is “thin,” creating an atmosphere of connectedness in Christ between people and things across space and time, thus making the Communion of Saints a daily experiential reality of community life.
Also see Celtic Community-Builders, Colonies of Heaven on Earth, Communion of Saints, and Thin Place.
Basileians are Celtic Community-Builders who in the practice of cultivating colonies of heaven on earth establish 21st century neo-Celtic expressions of a mystical and monastic way of faith and life. This prophetic lifestyle practice is related to our primary discipline of assembling as the Church.
Also see Assemble, Celtic Christianity, Forerunners, Monastic, Mystery, and Soul Friends.
Certain knowledge is knowledge based on the revelation of the Word in creation, Scripture and the Spirit interpreted according to the Apostolic Rule of Faith. Certain knowledge is the kind of knowledge that creates kingdomculture. In contrast, the uncertain knowledge of autonomous individuals and collectives that operates on variations of and different combinations of “Solo” Scriptura (in contrast to Sola Scriptura) and Qualified Infallibility always gives rise to subculture and counterculture, respectively. The Fallen World System denies that certain knowledge is even possible just as we can imagine the Prodigal denied that the money in his pocket was from his father. The prodigal, independent quest for knowledge by would-be autonomous man leads to the epistemological pigpen of uncertainty (which leads to social disorder and death) because finite mankind can never know everything exhaustively, which is the only way to know anything certainly. Only God has exhaustive knowledge and therefore He alone is the only source of certain knowledge. While humanity can never be its own source of certainty, God can delegate this sense of certainty to us. He does this by revealing His Word. Since God is the source of exhaustive and therefore certain knowledge, His Word becomes for us, if we receive it, the sure foundation or starting point to humbly and boldly know all things truly and certainly. As the Psalmists says, “In Your light, we see light” (Ps. 36:9). Certain knowledge does away with all political justifications for decision-making that seeks only the will of man by majority vote democratically or the will of man by the dictates of an autocrat. The delegated and derived certain knowledge based on the Word that we may operate in as finite human beings does not make us infallible but it does enable us to be inerrant (i.e., without error) and therefore authoritative, secure, calm and patient in advancing the truth, not by power and might, but by the Spirit of the Lord. Instead of killing imagination like uncertain knowledge does, true certain knowledge, based on God’s revelation from above, is the only sure foundation for imagination, creative wisdom and growth in knowledge. While there is no mystery for God in anything, there is mystery for us in all things. This is exciting. With a true, certain foundation under us based on God’s knowledge, we shall never exhaust discovering new things in this age or in the ages to come.
Also see Cosmic Personalism, Mystery, and One-Source View.
Chapters are vocational expressions of Basileia, members both of a Fellowship or an Abbey and of their respective Vocational Society. A Chapter is comprised of Basileians in general, Adult Communicant Members and Governing Members in particular. While a Presbyter founds a Chapter, the origin of the Chapter may be in a missional initiative started by any member. The governing functions of Chapters’ Presbyter Councils, Deacon Councils and Missional Councils enable Chapters to create specific and localized expressions of kingdomculture in every area of thought and life.
Also see Society.
The word charism is based on the Greek word charis, which means “gift,” i.e., of the Holy Spirit given to mankind who is individually and collectively created in God’s image to function and grow in the likeness of God. The particular charism of any member of the Body of Christ is an expression of the ongoing ministry of Jesus, begun in the Incarnation and now manifest in and through that individual or collective expression of the Church in the power of the Spirit for the life of the world. While any particular charism is an unearned, divine gift given by grace, at the same a charism must and can be cultivated as an ever-expandable capacity or ability.
Also see Capacity, and Genius.
The Charismatic and Orthodox stream of the Church emphasizes God’s revelation of the Word by the Spirit. When this is done by highlighting the function of Spirit while maintaining the equal ultimacy of the revelation of the Word via sacrament and Scripture, this builds up the Church as a communion. But when the Spirit is made the only authority or a more ultimate authority than the revelation of the Word through sacrament and Scripture, and is autonomously used therefore to interpret all things according to a Two-Source View of authority, as with “Solo” Scriptura and Qualified Infallibility, this tears down the Church through the dynamic of denominationalism.
Also see Charismatic and Orthodox, Emphasize, Liturgical and Sacramental, Sola Scriptura, “Solo” Scriptura and Qualified Infallibility.
When a Charter is granted by an ecclesial jurisdiction it marks the official founding of a new Jurisdiction. For example, a Presbyter who has been in the process, perhaps for months, maybe even years, of working to form a Fellowship, may receive a Charter from a Basileia Community that officially recognizes his work to have formed a Fellowship. Thus a Charter is simply a tool to recognize that a new Jurisdiction of Basileia has in fact been established so that it can in turn be recognized officially as such. In the same sense that an adult doesn’t need a Baptismal certificate to be born again, a Presbyter doesn’t "need" a Charter to form a Fellowship. But just as Baptismal certificate makes a believers accountability to the Church public, so a Charter granted by a Basileia Jurisdiction makes a newly formed Jurisdiction an official, public member of Basileia. Thus, a Charter is an orderly way of publicly recognizing an expression of the Church that already exists due to the work of Christ in building His Church. As such, Charters are simply a tool for creating and maintaining coordination, communication and unity in the Church.
Also see Founded, and Jurisdictions.
Below is an example of a Charter for the founding of the Basileia Fellowship of St. Brendan on March 8, 2015, written in the form of a Letter of Commissioning in regards to the founding Presbyter John Hunt. The Letter is written by the Basileia Community of St. John, the ecclesial jurisdiction to which the Fellowship of St. Brendan is membered. This Letter of Commissioning is not the only form that a Charter may take. This is just one way of issuing a Charter for a new ecclesial jurisdiction of Basileia.
A Child Communicant Believer is a baptized child of parents who are not Adult Communicant Members of Basileia. Such children, with written permission from a parent or legal guardian, may become Catechumens after their 13th birthday to prepare to assume the adult responsibilities of our Basileian way of life.
Also see Child Communicant Member.
A Child Communicant Member is a baptized child of an Adult Communicant Member of Basileia. Such children may become Catechumens after their 13th birthday to prepare to assume the adult responsibilities of our Basileian way of life.
Also see Child Communicant Believer.
Christ is the ultimate chivalric Hero we seek to follow and become like. Although being in very nature God, He emptied Himself in what theologically is called an act of kenosis whereby He did not cease being God, but took on humanity, setting aside the direct use of His power as the Son of God in fighting against evil, choosing to fight evil as a Man filled with the Holy Spirit. In this way He remained obedient to death, even death on the cross. This had the twofold effect of both destroying evil (by outlasting it and exhausting it) and restoring all things ruined by evil. Only a divine chivalric solution to the problem of evil can do both. Thus the chivalric solution to evil is kingdomcultural. The subcultural “solution” to evil is to run from it in a non-chivalric, cowardly way. The countercultural “solution” is as equally cowardly and non-chivalric in that it attempts to rule over evil with coercive power that ultimately solves nothing and only creates an infinite variety of “prisons” (the ultimate prison being Hades itself) to warehouse evil temporally or eternally. Only the chivalric approach to exhausting evil through the heroic, sacrifice and suffering of those whose vision is to replace evil with good is worthy of story, song and celebration.
Also see Christus Victor, Epic Story, Kenosis, and Theosis.
Chrismation is the act of anointing a newly baptized person with oil. Baptism and Chrismation therefore are two aspects of a larger whole. In Baptism our human nature is brought into a new mode of existence, into a new way of being human. It is not the change of our human nature into some other kind of nature, but the restoration of our human nature to the mode God has always intended for us. In Baptism the image of God in us is healed and restored to be like Christ. This makes it possible for us to then mature in the likeness of God in the power of the Holy Spirit, which is what Chrismation signifies. Thus we anoint the newly baptized immediately with the oil of Chrismation to signify that just as the Spirit hovered over the waters in the creation of the heavens and the earth, so He hovers over all who are recreated and made new creations in Christ through Baptism. The anointing oil signifies that now the power of the Holy Spirit is at work in and through the new human nature of the person just baptized in order to actually make him or her into the likeness of God. Furthermore, in baptismal services we also prepare the Table for the newly baptized to come to, with Chrismation coming after baptism and before the Table. As we see in Psalm 23, when our Good Shepherd prepares His Eucharistic Table for us, He anoints our head with oil (Ps. 23:5). Thus all who are newly baptized in a Basileia baptismal service are immediately anointed with oil before proceeding to their first Eucharistic experience at the Table. For what good does it do to come to this Table if we don’t do it in the power of the Holy Spirit? What good is it to receive a new human nature in Christ through Baptism if we don’t turn on the power and see what this new human nature can do? We’re no more the source of this power than we are the source of the power that lights up a light bulb when we flip a power switch. God supplies the power and in Chrismation we “flip the switch” on in order to shine like the sun in the Kingdom of our Father.
Also see Baptism, Shine Like the Sun, and Theosis.
Christendom is Christian civilization. But not all forms of Christian civilization are kingdomcultural. Some strands or forms of Christendom are subcultural and others are countercultural. These worldly forms of Christendom must be continually guarded against and repented of in order for kingdomcultural expressions of Christendom to triumph. A primary dynamic or mark of kingdomcultural Christendom is chivalry.
Also see Chivalry, and Kingdomculture.
Christus Victor (Latin for “Christ Victorious”) designates a view of the Faith held by the ancient Church and largely still held today by the Orthodox Church. It is the view of the Faith held by Basileia.
The Christus Victor view sees the Incarnation as the broader context of the story of salvation in general and of Christ’s death and resurrection in particular. The Cross is, in this broader Incarnational context, seen at the center of the Epic Story of the restoration of all things, a restorative process that definitively began in Christ’s Incarnation. For in the Incarnation, the image of God in man, corrupted in Adam, was restored in Christ. Since man’s corruption led to the corruption of all creation, man’s restoration in Christ is in fact also the restoration of all things ruined by evil.
Thus the emphasis in the Christus Victor view on what Christ did at Calvary is on the exhausting of evil through the disempowering of sin through obedience. Christ’s atonement not only therefore secured our forgiveness from the guilt of sin, but also released a new power though humanity over sin, Satan and death. Christ crushed these enemies, not in His power as the Son of God, but in His humanity as the Son of Man. Yet because He did this as Word made flesh in the Incarnation, now we who are but flesh may be made like Him in the process of Theosis in which we become partakers of the divine nature.
The Christus Victor view is a broader, more encompassing view of the Faith than certain views that lose the context of the Incarnation by focusing more exclusively on the dimensions of legal forgiveness that Christ’s death has affected for us. To the forgiveness of the guilt of sin we say, “Thanks be to God.” But we give thanks for even more than this alone. While a legally, narrowly focused version of the Faith is true as far as it goes, it doesn’t go far enough to advance the Kingdom on earth as in heaven now. Abstracting legal justification from the context of the Incarnation hobbles the “gospel,” promising a “salvation” in a future heaven instead of the strapping, transformational salvation that separates evil now from what it has ruined in order to destroy the evil and restore all things ruined by that evil now, both in heaven and on earth.
We rejoice that the Christus Victor view of the Faith is in resurgence in the West in the twenty-first century. Basileia aims to participate in and accelerate this resurgence in ways that are faithful to our charism even as we seek to unite with other expressions of the Body of Christ that aim to do the same.
Also see Christus Victor (the story) Chivalry, Epic Story, and Theosis.
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