Belong in Order to Believe

To belong in order to believe is the experience of being accepted and valued as one made in God’s image, which provides a holistic and personal community environment for coming to faith.

In our primary discipline of assembling as the Church, Basileians integrate the practice of belonging in order to believe with cultivating colonies of heaven on earth and creating thin places. In contrast to the “believe in order to belong” approach to life in general and to the Church in particular, we invite people to belong in order to believe. This applies as equally to our guests as it does to our members. We invite all, guests and members alike, to start with a day then commit for a lifetime to experience the transformation that comes simply by belonging with others who have not arrived but who are also on the journey. This reflects our view that salvation is a process of transformation (i.e., Theosis, deification, sanctification, etc.) that begins in this life and continues on without end throughout the ages to come. If we held to a view of salvation that was limited to the idea that the only thing we needed from God was forgiveness for the guilt of our sins, then we would require people to believe first before they could belong. It’s true that we all need forgiveness. But God forgives and accepts us before we accept Him. It’s true that in light of what Christ has done for us that we in turn need to accept God’s forgiveness and repent. But it is by His kindness that God leads us toward repentance. So while we certainly need and must accept God’s forgiveness, we ultimately need, want and are destined for more than just forgiveness.

We are destined to belong and can start experiencing this even before we believe. In fact, we must belong first or what we’ll end up believing will be at best a warped version of God’s highest and at worst a lie. We are not created to believe in order to belong but to belong in order to believe. Believing does not invent reality; God does. He takes the initiative and destines us for unity with Himself, unity within ourselves, unity with others and unity with all creation. We can believe it or not, but it doesn’t change a thing. Sure, there are serious consequences for not believing. But even when the Prodigal was in the pigpen he knew which way was home. To belong is natural; to believe naturally comes next. Sin did not change the fact that we’re hardwired to belong. It just perverted that fact.

The guilt of sin is serious precisely because sin enacts false beliefs that unnaturally attempt to reorder how we relate to God, ourselves, others and creation. Sin autonomously demands in some twisted way that all believe in order to belong to its vain version of reality, a reality whose only future is death. So we refuse to play by sin’s rules. We refuse to get sucked into the game of trying to beat sin by coming up with subculturally or counterculturally better ways to beat sin at its own game. What’s the use of trying to get people to believe in our version of reality in order to belong? The very thought of that is nauseating. It only perpetuates sin all the more by misrepresenting what the Church actually is. The Church is Christ’s community in which He invites people to belong in order to believe. Even after the disciples had been with Jesus a long time, Jesus asked one of them, “Do you still “not believe…in me” (Jn. 14:10). Jesus did not revoke this disciple’s invitation to belong because he was still struggling to believe. Therefore we beat sin in a kingdomculturally alternative way that accepts that in the mystery of God’s will He has already destined us to belong to Him, ourselves, others and creation in ways we have yet to image.

The Father is already at work uniting all things in Christ. That’s the larger reality into which we are born and to which we belong. But because of sin we all struggle in various ways to accept this reality at ever-increasingly broad and deep levels of our being. Thus struggle itself is part of the journey. We accept that struggle is normal. But believing in order to belong struggles against struggle. It tries to minimize the struggle or even eliminate it altogether. But no amount of “believing” can save us from the struggles of life. A believe in order to belong approach to life is for mortals afraid to die. It’s an approach that creates temporary and artificial safe places and relationships and ways of “doing church” where people think they can live out their small view of God, themselves, others and creation with little or no struggle. Really? Some would define that as Hades.

The alternative – the kingdomcultural alternative of belonging in order to believe – calls forth in us a bold humility to die to all that is false and then trust in Christ to resurrect us anew. Bold humility comes to those who belong, to those who formally first accept this alternative in Baptism and then formally renew their acceptance of it in every celebration of the Eucharist. To belong is a struggle, but even so it is the joy of coming to believe in ever greater ways, of receiving forgiveness until light floods into every dark corner of our being, of experiencing healing in ever deeper ways, of making restitution until every debt is paid, and of working out our salvation to shine ever-brighter like the sun. Believing that all this is possible starts and then continues with belonging. Belonging to believe is Basileia’s mode of evangelism (i.e., discipleship).

Also see Assemble | Belong to Believe Resources | Soul Friends

Binding and Loosing

The phrase “binding and loosing” was a technical term in Rabbinic Judaism for the authority of rabbis in teaching and discipline. The close connection between teaching and disciplinary authority in the terms “bind” and “loose” is found in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18. The authority to bind and loose, in the sense of teach and discipline, may be exercised by members of the Body of Christ individually and by the Body of Christ collectively. But for this to be done in unity and kingdomculturally it must be done according to the Apostolic Rule of Faith. Therefore, Basileia distinguishes between the general teaching authority of individuals and the special, collective teaching authority of the Church as exercised by Presbyters in regards to “binding and loosing,” not to set one against the other, but to properly relate them. This proper relationship is first modeled in the Liturgy, and first made visible in the second movement of the Liturgy, where the four governing offices of the Church – baptized believers, Presbyters, Deacons and Bishops – are assembled in unity, constituting the Church covenantally which authorizes all so assembled to bind and loose in the Council of the Lord. It is this covenantal type of binding and loosing in the collective context of the Church as administered by Presbyters that enables any binding and loosing that individuals may do in a private capacity to be efficacious.

Also see The Council of the Lord, and “Governing Roles of Men and Women in Basileia.”

Bishop

A Bishop is a consecrated ecclesial elder (Presbyter) of the Church authorized with episcopal authority to ordain and defend the faith. In keeping with the pattern of Celtic Christianity, Basileia refers to its consecrated episcopal members as Abbot Bishops.

Also see Abbots, and Ecclesial City.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives within education developed by Benjamin Bloom. It divides educational objectives into three domains: affective (“feeling/heart”), didactic (“knowing/head”) and sensorial (“doing/hands”). These domains correspond in a general way to the priestly, prophetic and kingly practices of our Basileian way of life, respectively. Roughly, for example, the Liturgy is the priestly domain (feeling/heart), our Catechism is the prophetic domain (knowing/head) and our Canons are the kingly domain (doing/hands). Basileia focuses on all three domains, creating a holistic approach to the formation (education) of members. Furthermore, Bloom’s Taxonomy also makes distinctions within each domain between lower levels of learning that in general are more concrete and therefore foundational to the higher levels of learning which are more imaginary and creative. The goal of our Basileian lifestyle in general and of the Catechumenate in particular is to concretely master the basics of being kingdomcultural. The goal of our Basileian journey toward maturity in general and of the Novitiate in particular is to empower members to imaginatively and creatively re-master what it means to be kingdomcultural in order to advance the Kingdom in all areas of thought and life in ways never conceived of before.

Also see Catechism, Catechumenate, and Novitiate.

Body of Christ

The Body of Christ is a metaphor of the Church where Christ is the Head and believers are members individually. The phrase “Body of Christ” refers to the basic, underlying unity between 1) the Church as the Body of Christ and 2) the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist as the Body of Christ and 3) Christ’s own physical body as the Body of Christ. Entering deeper into the mystery of the faith, perceiving the nature of the Church and understanding the purpose of the Liturgy is enhanced by emphasizing first the similitudes between these three modes of the Body of Christ. We place whatever distinctions can be made between these three ways of perceiving the Body of Christ within the unified framework of mystery. This framework of mystery regarding the Body of Christ creates an environment of exploration and imagination as to the possibilities of what it means to be the Church.

Also see Church, Mystery, and Perspectival.

Candidate

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

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.

Capacity

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.

Catechism

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.

Catechumen

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.

Catechumenate

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.

Catholic

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.

Celtic Christianity

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.

Celtic Community-Builders

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

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.

Chapter

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.

Charism

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.

Charismatic and Orthodox

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.

Charter

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. 

Child Communicant Believer

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.