The universal Rite of Initiation of all believers into the Body of Christ is Baptism, which is then renewed in every Eucharist. Thus for Basileians who have not been baptized, when they complete the Catechumenate, their Rite of Incorporation will include Baptism.
Also see Baptism, and Rite of Incorporation.
In Basileia, this is the rite by which Catechumens enter the Catechumenate and Candidates for governing membership enter the Novitiate.
Also see Catechumenate, and Novitiate.
In Basileia, this rite is performed as needed in both the Catechumenate and the Novitiate. Forms of the Rite of Purification include 1) anointing with oil and prayer for healing by elders of the Church, 2) exorcism, 3) confession, 4) the formal giving of forgiveness for wickedness, crimes or any other harm done to the Catechumen directly or indirectly by others, 5) formal acts of restitution for wickedness, crimes or any other harm done by the Catechumen to others.
Also see Transformation.
The universal Rite of Renewal of all believers in the Body of Christ is the Eucharist, which in one dimension is a renewal of baptismal vows. A special emphasis is placed on the Eucharist as the renewal of baptismal vows for all believers during the Pascha celebration where worshipers recite the Apostle’s Creed (the form of the Creed used in baptisms).
Also see Eucharist, and Eucharistic Worship.
The seasons of the Church Year––Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Pascha (Easter), Pentecost and Kingdomtime––are the elements of a hero's journey. As a whole, the seasons of the Church Year work together to tell the epic story of the creation, fall and restoration of all things in Christ and through His Church.
The rhythm of the first six seasons is a repeating pattern of anticipation, fulfillment and manifestation focused particularly on Christ. What Advent anticipates is fulfilled in Christmas and manifested in Epiphany. Likewise, what Lent anticipates is fulfilled in Pascha and manifested in Pentecost. Kingdomtime then shifts the focus onto the Church as the continuation of this pattern first modeled in Christ’s life and ministry. In epic literature worldwide down through time, the rhythmic pattern we see in the Church Year shapes what is known as the hero’s journey.
In epic story, the hero is called out of the ordinary (i.e., the good but fallen) world on a quest to transform himself and his world into something extraordinary (Advent).
After accepting destiny’s call (Christmas), he gathers or is gathered with a band of other adventurers who join him in the quest. At this point the hero is revealed to the eyes of a few as someone destined for glory (Epiphany).
Then the story takes an unexpected turn where the deeper meaning of the Advent call is revealed. The transformation that the hero will achieve will be so total that it will result in the destruction of evil and the restoring of everything ruined by evil. This is no ordinary feat. To achieve this level of victory requires a commitment to sacrifice and chivalry that uses power to free captives rather than bind them (Lent).
Thus the hero follows dangerous paths through darkness into and through death. Here, at the very heart of the story, the hero exhausts evil by allowing it to empty its arsenal upon him. But even this does not break his resolve to remain true to what is noble and divine. The hero experiences a death, one that crushes evil by exhausting it, while the hero’s death is not permanent, but only a “heal bruising” (Gen. 3:15). At the deepest point of the journey, in Hades itself, suddenly everything changes. Resurrection signals a reversal of direction from descent to that of ascent (Pascha).
Nothing is left behind. All shall be raised to glory. The same Spirit that enabled the hero to fulfill the quest is now poured out, first upon him and then also upon his chosen ones (Pentecost).
In turn these chosen ones now join the hero in expanding the quest even broader to set free all who yet remain captive and even to restore creation itself from its bondage to decay (Kingdomtime).
Also see Church Year and the “Epic Story” section of Part 1 of the Constitution.
Basileians are Sentinels who in the practice of welcoming all to the Table whom Christ authorizes visibly strengthen the Church operating freely as a communion on earth verses operating in the bondage denominationalism. This priestly lifestyle practice is related to our primary discipline of governing from the Table.
Also see Friends of God, Govern, Stewards and Table.
Serve is the fifth of the five primary disciplines of our Basileian way of life – journey, assemble, listen, govern and serve. Therefore also, in parallel fashion, it is an element in the fifth movement of the Liturgy by which worshipers are blessed and commissioned to go forth and serve the Church and the world, expanding the authority of the Kingdom of God in chivalric ways, especially to the fatherless, widowed, poor, oppressed, prisoners and sick.
Also see Expansion of Authority, and Primary Disciplines.
The phrase “shine like the sun” comes from Jesus’ statement, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43). Basileia uses this phrase as a poetic way to express the overall, supreme goal of Basileia, which is Theosis. Shining like the sun can be imagined in different ways, such as putting on Christ, the restoration of the image of God in us, being made in God’s likeness, reopening the gateway that was closed to Adam of communion with God at the Tree of Life, participating in the life of God, entering the Kingdom of God, leaving Egypt through the desert to the Promised Land, exchanging corruption for incorruption, receiving the Holy Spirit, being built into a dwelling in which God comes and lives by His Spirit, being seated with Christ in heavenly places, and becoming by Grace what God is by nature.
Also see Theosis.
Societies are global vocational expressions of Basileia, members of the Basileia Alliance, comprised of member Chapters, and founded by an Abbot. The governing functions of its Presbyter Council, Deacon Council and Missional Council enable a Society to embody kingdomculture in a particular area of thought and life.
Also see Chapter, and Vocational.
Sola Scriptura, not to be confused with the improper understanding and practice of “Solo” Scriptura, is the kingdomcultural understanding and proper application of the Apostolic Rule of Faith in the interpretation of the Word as revealed in creation, Scripture and by the Spirit. The meaning of “Sola” in Sola Scriptura is that while creeds, the Church and tradition are subject to fallibility even though they may be inerrant (without error), God’s revelation of His Word is infallible.
Also see Apostolic Rule of Faith, Counterculture, Kingdomculture, One-Source View, Sola Scriptura, Subculture, Tradition, and Two-Source View.
Not to be confused with the proper understanding and practice of Sola Scriptura, the practice of “Solo” Scriptura is one of the two forms of the Two-Source View of authority. “Solo” Scriptura makes individuals into autonomous sources of authority who determine for themselves what the Trinity’s revelation means according to their own individualistic approach to or rejection of the Church, creeds and tradition. This leads to subculture.
Also see Apostolic Rule of Faith, Counterculture, Kingdomculture, One-Source View, Sola Scriptura, Subculture, Tradition, and Two-Source View.
Basileians are Soul Friends who in the practice of helping others to belong in order to believe create community environments where people are released into their destiny and uncover their unique gifts and genius they knew were always there but was locked up. This priestly lifestyle practice is related to our primary discipline of assembling as the Church.
Also see Assemble, Celtic Community-Builders, and Forerunners.
The source of authority is the first of the five elements in the covenantal structure of authority – source, delegation, standard, transfer and expansion. Covenantally speaking, the source of authority answers the basic question asked by all communities: “Who is in charge here?” Practically, Basileians cultivate a commitment to God as our source of authority in these ways: 1) in our mode of worship in the first movement of the Liturgy, 2) in our way of life marked by the three practices of our primary discipline of journey – Eucharistic worship, the Daily Office and Contemplative Prayer.
Also see Contemplatives, Covenant, Global Pilgrims, One-Source View, Two-Source View and Worshipers.
The standard of authority is the third of the five elements in the covenantal structure of authority – source, delegation, standard, transfer and expansion. Covenantally speaking, the standard of authority answers the basic question asked by all communities: “What are the rules?” Practically, Basileians cultivate a commitment to the Word as our standard of authority in these ways: 1) in our mode of worship in the third movement of the Liturgy, 2) in our way of life marked by the three practices of our primary discipline of listen – follow the lectionary in rhythm with the Church Year, interpret the Word according to the Apostolic Rule of Faith and observe our Constitution. By definition, the covenantal exercise of authority is bounded by confessional standards that are consistent with the Apostolic Rule of Faith as revealed through creation, in Scripture and by the Spirit. Therefore all Basileians, individually and collectively, are to re-present (i.e., reconstruct, restate) these standards in their respective governmental roles and responsibilities. The covenantal idea of “representative” is ministerial, not mediatorial since the standard by which delegated authorities are to operate comes from above and is not of themselves. Furthermore, there are always two aspects to the covenantal idea of representation. First, covenantal representatives have a priestly function of representing themselves and others to God. Second, they have a prophetic and kingly function of representing God to others and society as a whole. As the Scripture says, “You have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:10). Such a calling requires the rejection of autonomy for theonomy.
Also see Autonomy, Covenant, Law of God, Listen, Overcomers, Pattern-Keepers, Storytellers, and Theonomy.
Basileians are Stewards who in the practice of creating wealth, giving and tithing to fund the government of the Kingdom of God defund Babylon and finance Jerusalem. This kingly lifestyle practice is related to our primary discipline of governing from the Table.
Also see Friends of God, Govern, and Sentinels, Table and Tithe.
Basileians are Storytellers who in the practice of following the lectionary in rhythm with the Church Year constantly mature in our feel and understanding of the Epic Story we are participants in. This priestly lifestyle practice is an expression of our primary discipline of listening to the Word.
Also see Listen, Overcomers, Pattern-Keepers, and Seasonal.
The Table is the Lord’s own Table that He refers to when He says, “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Lk. 22:29-30). The gatherings around this Table shape the course of history in more profound and permanent ways than gatherings of any other kind, including those of kings, presidents or prime ministers, parliaments and congresses. Priestly gatherings at the Table are primary and fundamental to subsequent kingly gatherings in the life of the City of God. To eat at this Table is to experience the relaxed, authentic, fully human way that the Father has chosen to administrate the universe. It makes the governing of all things a divine-human family business, conducted in an atmosphere of celebration and joy. At this Table the destiny of all things in heaven and earth is first revealed, discussed and implemented. Such legends as the Arthurian Round Table have tapped into the nobility, honor and glory of this Table.
Also see Eucharistic Worship, Theanthropomorphic.
Theanthropomorphic attributes a divine-human form to things. In contrast, anthropomorphic attributes a human form to things and theomorphic attributes a divine form to things. Another set of related terms are theanthropocentric, which means God-man centered, anthropocentric, which means man centered, and theocentric, which means God centered. Basileia’s kingdomcultural approach affirms that God’s solution to anthropocentrism (man-centeredness) is not just theocentrism (God-centeredness), but centrally theanthropocentrism (God-man centeredness). The Incarnation is God’s theanthropocentric way of bringing about the restoration of all things in Christ and then their transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ is fully divine and fully human in a unique way in His Person that in turn enables us to become partakers of the divine nature. We are called to theanthropomorphic restoration and transformation. The Father’s pleasure is to unify all things in Christ in heaven and on earth (Eph. 1:9-10). This means that in Christ (and by implication also through His Church) the Father attributes a divine-human form to all things because mankind is a microcosm of the whole of creation. In other words, all things in some way are destined to be rooted in and become restored expressions of the divine-human union of Christ’s Incarnation of which our Theosis is the corollary. The frontiers in arts and sciences are to be found in unpacking this theanthropomorphic mystery.
Also see Partakers of the Divine Nature, and Theosis.
Theonomy literally means “God’s Law,” which is the kingdomcultural alternative to autonomy, which means “self law.”
Also see Autonomy, and Law of God.
Theosis is the supreme, overall goal of Basileia. Theosis is the name that the Greek speaking Church Fathers gave to the process and the goal of becoming partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Theosis is often translated into English as “deification” or “divinization,” which is problematic because Theosis means something more profound than either of these translations express on their own. Poetically speaking, Theosis is to ‘shine like the sun in the kingdom of” our Father (Matt. 13:43). Prosaically speaking, Theosis is the coming from above, from outside and beyond us, of divine power in the Person of God Himself, to dwell with us, taking on our form, and in this way freeing us from the evil power of sin, Satan and death that has imprisoned us in lesser mortal versions of ourselves in order to thereby lift us up with Him to glory as immortal sons of the resurrection who in union with God partake of His living presence and become embodiments of His saving acts as Creator and Redeemer on behalf of all creation.
Also see Partakers of the Divine Nature, Shine Like the Sun, and Theanthropomorphic.
Articles on Theosis:
Becoming Like God: An Evangelical Doctrine of Theosis
Luther and Theosis
Partakers of Divinity: The Orthodox Doctrine of Theosis
Shine As The Sun: C.S. Lewis and the Doctrine of Deification
The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis
Theosis: True Purpose of Human Life
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