Basileia's Constitution is an expression of Basileia's charism, which is a gift and work of the Holy Spirit in which Jesus' own ongoing life and ministry is manifest.
The Constitution of Basileia expresses our charism, that is, the divine graces, distinctive orientation, spiritual qualifications, cultural ethos and special characteristics of the mission and values granted to us in Jesus Christ for the life of the world.
Our Basileian charism is the dynamic that constitutes who we are, how we live and what we do. Our Constitution merely conveys and explains this. We have a Constitution because we are Basileians and we are Basileians because we have a charism. Writing a Constitution does not make us; it serves us. It is our charism that makes us a unique kingdomcultural expression of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Our Constitution only serves to represent our charism in an official, integrated way that gives a feel and a portrayal of what it means to be Basileian.
The printed version of our Constitution is arranged as follows:
- Overview provides a compact glance at what Parts 1-4 expound on in greater detail.
- Part 1: Our Basileian Charism, like music theory, distills the fundamental parameters and common elements expressed in our Liturgy (Part 2), Catechism (Part 3) and Canons (Part 4).
- Part 2: Our Basileian Mode of Worship shows how the Liturgy immerses us into a new creation reality that forms in us a new feel for the world, which we in turn express in our Basileian way of life as detailed in Part 3.
- Part 3: Our Basileian Way of Life reveals how our Catechism makes us players in a symphony of notes (our disciplines and practices), rhythms (the seasons of the Church Year) and Christlike melodies (of the priestly, prophetic and kingly) that express what we believe by how we live, which our Basileian manner of governance serves as a framework for as described in Part 4.
- Part 4: Our Basileian Manner of Governance outlines our Canons that, as guidelines for growth, release rather than restrict our Basileian way of life and worship.
Together, these four parts form a whole greater than their sum. Each is a doorway into a room bigger on the inside than on the outside, providing a unique vantage point from which to explore the whole. Then, to reinforce the whole, there are Resources, the Glossary and the Appendices.
- Resources lists topics, articles, books, videos and websites to explore further.
- The Glossary defines words and phrases that throughout this Constitution appear in italics followed by an asterisk, as, for example, with Basileia, charism and kingdomcultural.
- The appendices invite discussion about various dimensions of our Basileian charism.
