The Holy Spirit uses – the works of the Christian saint, to guide and build up the Church into the image of Christ. An instrument is a work: of art; effort, organisation, teaching written or spoken, book, that helps us to grow in our faith; think of the writing of C.S Lewis or of older Church Fathers. Some of these instruments became elevated to the standard of discipleship; think of how Saint Luke’s instrument of his biography of the Lord in sequential order; and the Acts of the Apostles; were created for the discipleship of Theophilus – but then found themselves standard reading for all Christians for all time – it was made canonical to use it in your discipleship. Instruments are created to meet needs of discipleship – to help with the life of the Church. They sometimes never become canons in the life the Church – this of the idea of wearing the scapula, a non universal practice in the Roman Catholic Church (and rightly so given the superstitions that surround it). The sinners prayer – nearly achieved canonical status amongst protestants at one point; though its popularity has diminished; in some circles it achieved almost sacred standing.
Instruments therefore are the right and proper use of the creativity of the Church – to the purpose of building one another up in the Lord; and once ‘labelled’ it is not hard to sea the ocean of them with which we are surrounded in the life of the Church in every tradition and branch.
Chivalry – was once such an instrument – that achieved – canonical status in the feudal world to govern the lives of its warrior class (an integral group the Feudal make up). This sought to ‘disciple a class of Christians’ in how to be Christ like – in their profession and place in the social order. It was fashioned – quite deliberately by the Church to make a Christian cavalry man a gentleman; precisely because they had become the bandits of France; causing chaos in society. This had happened because of the break down in the social order France because of Viking incursions. The Chivalric Code – was aimed at baptising and putting the various men at arms – to good use and a Christ cantered expression of the life as warriors. It was not that their was a code book written and given to cavalry men; but rather a series of virtues esteemed in song and ballad and poem and story; that was esteemed – which was told in the courts of Europe that cultivated this code; therefore, to some degree what we deem as the historical code of chivalry is somewhat open to interpretation and distillations of the code vary; depending on how familiar the writer is with the source material. However certain common themes can be seen – and the code from medieval times – can be distilled into lists that look something like this:
- Prowess (Proece): Excellence in combat, military skill, and physical strength.
- Courage (Hardement): Bravery in the face of death, pain, or overwhelming odds.
- Loyalty (Feauté): Absolute fidelity to one’s liege lord, swearing to protect their land and honor.
- Honor (Onor): Maintaining a spotless reputation; adhering to a strict moral code even when it is disadvantageous.
- Piety: Devotion to God, regular attendance at Mass, and defending the Christian Church.
- Justice: A commitment to upholding what is right and protecting the weak, particularly widows, orphans, and the disenfranchised.
- Mercy (Franchise): Granting clemency to defeated enemies who ask for quarter, rather than killing out of anger.
- Generosity (Largesse): Bestowing gifts, sharing wealth, and hosting lavishly; hoarding wealth was seen as anti-chivalric.
- Courtesy (Cortoisie): Politeness, refined speech, and elegant manners in the noble court, especially toward women.
- Humility: Shunning personal vanity and boasting; attributing victory to God or one’s companions rather than oneself.
- Constancy: Reliability, emotional stability, and keeping one’s word or oaths at all costs.
It takes no great imagination or skill of research to find all of these characteristics esteemed in scripture; and so the argument; where is the chivalric code in scripture is a redundant one – it is everywhere – the church collected together traits from scripture – as a package worked for the times it was in; to disciple men who needed an image of how to be a Christian Cavalryman (or warrior in general). It was from this code of chivalry – that western concept of the rules of war were developed out of this code of chivalry. Modern manners, especially towards women; until recent times were framed within the concept of chivalry; and its connection to romantic courting conduct; still echoes in our ears. Partly as it discipled the knights of old – how to behave around and towards women; with gentleness, courtesy, and respect.
These virtues would be sealed in by oath; which within the religious orders; looked like the solemn vows of baptism we all take – in that they would respond to a series of questions; aimed at examining the intentions and commitment of those being received into the said order. So for example as knights were received into the Knights Templar they would go through a response that looked something like this:
The Master asked:
“Do you promise to God and to Our Lady Mary that you will be obedient all your life to the Master of the Temple, and to the commanders who shall be placed over you?”
The candidate answered:
“Yes, sir, with the help of God.”
The Master asked:
“Do you promise to God and to Our Lady Mary that you will live in chastity of your body all your life, and that you will live without personal property, and in community?”
The candidate answered:
“Yes, sir, with the help of God.”
The Master then concluded the oath by welcoming him into the brotherhood:
“And we, by the authority of our Lord the Pope and the Chapter, receive you and your soul into the benefits of the Order, as you receive us into yours. We promise you bread and water, the poor clothing of the Order, and plenty of labor and toil.”
Such orders still exist today – such as the knights of St John Hospitaller; which has three ranks first, second and third class knights and Dames. These men and now women are then committed to the rule of organisation and the ends to which it was formed; which could have been both secular or religious in nature.
In the world today – we have a rise of gang culture that is pulling youth away from the Christian faith; and many Christian men who are failing to perform certain basic Christian duties and rise to the challenges that the Church is facing because of something missing in our discipleship. Thus; I want suggest strongly we have a real need for a new code of chivalry. I am not here going to seek to prove that their is a need – I am going to take it the reader recognises this need through their own observations. However; to the lay the way open to our new code of chivalry; I will highlight the three rubrics of the current problems of masculinity to which the Church might once again employ the code of Chivalry for the modern context.
The Christian man faces models of manhood which are not compatible with the Christian faith. Two of them are at least contrasts with one another; the effeminised male of progressive modern feminism; and the other is the toxic man of the Andrew Tate kind; both of which feed on the hatred of the other. The Christian man – should be guided between these two rocks upon which he might crash his soul; and steer a course that is Christ cantered, kingdom seeking, and trinity glorifying; but fashioned as the kind of man that the Church needs now. We find both types of these kinds of men in the Church; the first more in protestant Churches; and the second in more catholic churches, as a rule or tendency; not as a science. However, their is a third, the well meaning ineffective man – or the man more akin to Ned Flanders out of the Simpsons; than either of the two; basically competent good and well meaning but not of any worldly consequence and achieving little for the Church and the Kingdom.
A modern code of Chivalry; which should be taught man to man in the Church; at our mens breakfast groups, in our mens bible studies, and – yes – within new chivalrous orders goes something like this:
Courage: The Christian man must face all his fears; and all fearful situations with bravery, with courage; he must especially face down the enemies of the Church without flinching. This should not become bravado; or bluster or performance; but inner resolve. He must girdle himself with valour and be willing to take on the challenges with which the Church is faced both internally and externally.
justice: He should pursue what is just in society – the upholding or the right and the forbidding of what is wrong; he must oppose evil and oppression within society; such as racial prejudice, or dhimmitude, or slavery, he must fight that the image of GOD is honoured in all, by all – all of the time. That those things in himself or other, or society at large or any ideology – that would besmirch the image of GOD in all; be opposed.
Mercy: the ultimate aim of His actions; is to bring people to restoration with GOD; any force should be used like a scalpel to lay the best conditions to bring people to restoration before GOD; and he should not be motivated by greed, fame, revenge or hatred (even of those that deserve it). He should aim to be as gentle as the situation permits him to be; and should practice self control; not taking advantage of his advantages over others, for his own benefit or gain.
Generosity: he should sacrificial for the good of the church and in the pursuance of the Kingdom; in the use of his time, energy, resources and skills; and should lay all at the service of the Church as directed by his spirtual father or mother; or as the needs of the church demands. He should have a special concern for all those Christians who are in need – that he can through effort assist; most especially the persecuted Church. He should be a man of hospitality, gregarious and generous to guests, refugees, and those asking for his protection.
Faithfulness: the Christian man should be a man firmly and with resolve committed to the path of Christ and seeking to be forcefully committed to the Kingdom of GOD; establishing the Church and her teaching wherever he can, in embodied practice. He should be willing to die for the cause of the Kingdom and offer up every sacrifice necessary for the achievement of its establishment in some form. He must be committed to the cause of the Christian Church in all quarters and by all means. He must be a man of his word, keeping to his vows of baptism, of marriage, or any other vows he has sealed his commitments in with; including his secular contractual obligations so long as these do not contradict the faith. He should be a man of his word. He should look to GOD each day for His guidance and the source of his hope; remembering always to see himself and the world in terms of the teaching of the Apostles.
Self Controlled: The Christian man should govern his own thoughts, his own emotions and his own conduct at all times; he should aspire to rigorous self control; so as to avoid surrendering to vices that tempt him. He is someone who will act with intention and focus; not to his own advantage but to the building up of the Church and the Kingdom of GOD. He must watch over his own soul and cultivate a serious discipleship in the Lord by employing disciplines in his own life.
Hope: The Christian man must be a man who acts upon the faith that we have upon the values, that emerge from the Christian worldview fully; in the sure belief that his sacrifices and actions do have a real affect in bringing the Kingdom of GOD to earth and do indeed build up the Church. He must approach the challenges and sacrifices that are part of the Christian walk; with cheerfulness and positivity. Celebrating in persecutions and encouraging brethren in dark times of trial.
Other character traits could of course be added; and refinement through reflection of this code would be an inevitable development – but what is sorely needed across Christendom – is a language of what Christian masculinity looks like; what is our answer to the question of what a man should become and how do we drive the conversation. The knights of old; and the a code of chivalry, which borrows from the past and accounts for the present – is the obvious way to drive such discipleship forward.
The body of Christ has never stopped having ‘orders’ committed to special causes; it is just in modern times we call them charities, societies, missions and so on; however, and it does not need orders to teach a new code of chivalry; it just needs a culture of it, amongst its men. However, we do need new orders: to prepare men to meet the challenges of our day; the persecution of the church, the breakdown and collapse of the western social order, the challenge of Islam, communism and ethno-nationalism or sectarianism amongst Christians – are all places; where the church needs to be galvanised more in its response. The response to poverty is well covered and groups abound; but what groups are there that are dealing with the crisis of family creation in the Church and its demographic collapse. What groups exist seeking to build unity across the body of Christ, what groups are mobilising to reverse Islamisation across the world. Such organisation is surely needed; and men should be leading the charge, however, men need to discipled so that they are psychologically and ideologically and emotionally and physically equipped to do so. That is where para church organisations come in; where a new chivalric code can be used and cultivated; and where the Church can begin to meet the challenges it faces. The Bishops and leadership networks of the church – should be calling such organisations into being, sponsoring and patronising such movements; and where they fail; the code, demands the lay Christian man should set up his own secular organisations operating outside of the government of the Church – but seeking her patronage if she will bless it.
That is why I established ‘The Order’ a group designed to teach Christians fitness through martial arts; because these are two areas where the ‘life of the church’ has failed to address; the need for martial prowess amongst its men, and the physical health and fitness of male members; and a secondary or auxiliary cause of the Order to teach a modern code of how to be a Christian man and provide an image of Christian masculinity into the culture.
