Athelney     Chapterhouse

       "He with a little band made his way by wood and swamp, and after
                   Easter he made a fort at Athelney, and from that fort kept fighting against the foe..."

---

The Advent issue of the Chapterhouse is now available!

          Vol. 1. 2 A Smiling Providence

---

Athelney Chapterhouse is a Trinitarian cultural journal celebrating the stouthearted sacramental life, the life hid with Christ in God. We see Athelney as an extended conversation on the pleasures of good work, family, good food, laughter, psalm singing, incarnational parish life, connection to place, a rich liturgical heritage, gardening, & eucharistic living.

Our second issue, A Smiling Providence, is finally ready. This Advent edition features Greek literature, Biblical Covenant History, and the great Arch-Victor Christ, the One True God enfleshed, destroyer of the old gods and demons that used to keep mankind in bondage. You should find it fascinating. There are also two short stories, Thunder Oak, a Scandinavian Christmas Tale and In the Days of Athelney by William Canton in two parts. Also check out our extras section, featuring an article about the resurgance of craft, "Activism + Craft = Craftivism", and a local store making a difference called "She's Crafty" selling hand made knit textiles bringing my whole theme round circle. Also a cool timeline of events of Greek Mythology.

Our last issue was Covenant Baptism, and our next issue will feature an exploration of Contemporary American Christianity as Lowest-Common-Denominator Religiosity. One thing ties all these topics together. For early Christians, whose ancestors had only been servants of Thor and Woden a generation or two before, Life in Christ was experienced as the victory of the Lord over the old gods and demons. Athelney Chapterhouse is dedicated to the vision of Christ as High King of Heaven & Arch-Victor over the power of sin and death. Check out Flanging Shaw, noble stories of wonder, bright sadness & Christ the Arch-Victor!

Your Servant,

Rhian of the Enclosure

---

1. Covenant Baptism	All Saints Eve (October 31, 2008) Is Baptism a human obediance or a divine act of saving love? What Old Testament Metaphors are used in the New Testament to shed light on what Baptism is? Does God love our children and can our children be part of the Body of Christ? Covenant Baptism.pdf Extras	"We see in baptism an act of adoption, sealing, and reconciliation preformed by a loving God on our behalf, that we could not have earned, which places us within the Family of God and clothes us in Christ..." Choose "print as a booklet" from Acrobat or Adobe Reader.
2. A Smiling Providence	Advent & St Nicholas of Myra (December 6, 2008) What is the relationship between forknowledge, free will, & providence? What are we to make of the dying and rising gods of pre-Christian myth? The role of women in ancient Greek society. Mankind's yes to God, & why there is no such thing as doctrinal development. A Smiling Providence.pdf Extras	"Welcome all wonders in one sight! Christ, the Son of God and Lord before the ages, who could over fill the whole cosmos is incarnate as a fetus in the womb of the Virgin..." Print 4 pages on one sheet of paper by choosing "print as a booklet" from Acrobat or Adobe Reader.
3. Cheap Grace	(December 18, 2008) What is ordinary Christianity? What does fullness look like? What will it cost us? What is missing from the Eclisial Marketplace. The Incarnational / Sacramental / Biblical worldview which has been replaced by the Abstract hellenic philosophical liberalism of middle class capitalist Americanism. A Sacramental Worldview. Cheap Grace.pdf Extras	"The megachurch, as an architectural form, complete with enormous television screens and weight rooms, is an expression of lowest common denominator evangelical-ISM and an over emotional consumerism no different from the bland, plastic, strip mall JUNKSPACE the boomer generation is notorious for..."
4. Against Christianity	St Stephen (December 26, 2008) What is the relationship between Church and state? Has there ever been a Christian nation? A Christian government? How does Christ's kingdom triumph over the gods and powers of the wicked world? Who follows in His train? Against Christianity.pdf Extras	"That martyr first, whose eagle eye Could pierce beyond the grave; Who saw his Master in the sky, And called on Him to save. Like Him, with pardon on His tongue, In midst of mortal pain, He prayed for them that did the wrong: Who follows in His train?"

---

Please note that I am not a theologian. These papers are not meant to be dogmatic declarations, but like I said, part of a conversation about life in Christ. I want to hear from you.

We confess the undoubted Christian catholic faith (Heidelberg Catechism) that we share with all our Christian brothers and sisters in all times and places. This faith is Apostolic, Middle Eastern, Hebraic, Incarnational, Trinitarian, & Sacramental. In order to know what we believe about anything, please refer to the Nicene Creed and the Apostolic Fathers, particularly "Adversus Haereses" by Irenaeus of Lyons & "On the Incarnation" by St Athanasius. If you find me to be right, I give credit to our venerable Fathers, especially Blessed Augustine, the Great Athanasius, the Great Gregory, Holy Cuthbert, the Venerable Bede, and the great king Alfred.

You are free to share, which is to say, to copy, distribute and transmit, Athelney materials under the following conditions: Attribution: You must attribute the work in an acceptable manner (but not in any way that suggests that we endorse you or your use of the work). Noncommercial: You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Share Alike: If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. Please send a copy of the reprint or subsequent work to me.

We are committed to the maxim that reminds us “Tradition without truth is just the antiquity of error."

Enjoy!
Ryan D. Close
Springfield, Missouri
All Saints Eve
Friday, October 31, 2008

Despair not wholly; though I go from hence : to solitary sojourn in the wilds.

                                                  

The hour is bitter, but we needs must bend : to that high Will which shapes our destiny.

---

If you want the fonts I used to make these documents, now you can download them!

JSL Ancient

JSL Ancient Italic

JSL Blackletter

For PC, after you download them, open your fonts folder from the Control Panel and just drag them in.

Revised: Ryan D. Close / Springfield, Missouri / Monday, December 22, 2008