DEVELOP NOBLE CHARACTERBUILD YOUR INTEGRITY - RESTORE YOUR DIGNITYACHIEVE YOUR HIGHEST POTENTIALRECEIVE GOD'S GRACEFor centuries the ideals of chivalry and knighthood have inspired people to strive for a higher standard of honor and integrity and to endeavor toward their highest moral and spiritual potential.The purpose of this book is to guide both men and women who struggle with immorality and other life-controlling issues to completely reform their lives according to morally and ethically correct principles and authentic Christian values through the ideals of chivalry and knighthood.In a refreshing new way the author engages and inspires readers to strive to lead an authentic Christian life, become the person God intends them to be (the person they're meant to be) by becoming a Christian Knight who honors the King of Kings as an exemplar of the redemption that is theirs through God's grace and then endeavors to influence and inspire others to do likewise through strong Christian leadership.James Thomas Ward draws from his fast personal experience and successful efforts to completely reform his own life to enlighten readers to this method of effective Christian reform. No matter what your personal history or background, if you have a genuine desire to become a better person, this book is for you.
In an attempt to discover what has become hidden within the growing darkness of our society, Knight of the Grail Code examines the source of our natural, moral instincts and how following these transcendent morals can lead to physical, mental, and sociological health. We discover the source of our morality and find that--like the Grail--it gives us health and life. And also like the Grail, it is the quest for its discovery that reveals our true nature.
A generation is rising up to care for the hurting and oppressed. Committed to changing the world, they are passionate about justice and willing to fight for it. But what would that same justice look like if we lived it in our private lives—close to home, with our family and friends? In Chivalry, Zach Hunter dares young men and women to view their lives as a quest, challenging them to develop their own personal code that will prepare them to defend others and live with civility and integrity. Zach reframes chivalry in a modern context. He looks at everyday life as a grand adventure and shares ancient wisdom from the Bible, insightful stories, and practical examples to help you develop your own code of honor—and live a life of significance.
Whether you are a lover of Medieval European history, serve in the military, a martial artist, or seek to understand the legacy of the European warrior ethos and how Chivalry applies to the modern man, then this book is for you. The Chivalric Code- written by a former Marine, lifelong martial artist and theologian- accomplishes three great tasks. First, it outlines the need for a revival of Chivalry as a western warrior ethos. Second, the book surveys the various chivalric codes of the European Middle Ages, meshing them into a common list of twelve virtues. Third, the author masterfully writes a poem for each of the twelve virtues in an ancient Celtic form that not only gives reverence to the legacy of Chivalry, but aids the modern practitioner in their memorization. Whether you are a combatant on the literal battlefield, competing in martial tournaments, on the battlefield of business, or a spiritual leader- if you are looking for an authentic Knightly code to govern yourself by- you must absorb this book into your life. The Chivalric Code has been peer reviewed by some of the greatest Historical European Martial Artists (HEMA) and scholars of our time. Many of their reviews are included in the work and excerpts are given on the back cover. The Author, Jonathan Nathaniel Hayes, has spent his life as a literal and spiritual warrior. He has not only served honorably as a United States Marine, but also as an ordained minister. he is also the author of "A Mix of Mud and Stardust: The Poetry Prose and Prophecies of a Celtic Christian"And"MUSH: Leadership Lessons Learned from a Lead Dog."
The social system of 'courtly love' soon spread after becoming popularized by the troubadours of southern France in the twelfth century. This book codifies life at Queen Eleanor's court at Poitiers between 1170 and 1174 into "one of those capital works which reflect the thought of a great epoch, which explain the secret of a civilization."
If the world is torn by divisions, if the peoples are through into the confusion of mutual hostility, how is the world to be healed, how are the peoples to be reconciled, if not through such a new chivalry? You are being called into battle as a gentleman. And this battle consists first and foremost in ruling over yourself, and then in bringing the peace of harmony with God into the world around you. As a gentleman, you are called to uphold justice and to resist injustice, to serve that which is holy in the world, without reservation and without salary, to care for the weak, the persecuted, and the wronged, to take care of creation as it groans, and of the bruised reed, because it is God's will that it not be broken.In my own of research and teaching over the years I've been able to delve into chivalric literature and the evolution of nobility, and what I've uncovered from the tomes of history I share now with you, men and women of all ages, in this simple guide -- a chivalric code drawn from the ancient text that over the centuries gave birth to the ideal of a Christian chivalry. I've been guided since I was a young child by the principles laid out in the Rule of St. Benedict, and recently completed a new translation of the ancient work. It also happens, that historically the code of chivalry for the knights of the middle ages was drawn from and explicitly modeled on the way of life of the benedictine monks, and later by the mendicant friars. In what follows, the text of the Introduction, the Conclusion, and the "Tools for Doing Good" are taken directly from the 1,500 year old text, the Rule of St. Benedict. The rules themselves, as well as the "Way of Perfection", are principles drawn from or summaries of the more salient points enumerated by St. Benedict that serve as a firm foundation for a chivalric code to which a man or woman of our day can pledge themselves to uphold.You see, to be a gentleman or gentlewoman is not about merely following some set of rules or book of etiquette. It is about pledging yourself to a code of honor, and striving to conform all aspects of your life to it. Chivalry, the way of the Christian knight, both in its various historical manifestations, and in its eternal spirit, exists to guide men and women in how to live uprightly in the world -- to conquer themselves and achieve self-mastery in service to a higher good. Such a gentleman or gentlewoman is sent into the world to resist injustice and to preserve justice, to to care for the weak, the persecuted, and the wronged, to take care of creation as it groans, and of the bruised reed, because it is God's will that it not be broken. Such a chivalry means a responsibility, a responsibility he or she can only carry out by serving that which is holy in the world, the hidden Grail and the order that radiates out from it."There must always be men [and women] who serve that which is holy in this world without reservation and without salary, caring for the weak, the persecuted and the insulted, renewing the authority of law and fighting against injustice. The knight exists for the sake of everyone; that is his [or her] proper position in the world." -- Hans Urs Von BalthasarThus, inspired by the need for a renewal of this kind of knighthood in our own day, and the desire to see my children become true gentlemen and gentlewomen, I compiled this new code of chivalry drawn from Saint Benedict's Rule for Beginners -- the very code itself that has guided and directed the lives of countless men and women to become true gentlemen and gentlewomen for over 1,500 years, and continues to breathe new life into the world today.
On the great influence of a valiant lord: "The companions, who see that good warriors are honored by the great lords for their prowess, become more determined to attain this level of prowess." On the lady who sees her knight honored: "All of this makes the noble lady rejoice greatly within herself at the fact that she has set her mind and heart on loving and helping to make such a good knight or good man-at-arms." On the worthiest amusements: "The best pastime of all is to be often in good company, far from unworthy men and from unworthy activities from which no good can come." Enter the real world of knights and their code of ethics and behavior. Read how an aspiring knight of the fourteenth century would conduct himself and learn what he would have needed to know when traveling, fighting, appearing in court, and engaging fellow knights. Composed at the height of the Hundred Years War by Geoffroi de Charny, one of the most respected knights of his age, A Knight's Own Book of Chivalry was designed as a guide for members of the Company of the Star, an order created by Jean II of France in 1352 to rival the English Order of the Garter. This is the most authentic and complete manual on the day-to-day life of the knight that has survived the centuries, and this edition contains a specially commissioned introduction from historian Richard W. Kaeuper that gives the history of both the book and its author, who, among his other achievements, was the original owner of the Shroud of Turin.
For years, the men of the Church have sat quietly by and watched as society fell further and further into darkness. No longer, in this book Author, Counselor, and moral commenter D. Michl Lowe takes some bold steps towards empowering men to stand up and be counted in the fight for the culture. Christian masculinity needs a resurgence and it's time for men to take hold of that idea. The masculine leaders and protectors of this world need to rise up.
Born in Ireland in 1800 of English Stock and raised in a strongly Protestant surrounding, Kenelm Henry Digby entered the Roman Catholic Church while writing his first great masterpiece; The Broadstone of Honour, first published in 1822. The Broadstone treats of the origin, spirit and institutions of Christian Chivalry and the true practice of the same. It was his deep study of these lofty ideals and the "Ages of Faith," which he had been raised to despise, that led him to his conversion. Maxims of Christian Chivalry was edited bt Nicholas Dillon, O.F.M. in 1924, taking essential bits from The Broadstone and categorizing them into a book which could well serve as a manual for the Catholic Knight. Some headings include: Definition of Honour * Definition of Chivalry * Motto of Chivalry * Rules of Chivalry * Extracts from the Book of Chivalrous Instruction * Religious Orders of Knighthood * Preparation for Knighthood * List of Famous Knights * Facing Death * The Voice of Nature * Fruits of Solitude * Reverence for True Womanhood * The Divine Office * Church Music * All Things in Christ...but a small sampling. Foreword by Robert Kane, S.J.
