Our Beliefs

We believe that human happiness is to a significant degree a consequence of the state of the world and that the state of the world is largely a product of human action, and that human action is largely a consequence of human mental character and thinking.

Our Values

Humanitas

Humanitas is Good-Mindedness. Where there is Community it is a great benefit if there is also Humanity alongside it. Humanity helps to ensure that the Community works to the good – both for its members and in its relations to the rest of society. Humanity also supports Piety, for Goodmindedness is needed to know what is genuine piety and what is an inadequate or false substitute.

Humanitas has something to do with personal character, something to do with knowledge and understanding and something to do with what we might call mental sophistication. Development of Humanitas can come in part from the everyday experiences of life if it is rich enough in suitable occasions, in part from educational activities and in part from spiritual practices.

Pietas

Piety is about having good values and taking actions that reflect good values and uphold the good society and good existence.

Eutaxis (& Communitas)

Eutaxis literally means ‘Good arrangement of things’. We use the word to mean ‘Good Order in the world at large’. Of particular interest to us is the strength and health of community.

Communitas is Community. Communitas is not so much ‘a community’ but a particular quality of social interaction which can be characterised by willingness to give to each other – or to make efforts on each others behalf.

Development of Communitas depends on people coming together in shared activity under conditions which encourage contribution and shared experience.

Sodalitas

Sodalitas is fellowship. A Sodality is a group of people who have banded together for mutual support and who engage in shared practices such as rituals , spiritual activities, study or communal meals.

In Roman times membership of a Sodality was particularly attractive for those who had moved away from their native villages into the cities or into military service and wanted to reclaim some of the closeness and support they had had in the rural community.

A Sodality would have had quite a small membership. The size of the meeting places of Mithraic Sodality suggest that not more than 25 people could have met together at the same time.

For people today membership of a Sodality can also bring promise of community for those who feel its lack – a pervasive problem in modern society.

A Sodality requires activities for people to be engaged in – and these are typically in the first instance inward-directed activities – i.e. ones focussed on the needs of the people engaged in them rather than outward-focussed ones (such as economic work).

However the benefits of a Sodality should be to develop its members abilities and ability to work together so that they can work as a team on whatever they wish – and this might include engaging in economic activities with fellow members.