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The 12 Trusts
The CN Archive Once upon a time, not long ago, an idea was born that made perfect sense. It claimed that the world would greatly benefit if people more actively adopted reason and virtue, and we should make that our personal and cultural goal. It was not unlike the rationale behind the Age of Enlightenment that placed the betterment of humanity at the forefront. What made it different is that it provided a code of behavior related to an even earlier age, called the 12 Trusts. It was not unlike the code of medieval chivalry, but updated for modern times. It called itself “Chivalry-Now” (CN). It also incorporated knowledge and moral lessons derived since the Age of Chivalry, buttressed by intellectual and cultural thought dating back to ancient Greece. It included the clarity of thought derived from Stoic and Epicurean philosophies, and an emphasis on personal responsibility articulated by 20th century Existentialism. It reflected the search for truth gleaned from all ages, including psychology and other sciences, along with insights from other cultures and religions as well. In 2006, a handful of articles were posted on a dedicated website that eventually included the 12 Trusts. It gradually drew the attention of interested people. Looking for group identity that would not be construed as an “order,” the International Fellowship of Chivalry-Now (IFCN) was formed. Two books were published: Chivalry-Now, the Code of Male Ethics, which focused on the 12 Trusts, and The Deeper Quest, which defined the CN Concepts and served as a guidebook for those wishing to become Knights. We are now do most of our outreach through Facebook.
The true power of myth and ritual reflects the age and culture from which it arises. Idealism is similar. Religions and philosophies vary according to time and locale. If they don’t meaningfully adapt to changing times, they lose their way. They can’t serve as vehicles for spiritual growth because their expressions no longer fit an ever-changing world. They hold people back. While chivalry and knighthood remain inspiring, their historical reality is distant from our own. Their appeal becomes one of nostalgic fantasy. There’s nothing wrong with that, so long as we see it for what it is. But there’s more. Nostalgia and fantasy reflect something inside us that is real – feelings that make us prone to their attraction. They point to unmet needs – deeply moral and spiritual that are being stifled by neglect. Despite all our material success, modernity has failed to make human idealism grow, disconnecting us from our inner striving. Chivalry-Now is one response to this. It doesn’t try to resurrect the past or play with fantasy. It takes the cultural ethic of medieval chivalry as a springboard to create something new. It recognizes an ongoing continuum rooted in the earliest strivings of Western thought, urging us to keep it alive by incorporating truth wherever we find it. It does this not as a formal entity, but as a movement composed of individual quests, dedicated to the advancement of human life. Humanity has reached a transitional point when our attachment to myth can be replaced by truth. We can turn our imaginations from fiction to newly discovered information – even on a cosmic level. Our truest validation comes not from shared architypes, but from profound mysteries now grounded in fact, some etched in the microwave boundaries of the Universe, and the bewildering data of quantum mechanics. Our core message is this. The final Quest is here. It’s time for humanity, through us, to grow beyond moral adolescence into new maturity. How? By consistently choosing right from wrong with dedicated resolve. The survival of our planet is not a game. Neither is our advancement as a species. We must wake up and stop pretending we aren’t responsible for our choices… and then carry our destiny forward with new resolve!
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Modern chivalry from a Christian perspective, by Rick Kasparek The Great Realization Speech The
Impossible Dream
Mission Statement: "We come from the shadows as advocates of light — to replace what was lost, fix what was broken, and renew a pervasive conscience long considered dead."
"Taking Back What was Lost"
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