Thelema is the main human religion on the known parts of the world. It has an official history of 1400 years.
The faith in Thelema is exclusive, denying the validity of other, older religons and dismissing their gods as merely supernatural beings.
Concepts[]
Thelemian faith is described and recorde in two main Holy Books. The Book of the Kingdom, describing the faith's concepts and the Book of Kings, describing the history of the early church in the years of Akelon.
In addition to those there is vvast ammount of ecclesiastical histories in various churches that are recognised as Holy Writ.
Human Soul[]
All humans have a free soul, something all other races of the world lack. The existence of this immortal soul is what gives them access to the Celestial Kingdom of God.
God[]
In Thelema God is not the creator, neither of the world, nor of humans. God is the essense that brings human societies from chaos and animalistic habits to virtue and glory. According to the faith, men existed before Thelema, but they lived in violence and vanity. What essentially makes men different from animals is their soul, which is the Thelema (Will) of God inside them. In essence what God wishes them to become in His Kingdom. That is where talent, dedication and inclination come for.
The Kingdom[]
The main element of faith in the Thelemian faith is the concept of the The Kingdom of Heaven. God, is the King and from him spread the Realms, like the rays of the sun.
The societies of men are pious and orderly as long as they reflect this celstial structure of the Kingdom and recreate it. In this concept the Holy Magnus of the first church was the Spiritual King of the World, reflecting God on Earth.
Alternate authority that seek to diverge a man's life from his path are False Kings. All other gods, except for the real one can only be such falce kings.
Traditional Theology suggests that the Heavenly Kingdom is not a symbolic notion but a real celestial authority, populated by the spirits of those who have led a virtuous and faithful life. When such a person dies, his immortal Soul joins the Celestial Kingdom.
The Corrupted Spirits[]
The Corrupted Spirits are Evil Demons and enemies of the Thelemian faith. The Corrupted Spirits are believed to be renegade Divinities that have detatched themselves from the Celestial Kingdom, Posing as false Kings trying to corrupt human into their own worship.
When corrupted humans die their Souls come under the command of the Corrupted Spirit.
The Path[]
According to the Thelemian faith the time a man spend in the Kingdom of Earth is a preparation for his time in the Kingdom of Heaven. Each man has his place as appointed by faith, which prepares him for his place in heaven. A man can only ascend in the Kingdom of heaven thrugh a path of eight progressive steps:
- Right View - Realizing the Truth of God.
- Right Intention - Commitment to mental and ethical growth.
- Right Speech - One speaks in a non hurtful, not exaggerated, truthful way.
- Right Action - Wholesome action, avoiding action that would do harm.
- Right Livelihood - One's way through life does not harm in any way oneself or others; directly or indirectly.
- Right Effort - One makes an effort to improve.
- Right Mindfulness - Mental ability to see things for what they are with clear consciousness.
- Right Concentration - Wholesome understanding and dedication to the Will of God.
Ecclesiastical History[]
Years 0-100:
King Akelon establishes the realm that is to become the Erkatian Emprire. He makes Thelema the official (and only legal religion).
Years 100-500:
- Thelema spreads to the East through missionaries, beyond the borders of the Erkatian empire.
Year 500:
In the East the various autonomous churches are united by the Grant Magnus Arodious, one of Akelon’s grandsons. The Eastern Holy Church (Thelema) emerges.
Year 1185:
Strange events in the Western desert, concerning Undead and Infernal Spirits, force the countries of the East to send a crusade to support the Western churches against the threat. Many nobles answer the call. Several chivalric orders form.
Year 1231:
The “Threat in the West” declines. The Grand Magnus recalls most of the crusader orders home, leaving only the Purifiers (Ordo Purgatio Occidentalis) back West, in the city of Urizen, as a pledge of his continued support to the purging of the West.
Year 1269:'
May - The Purifiers (Ordo Purgatio Occidentalis) are recalled to the East. Their leaders refuse to return and are excommunicated by the Grand Magnus.
June – The Council of Ministers takes place in Plancy. The Church Ministers of the entire East are summoned to discuss the authority of the Magnus in excommunicating a whole order only by his own decision. The four countries that remain faithful to the Magnus send no representativesThe Magnus declares the Council and its decisions void.The Eastern Churches (except for Cartagen, Sorena, Celase and Lygeia) decide to autonomize and establish an annual Council of Ministers. They become the Sectarian churches.
Year 1357:'
February - A commission of the Purifiers, named Ordo Purgatio Orientalis, returns to the East, creating an autonomous monastery in Thuringia.The Magnus declares them as corrupt servants of the Devils that come to spread their lies to the East.
June – The Purifiers decline an invitation to join the annual Council of Ministers in Plancy. A fight breaks up in the Council, over their right to be recognized as a valid church completely autonomous from the rest acceptance of the Purifiers, as a valid church.most Northern countries along with Fynn , Sjaeland and Burnholm recognize them, and depart from the council, becoming autonomous, loosely connected churches, the Reformed Sectarian Churches.Lang-Ygdree, Lothian , Thuringia , Plancy and the smaller states that border them do not recognize their right.
July – The order’s monastery in Thuringia is attacked and besieged. Finally the monastery falls. Many Purifiers are executed. Some escape to the North where they are accepted and establish monasteries.They are officially considered heretics to be executed in Lothian and all countries south of it.
Churches[]
In 1402 the Thelemian faith is structured in the following manner:
Thelema (Eastern Church)[]
The Eastern Church supports its own (Latin) version of the scriptures as the original document, written by several evangelists and inspired by God. It is divided in four branches.
Cognitarian Church[]
The Cognitarian church rules over the Four Southern countries, Lygeia , Cartagen , Sorena and Celase. They are ruled by the authority of the Holy Magnus, who currently resides in Lygeia. They are the first church of the West.
Sectarian Churches[]
They are led by council of Plancy, held every June. They accept the rituals of the Cognitarians, yet they belive in each man's understanding of the concepts of faith. They have thus translated the Books in their own languages, something deemed illegal by the Cognitarian Church. They deny the authority of the Magnus over the church.
Reformed Sectarian Churches[]
They are a group of independent national churches, with no central authority, sometimes not even on national
Reformed Sectarian Sun
level. They consider the Cognitarian church as an evil False Kingdom on earth, led by a Magnus anxious only for material authority. They deny the sanctity of the clergy, supporting that every man can be a priest for his own accord. Priests exist, but without any vestments.
The only church members allowed to wear vestment are monk and friars who are recognised, not as spiritualy superior but merely as men who chose to withdraw from society, dedicating their lives to God, or as people who chose to dedicate themselves to local societies and provide material help in the name of God.
Ordo Purgatio Occidentalis[]
Intricate Sun from a Purifier Sanctuary
The Purifiers who denied to return to the East at the command of the Magnus as oart of the Crusades. They believe in the constant battling of evil and name as priest only people who have rose to higher ranks in knightly orders. As a church it is rather elitist as it only accepts Knight and members of Orders. They do not deny the validity of other churches. They just their own church as an institution with a special duty to the Kingdom of Heavens.
Western Church (Church of the True Faith)[]
The western church recognises the Arabian version of the scripture as the original one, written initially by God himself.
Church of the Sun[]
They are closer to the eastern church, with which they have a great bond since the Crusades. They have long communed with the Purifiers and respect them and their teachings.
Church of the Right Path[]
Traditional Erkatian sun, used by the True Path
They are great purists. They believe the earthly kingdom is a place where they are tested in the use of their judgment. they deny any kind of magic and even miracles. They believe God performs no miracles, and any supernatural effect is only an attempt to lead the astray.
They have denied the presense of the Purifiers in the West.