Many Parts, One Body: How the Episcopal Church Works
The dioceses of San Joaquin, Pittsburgh, Fort Worth, and Quincy voted to secede from the Episcopal Church. The bishop of Pittsburgh was deposed for abandonment of communion, with several other bishops removed from ministry in the Episcopal Church after declaring their alignment with other provinces of the Anglican Communion. The diocese of Virginia is in the midst of protracted legal battles with parishes seeking to leave with property, with Virginia lower courts issuing rulings reflecting minority interpretation of The Episcopal Church governance.

What's going on, who's in charge, and what about real-property assets?

In order to determine the locus of authority within the Episcopal Church, political scientist James Dator carefully analyzed the three main styles of constitutional government —confederal, federal, and unitary — and applied them to the Episcopal Church in his 1959 dissertation. Now, working with religious journalist Jan Nunley, who added current legal cases and canonical updates, Dr. Dator’s research offers newfound currency and prescient applicability. Topics include a thorough examination of the Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons, 1782 to present, plus the structure, executive powers, and governing roles of its various parts.

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Many Parts, One Body: How the Episcopal Church Works
The dioceses of San Joaquin, Pittsburgh, Fort Worth, and Quincy voted to secede from the Episcopal Church. The bishop of Pittsburgh was deposed for abandonment of communion, with several other bishops removed from ministry in the Episcopal Church after declaring their alignment with other provinces of the Anglican Communion. The diocese of Virginia is in the midst of protracted legal battles with parishes seeking to leave with property, with Virginia lower courts issuing rulings reflecting minority interpretation of The Episcopal Church governance.

What's going on, who's in charge, and what about real-property assets?

In order to determine the locus of authority within the Episcopal Church, political scientist James Dator carefully analyzed the three main styles of constitutional government —confederal, federal, and unitary — and applied them to the Episcopal Church in his 1959 dissertation. Now, working with religious journalist Jan Nunley, who added current legal cases and canonical updates, Dr. Dator’s research offers newfound currency and prescient applicability. Topics include a thorough examination of the Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons, 1782 to present, plus the structure, executive powers, and governing roles of its various parts.

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Many Parts, One Body: How the Episcopal Church Works

Many Parts, One Body: How the Episcopal Church Works

by James Dator, Jan Nunley
Many Parts, One Body: How the Episcopal Church Works

Many Parts, One Body: How the Episcopal Church Works

by James Dator, Jan Nunley

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Overview

The dioceses of San Joaquin, Pittsburgh, Fort Worth, and Quincy voted to secede from the Episcopal Church. The bishop of Pittsburgh was deposed for abandonment of communion, with several other bishops removed from ministry in the Episcopal Church after declaring their alignment with other provinces of the Anglican Communion. The diocese of Virginia is in the midst of protracted legal battles with parishes seeking to leave with property, with Virginia lower courts issuing rulings reflecting minority interpretation of The Episcopal Church governance.

What's going on, who's in charge, and what about real-property assets?

In order to determine the locus of authority within the Episcopal Church, political scientist James Dator carefully analyzed the three main styles of constitutional government —confederal, federal, and unitary — and applied them to the Episcopal Church in his 1959 dissertation. Now, working with religious journalist Jan Nunley, who added current legal cases and canonical updates, Dr. Dator’s research offers newfound currency and prescient applicability. Topics include a thorough examination of the Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons, 1782 to present, plus the structure, executive powers, and governing roles of its various parts.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780898696400
Publisher: Church Publishing, Incorporated
Publication date: 02/01/2010
Pages: 192
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

James Dator is professor of political science and director of the Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies, Department of Political Science, University of Hawaii at Mānoa.

Jan Nunley is an Episcopal priest and former deputy for communications for the Episcopal Church, and has covered political and legal issues in the Episcopal Church for over twenty years. She lives in Peekskill, New York.

Table of Contents

Preface: The Future Has a Long Fuse ix

Preface to the Original Work xiii

1 What Difference Does It Make? 1

The Controversy 1

Unitary, Federal, and Confederal Government Defined 6

Resolving the Controversy 11

2 The Constitution and Canons 13

The Church in America in 1776 13

Plans for Reconstituting the Church 16

Conventions to Reconstitute the Church 23

The Constitution of 1789 26

The Canons of 1789 29

How the Constitution Was Enacted 31

How the Constitution May Be Amended 46

Conclusions 50

Separation of Powers? 52

3 The Structure of General Convention 54

Overview 54

Who Are the Members? 59

Whom Do They Represent? 63

How Do They Vote? 69

Is General Convention Bicameral 72

Conclusions 73

4 Executive, Administrative, and Judicial Powers 75

What Are Bishops? 75

Bishops' Jurisdiction, Mission, Selection, and the General Church 79

The Presiding Bishop 89

The Executive Council 93

Finances 96

The Judicial System 99

5 Provinces, Dioceses, and the General Church 109

Provinces 109

Dioceses 114

May Dioceses Nullify or Secede? 117

The Church in the Confederate States 118

Admitting New Dioceses 125

Who Is a Member of the Church? 129

6 Summary and Conclusions 133

The Written Constitution 133

General Convention 136

Executive and Judiciary 139

Membership 141

Locus of Sovereignty 142

Final Conclusion 144

Bibliography 146

Appendix 165

I Controversy Concerning the Source of Canon Law 166

The Ancient Canons Do Apply to the Episcopal Church

Hoffman's View

"The Ancient Canons"

Analogy to Common Law

Summary of Hoffman's Position

The Ancient Canons Do Not Apply to the Episcopal Church

Andrews's View

Opinion of Kevin and Brydon

The Importance of This Controversy

II The Constitution of the Confederate Episcopal Church 174

The Official Draft of October 1861

The Accepted Constitution

III The Reformed Episcopal Church 178

The Constitution of the Reformed Episcopal Church

IV Notes and Comments on the Church's Government 180

On the Name of the Church

On Church Parties

On Parish Government

On "Divided Votes" in the House of Deputies

On the Use of the Word "Mission"

Quotations Showing Conflicting Opinions Regarding the Meaning of the Constitution Enacted in 1789

Quotations Showing Conflicting Opinions Regarding the Extent of General Conventions Power

Official Church Acts Showing the Relationship of the Episcopal Church to the Church of England

Civil Court Cases Involving the Episcopal Church

On "Sovereignty"

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