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.

"Complete through the 78th General Convention"--Cover.

The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian denomination and claims a membership of some 80 million members in about 164 countries. Given that there are only around two hundred countries in the world, this makes the churches of the Anglican Communion the most geographicallywidespread denomination after Roman Catholicism. The 44 essays in this volume embrace a wide range of academic disciplines: theological; historical; demography and geography; and different aspects of culture and ethics. They are united in their discussion of what is effectively a newinter-disciplinary subject which we have termed "Anglican Studies". At the core of this volume is the phenomenon of "Anglicanism" as this is expressed in different places and in a variety of ways across the world.This Handbook covers a far broader set of topics from a wider range of perspectives than has been hitherto attempted in Anglican Studies. At the same time, it doesn't impose a particular theological or historical agenda. The contributions are drawn from across the spectrum of theological views andopinions. It shows that the unsettled nature of the polity is part of its own rich history; and many will see this as a somewhat lustrous tradition. In its comprehensive coverage, this volume is a valuable contribution to Anglican Studies and helps formulate a discipline that might perhaps promotedialogue and discussion across the Anglican world.