Conciliarity and dispersed authority from Nicaea to the Archbishops’ Council
Abstract
Abstract Nicaea and the local church culture from which it emerged are examined to reveal that the lower clergy and laity had a distinct role in acclamation. They voted in episcopal elections and enjoyed a more intimate relation with their bishop. These elements of a dispersed authority are then used to critique contemporary governance in the Church of England as under- and over-centralised and to call for a renewal of a Dionysian understanding of hierarchy as enabling a more spiritual understanding both of episcopacy and of the participation of the whole people of God.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Theology and Canon Law Studies
Historical and Religious Studies of Rome
Catholicism and Religious Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Ecclesiastical Law Journal
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 65–80
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN