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It is imperative in the day and age in which we live, that Christian leaders understand the law as it relates to pastors, churches, and non-profit organizations. Christian Leaders must have an understanding of the laws affecting pastors, and why they are important for church boards and ministers to know. Dr. Charles C. Lantz uses court cases to help define and explain the legal distinction of ministerial status and its implications for pastors and church boards. This brief and concise handbook on Church Law addresses clergy employment contracts, compensation, termination, legal privileges and conditions of ministers, and the legal authority of ministers on behalf of the church. Also, the more common theories of clergy legal liability are examined. The laws of today are more complex than they ever have been, and lawyers are in the business of making “BIG BUCKS.” They are able to do this because, unfortunately, many pastors and church leaders are ignorant about the law. There are now more legal problems and lawsuits against churches than in any other era. Therefore, it is imperative that the minister/pastor be aware of legal issues, and potential problems that can come their way if they are not careful in handling church members, non-members and counseling situations, in particular. Church leaders must become aware of the potential legal problems that can result from relationships with parishioners, as well as legal problems with employees. Pastor, beware of the dangers that are lurking in the world of lawyers, lawsuits, and the American Legal System. Every Pastor, Full-Time Church Leader, and Christian Minister, needs to purchase a copy of this concise handbook on Church Law.
Not only inefficiency, but frustration, disorder, anger, and injustice threaten all human endeavors, no matter how pure their motives or high their ideals. That's why successful organizations always create employee handbooks and clear procedure manuals that delineate where authority lies, how conflicts are to be resolved, and, above all, how each organization's mission is (and is not) to be accomplished. Is it any wonder then that the Catholic Church—comprised not of 200 persons but 1.2 billion members in 200 countries—also governs itself by means of a handbook, which it calls the Code of Canon Law? Because handbooks and manuals concern themselves with the day-to-day inner working of organizations, they often reveal more than do news releases about the actual purposes and genuine spirit of organizations: a fact that's particularly true in the case of the Catholic Church. Indeed, if you want to know the Church for who She is, you need to be familiar with the Code of Canon Law. Unfortunately, it contains over 1,752 rules (or canons). Among them, you'll find fascinating canons that lay out the Church's official principles and procedures governing matters as various as abbots and annulments, scandals and Sacraments, monks and missions, bishops and books, priests and popes, synods and sacraments, homeschoolers, hostile witnesses, baptisms, burials, parishes, penance, confessions, Councils, impotence, imprimaturs, and, even marriages to the person who murdered your spouse! Thankfully, Vatican expert and veteran author Fr. Laurence Spiteri has in the pages of Canon Law Explained relieved you of the need to read all 1,752 of them (fascinating or not). Here he acquaints you with the fundamental canons by which the Church seeks to bring about, as it declares in the very last canon, the purpose all of them serve: "The salvation of souls, which must always be the supreme law in the Church." Fr. Spiteri's brief, but lucid explanations of the origins and meaning of the canons make sense of much that puzzles non-Catholics about our Church and that sometimes frustrates even us Catholics. As he relates the Church's laws and procedures directly to Christ's command "to go forth and teach all nations"—and to the role those laws and procedures play in your salvation and mine—Fr. Spiteri transforms what seem to be dry-as-dust rules into the sweet waters of salvation. If you want to know the Church for who She is—and to love Her more—Canon Law Explained is the book for you.
Excerpt from A Handbook of Church Law In conclusion I would say that we cannot hope to succeed in our little contribution to the work without the help of many others, who can add their experience to our own. We therefore ask for suggestions and corrections, in order that we may make the series as complete as possible, and may improve those volumes which are already published should. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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This handy reference provides a compact overview of the most important canonical issues facing pastoral ministers today. Arranged by topic, this resource offers a thorough summary of church law along with helpful sections of frequently asked questions at the end of the chapters.
"James Coriden offers a vision of canon law in the Catholic Church - seeing it not as an instrument of control but as a guide and guarantee of freedom for believers. In the process he emphatically joins the ongoing debate about the role of church law, a debate that he believes "will have profound implications for the long term," possibly reshaping the law and indeed "the very face of the church." While his message is addressed primarily to professional canonists, it will resonate among all Catholics who care about the way their church functions." "The view of canon law that unfolds in these pages is that of a ministry that upholds the freedom of believers and the good order of the community. This is based on the assumption that "church" is first of all a local community rather than a global structure. The test of effective law depends upon its service to the lived experience of its members in their own cultural, economic and social situations." "The concluding section of this book sets forth "An Urgent Agenda for the Future of the Ministry," particularly in the way church law is revised and amended."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
