Researching Canon Law

By Don Ford

Don Ford is Head of Research and FCIL (Foreign, Comparative, & International Law) at the University of Iowa College of Law Library. He holds a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law (1985), an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences (2002), a BA (International Relations) from the American University (1980), and a BA (German Area Studies) from the American University (1980).

Published September/October 2024

(Previously updated in March 2015, and in November/December 2020)

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1. Introduction

This is a legal research guide to Canon Law in the Catholic Church (both Roman and Eastern Rites), the Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Churches, the Lutheran Churches, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (L.D.S. or Mormons).[1] Why should American legal scholars and practitioners care about religious law? Canon law has affected the development of common law in areas such as marriage and inheritance. In addition, religious law may induce administrative behavior that must be explained at some point during litigation or as part of a transaction (e.g., a sale or purchase of real estate). For example, New York currently has a secular divorce law originally designed to address an issue in Orthodox Jewish law.[2]

“Canon” comes from the Greek word kanon, meaning “reed, rod, or ruler.”[3] American attorneys are familiar with such usage as “legal ethics canons.” The Latin regula (rule or model) is another way of expressing a canon, as in “rules of legal ethics.” However, the word “law” is nomos in Greek and lex in Latin. The intermediate concept of “ius” can mean a “legal system…or a subjective right…or the objective of justice, that which is right, due, or just.”[4] The legal code for the Catholic Roman Rite is entitled Codex Iuris Canonici. Thus, the translation of “law” for ius demonstrates the challenges in translating concepts. Although the practicality and concreteness of Roman law have influenced canon law, the higher spiritual considerations leave their imprint in the Roman Rite and Eastern Rite Codes.

In fact, in the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches the word “law” never appears in the code titles. In the Eastern Catholic Church, the relevant volume is the Code of Canons of the Eastern Church. The Orthodox Churches have no specific code but often refer to a collection of documents called the Pedalion (Greek; literally, “rudder”).[5] In the Anglican and Lutheran churches, relatively few canons directly impact lay people in dogmatic or devotional practices. Anglican and Lutheran canon law tend to be more administrative in scope, with a heavy emphasis on church property issues.

Finally, the ecclesiastical legal practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (L.D.S.) are included because of its significant presence in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States and because of its increasing presence in politics and public affairs. L.D.S. ecclesiastical law began as something similar to Jewish law as practiced in parts of Eastern Europe at a time when certain Jewish communities were granted legal autonomy in many intra-communal (and intra-confessional) transactions.[6] At present, L.D.S. ecclesiastical law has interesting elements of both Catholic/Orthodox canonical practice and the Catholic/Orthodox regula of religious orders.

This article provides English language resources. English should not be a limiting factor for Anglican or L.D.S. Canon Law. It may be somewhat of a limiting factor for Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran Canon Law because the primary languages for these churches (mainly Latin, Greek, and German/Scandinavian languages) are used by relatively few American legal scholars. However, within the listed resources, there are links and cross-references to foreign language resources for qualified researchers.

This article provides online sources for canon law codes or collections when possible. In addition, the research of canon law involves a constant interplay with each church’s scriptural, doctrinal, and historical authorities. Accordingly, the article lists online and print resources for each church’s versions of scripture, catechisms, and general histories, making cross-references to canon law codes or church constitutions easier.

Nonetheless, in the Catholic Church and the other churches mentioned in this outline, other rules and guidelines, such as rubrics in missals and orders of worship, and rules for religious orders and congregations may have the force of religious law. Several missals (Roman Rite Catholic), liturgies (Eastern Rite Catholic and Eastern Orthodox), and books of worship (Protestant, including the Anglican Book of Common Prayer) are cited for scholars interested in liturgical rubrics, sometimes called “liturgical law.” In addition, the Enchirdion for Catholic Church indulgences is cited. Finally, commentaries on the Jesuit and Benedictine Rules are listed, as well as a commentary on the juridical development of the personal prelature of Opus Dei.

Many events have occurred since the original article was written in 2007. The most notable event was the 2013 resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, becoming “Pope Emeritus.” In addition, there have been changes of internal church discipline in the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and Reformed/Methodist churches and ecclesial communities. Especially significant is the Catholic Church’s creation of a “personal ordinariate” for Anglicans wishing to keep their religious culture while recognizing the doctrine and government of the Catholic Church. In addition, various Lutheran churches have recognized gay relationships. These issues affect not only the discipline of clergy and personnel accused of the sexual abuse of minors, but also address, inter alia, liturgical practices, and qualifications for ordained ministries. This updated edition of the Canon Law Research Article adds new publications and weblogs that often or exclusively deal with church discipline matters in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Churches (both Orthodox and Catholic), and the Anglican Communion.

2. Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, with its headquarters in the Vatican City State in Rome, Italy, has the most developed system of canon law. The foundations of the Catholic system are the Holy Bible (both Old and New Testaments), the teachings of the Apostles, the Church’s “ordinary magisterium” (teaching authority),[7] and custom.

For the law of the Vatican City State, please see the GlobaLex legal research guide entitled Researching the Law of the Vatican City State.

Roman law greatly influenced the development of Catholic canon law. The Catholic Church’s administrative governing system is based on the old territorial apparatus of the Roman Empire, with districts such as dioceses and archdioceses (or, in the Eastern, Greek-speaking parts of the Empire, eparchies and metropolia).

Note well that the Catholic Church consists of many rites,[8] making for a genuine diversity of practice and customs. Among those practices is ecclesiastical law. This accounts for there being two codes of canon law within the Catholic Church.[9] The largest rite, the one most familiar to Americans, is the “Roman” or “Latin” rite (which now includes the Anglican Ordinariate). However, the Eastern Catholic Churches consist of the following rites found worldwide:[10]

  • Armenian Rite
  • Bulgarian Rite
  • Byzantine (Ruthenian) Rite
  • Chaldean Rite
  • Coptic Rite
  • Ge’ez Rite
  • Maronite Rite
  • Melkite Rite
  • Romanian Rite
  • Russian Rite
  • Ukrainian Rite
  • Syro-Malabar Rite
  • Syro-Malankara Rite

The Catholic section of this research article will be broken down into separate entries for the Roman Rite and the Eastern Catholic Churches. For most of its history, the Catholic Church has not had comprehensive codes of canon law. Early canon law was formulated at the early church councils, or in conjunction with secular authorities, especially after Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire.[11]

As the Middle Ages progressed,[12] types of ecclesiastical law were found in the “penitentials,” i.e., those volumes containing penances for specific sins, and in the various liturgical books. Canon law received more systematic treatment during the High Middle Ages.[13] A seminal document was the Decretum Gratiani (circa 1140), a compilation of canons by Gratian of Bologna, said to be a monk teaching in one of the Bolognese monasteries.

Additional compilations included the Liber Extra compiled by St. Raymond of Peñafort; the Liber Sextus compiled by Pope Boniface VIII; and the Clementinae, a compilation begun during Pope Clement V’s reign. These compilations, together with the Decretum Gratiani, formed the corpus iuris canonici (the body of canon law, but by no means a code). All of these compilations in turn became the objects of study and commentary (the latter being called “glosses,” and the commentators being styled “glossators”).

Following the Council of Trent (1545-1563) came additional compilations of papal documents called bullaria,[14] dispositions of various dicasteries of the Roman Curia,[15] and decisions of the Roman Rota, the Catholic Church’s highest tribunal.[16] Thus, there was much canon law, though it was poorly systematized. The upheavals of the French Revolution and Napoleonic era,[17] combined with the growing secularism of the nineteenth century, impelled the Catholic Church to codify its canon law to have a specific source for addressing many areas of church life and apostolate.

The results were the first Code of Canon Law for the Roman Rite (with limited applicability to the Eastern Churches), published in 1917. Following the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) came a new edition of the Code of Canon Law in 1983, this time exclusively for the Roman Rite. In 1990 the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches followed, the first codification of Eastern Catholic canon law.

References to both the Roman and Eastern Catholic canon law codes are found in this article. In addition, various doctrinal catechisms/compendia are referenced as well, even though they’ve been published after the most recent edition of the Roman Catholic Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici) of 1983 and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium). They are included so that contemporary doctrinal definitions and discussions are available for elucidating references in the Codes. Moreover, citations to the documents of the last three ecumenical councils are provided, because these decrees affected both the 1917 and 1983 Roman Rite Codes and the 1990 Eastern Rite Code.

In this article’s Roman Rite section, there are citations to works by Monsignor Peter Elliott, formerly of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family, referencing liturgical norms.[18] For information on Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum on the 1962 Missale Romanum,[19] see the Vatican webpage or news page. For Pope Francis’ subsequent motu proprio revocation of Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio, see Traditiones Custodes.

In this article’s Catholic Roman Rite section, two examples of regula for religious orders are also provided: The Statutes of the Jesuit order and the Rule of St. Benedict for the Benedictines. These are both examples of Church legislation that is not in the Code of Canon Law.[20] A modern form of religious apostolate, the personal prelature, is discussed in The Canoncial Path of Opus Dei, listed below under monographs.[21] For Pope Francis’ subsequent motu proprio overhauling Opus Dei, see Ad Charisma Tuendum.

2024 Update: On 13 March 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected pope and took the name Francis. Concerning canon law, Pope Francis has distinguished himself by repeatedly using a type of papal diktat, the motu proprio, to interpret church law and to decree church regulations. Indeed, Pope Francis has used the motu proprio more in less than nine years than Pope John Paul II did in twenty-seven years, as shown by the respected liberal Catholic journalist and Crux news service director John Allen: Pope’s Passion for Motu Proprio Captures a Grand Irony, and a Deep Truth, Crux (Feb. 16, 2022), (“[Pope Francis’] program of decentralization is being enacted in just about the most hyper-centralized fashion possible.”)

Mr. Allen neatly summarizes Pope Francis’ other law-bending ways of management: “Not long ago [Pope Francis] issued four rescripts authorizing departures from the Vatican’s usual criminal procedure in the mega-trial currently underway for financial crimes, mostly having to do with a controversial real estate deal in London [criminal trial of Cardinal Angelo Becciu]. [Pope Francis has] undercut the traditional authority of most Vatican departments, preferring to work around them on his own, [sic] he’s reached down personally into the middle management of some Vatican offices to hire and fire, and he’s created more new structures and positions in the Vatican in a decade than it usually gets in a century.”

Regarding sexual abuse in the Catholic Church: The National Catholic Reporter (NCR) is a liberal United States publication owned and operated by laypeople. The following NCR reports, by three laypeople and a Jesuit priest, highlight Pope Francis’ approach to dealing with rampant sex abuse in the Catholic Church: talk much, do little.

3. Catholic Church-Roman (Latin) Rite

3.1. Online Resources[22]

3.2. Scripture, Catechisms, and Church Documents

Electronic documents are linked to when available or when difficult to find in print. Links are to the Vatican (Holy See). Linked electronic documents are not necessarily the same editions as the print items cited.

3.3. Encyclopedias

3.4. Codes and Monographs

  • Adam, Will. Legal Flexibility and the Mission of the Church: Dispensation and Economy in Ecclesiastical Law. Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate, 2011.
  • Alesandro, John A. Indissolubility and the Synod of Bishops: Reflections of a Canon Lawyer. Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 2015.
  • Amenta, Piero. Administrative Procedures in Canonical Marriage Cases: History, Legislation and Praxis. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2011.
  • Arrieta, Juan Ignacio. Governance Structures Within the Catholic Church. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur Ltée, 2000.
  • Beal, John P., and Thomas J. Green. New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law. Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 2000.
  • Burke, Cormac. The Theology of Marriage: Personalism, Doctrine, and Canon Law. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 2015.
  • Canon Law Letter & Spirit: A Practical Guide to the Code of Canon Law. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1995 [The 1983 English Code of Canon Law, with commentary, published under the auspices of The Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, in association with The Canadian Canon Law Society.].
  • Caparros, E., M. Thériault, and J. Thorn, eds., Code of Canon Law Annotated. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur Ltée, 1993.
  • Caparros, Ernest, ed. Exegetical Commentary on the [1983] Code of Canon Law [In English; Prepared by the Faculty of Canon Law, University of Navarre, Spain]. Chicago: Midwest Theological Forum, 2004.
  • Cartabia, Marta, and Andrea Simoncini. Pope Benedict XVI’s Legal Thought: A Dialogue on the Foundation of Law. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015.
  • Code of Canon Law Annotated. Chambly, Canada: Wilson & Lafleur, 2022.
  • Code of Canon Law, Latin-English Edition. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 2012 and 1998 [cited in some catalogs as 1999].
  • Code of Particular Canon Law of the Anglican Rite Roman Catholic Church. Huntsville, Alabama: Saint George Seminary Press, 2011.
  • Constitutions of the Society of Jesus [the Jesuits] and Their Complementary Norms. St. Louis, Missouri: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1996.
  • Coriden, James A. An Introduction to Canon Law. New York: Paulist Press, 2004.
  • Coriden, James A. Canon Law as Ministry: Freedom and Good Order for the Church. New York: Paulist Press, 2000.
  • Coughlin, John J. Canon Law: A Comparative Study with Anglo-American Legal Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
  • Cunningham, Richard G. An Annotated Bibliography of the Work of the Canon Law Society of America, 1965-1980. Washington, D.C., Canon Law Society of America, 1982.
  • CUA [Catholic University of America] Studies in Canon Law. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 2013. A series of over 400 canon law dissertations from the 1920s through the 1960s.
  • Daly, Brendan. Penal Law in Action. Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 2023.
  • Daniel, William L. The Art of Good Governance: A Guide to the Administrative Procedure for Just Decision-Making in the Catholic Church. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2015.
  • Daniel, William L. Ministerium Iustitiae, Volume 1. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2021.
  • Daniel, William L. Ministerium Iustitiae, Volume 2: The Lex Propria and More Recent Contentious-Administrative Jurisprudence of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. Chambly, Canada: Wilson & Lafleur, 2021.
  • D’Avray, D.L., ed. Papal Jurisprudence, Circa 400: Sources of the Canon Law Tradition. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2019.
  • del Portillo, Alvaro. Faithful and Laity in the Church: The Bases of Their Legal Status. Montréal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2012.
  • Diraviam, John. The Judicial Penal Procedure for the Dismissal of a Diocesan Priest From the Clerical State According to the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Ottawa: St. Paul University, 2008.
  • Dodaro, Robert, ed. Remaining in the Truth of Christ: Marriage and Communion in the Catholic Church. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2014.
  • Dugan, Patricia M. Advocacy Vademecum, 4th ed. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2006.
  • Dugan, Patricia M., and Luis Navarro, eds. Matrimonial Law and Canonical Procedure. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2013.
  • Dugan, Patricia M., and Luis Navarro, eds. Mercy and Law in Marriage: Proceedings. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2015.
  • Dugan, Patricia M. The Penal Process and the Protection of Rights in Canon Law. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur Ltée, 2005.
  • Dugan, P.M., Navarro, L., and E. Caparros, eds. The Reform Enacted by the Motu Proprio Mitis Iudex: Commentaries and Documentation. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2016.
  • Dugan, Patricia M. Towards Future Developments in Penal Law: U.S. Theory and Practice. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2010. [Symposium of Pontifical Council of Legislative Texts].
  • Eichbauer, Melodie, and James A. Brundage. Medieval Canon Law, 2d ed. New York: Routledge, 2023.
  • Ekpo, Anthony. Temporal Goods of the Church: A Canonical Examination of Administrative Acts Concerning Their Ownership and Management. Chambly, Canada: Wilson & Lafleur, 2021.
  • Elliott, Peter. Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2002.
  • Elliott, Peter. Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2005.
  • Errázuriz Mackenna, Carlos José. Justice in the Church: A Fundamental Theory of Canon Law. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2009.
  • Errázuriz Mackenna, Carlos José. That Which is Just in the Church: An Introduction to Canon Law. South Bend, Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press, 2023.
  • Ferme, Brian Edwin. Introduction to the History of the Sources of Canon Law. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2007.
  • Ferreira-Ibarra, Dario C., ed. The Canon Law Collection of the Library of Congress: A General Bibliography with Selective Annotations. Washington, DC: Library of Congress: G.P.O., 1981.
  • Feser, Edward, and Joseph M. Bessette. By Man Shall His Blood be Shed: A Catholic Defense to Capital Punishment. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2017.
  • Filibeck, Giorgio, ed. Human Rights in the Teaching of the Church: From John XXIII to John Paul II. Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994.
  • Formicola, Jo Renee. Papal Policies on Clerical Abuse: God Weeps. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 2019.
  • Fuenmayor, Amadeo de, Valentin Gómez-Iglesias, and José Luis Illanes Maestro. The Canonical Path of Opus Dei. Chicago: Midwest Theological Forum, 1994.
  • Gillespie, Kevin. Ecclesiastical Office and the Participation of the Lay Faithful in the Exercise of Sacred Power: Towards a Theological and Canonical Understanding of the Mutual Orientation in the Sign of Christ. Rome: Gregorian & Biblical Press, 2017.
  • Hahn, Judith. Church Law in Modernity: Toward a Theory of Canon Law Between Nature and Culture. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2019.
  • Hahn, Judith. Language of Canon Law. New York: Oxford University Press, 2023.
  • Harris, Troy L., ed. Studies in Canon Law and Common Law in Honor of R. H. Helmholz. Berkeley, California: The Robbins Collection, 2015.
  • Hartmann, Wilfried, and Kenneth Pennington, eds. The History of Courts and Procedure in Medieval Canon Law. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 2016.
  • Helmholz, R. H. The Spirit of Classical Canon Law. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1996.
  • Herghelegiu, Monica-Elena, Reservatio papalis: A Study on the Application of a Legal Prescription According to the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Berlin: LIT, 2008.
  • Hervada, Javier. Introduction to the Study of Canon Law. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2007.
  • Higgins, M. Bonaventure. A Novus Habitus Mentis: Canon Law as Empowerment of Communio: With Particular Application to Selected New Ecclesial Communities and Associations. Lewiston, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 2014.
  • Huels, John M. The Pastoral Companion: A Canon Law Handbook for Catholic Ministry. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2016.
  • Ioppolo, Donna Krier. Confidentiality in the United States: A Legal and Canonical Study. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 1988.
  • Izbicki, Thomas M. The Eucharist in Medieval Canon Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015. Larson, Atria A., and Andrea Massironi, eds. The Fourth Lateran Council and the Development of Canon Law and the Ius Commune. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2018.
  • Lohse, Edward. Restricting the Right of the Faithful to Enter a Church for Divine Worship: Law and Jurisprudence. Rome: Gregorian & Biblical Press, 2016.
  • Love, Paul L. Penal Remedies of the Code of Canon Law. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 2013.
  • Martens, Kurt, ed. Justice and Mercy Have Met: Pope Francis and the Reform of the Marriage Nullity Process. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 2017.
  • Martin de Agar y Valverde, Joseph T. [Jose Tomas. A Handbook on Canon Law. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur Ltée, 2007.
  • Martinez Sistach, Luis. Associations of Christ’s Faithful. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2008.
  • Marzoa, Angel, Jorge Miras, and Rafael Rodriguez-Ocaña. Exegetical Commentary on the Code of Canon Law. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur Ltée, 2004.
  • Mayer, Thomas F. The Roman Inquisition: A Papal Bureaucracy and its Laws in the Age of Galileo. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.
  • McAleese, Mary. Quo Vadis? Collegiality in the Code of Canon Law. Dublin: Columba Press, 2012.
  • McAreavey, John. The Canon Law of Marriage and the Family. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1999.
  • McKenna, Kevin E. For the Defense: The Work of Some Nineteenth Century American Canonists in the Protection of Rights. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2014.
  • Montgomery, John Warwick. Christ Our Advocate: Studies in Polemical Theology, Jurisprudence and Canon Law. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock, 2016.
  • Morgan, Edward. Fathers and Brothers: The Legitimate Expectations of Diocesan Clerics in the Light of Canon 384 of the Code of Canon Law. Paris: Peeters, 2018.
  • Motry, Hubert. Diocesan Faculties According to the Code of Canon Law. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 2013.
  • Müller, Gerhard Ludwig Cardinal. The Pope: His Mission and His Task. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America, 2021.
  • Müssig, Ulrike. Reason and Fairness: Constituting Justice in Europe, From Medieval Canon Law to ECHR. Boston: Brill Nijhoff, 2019.
  • Navarro, Luis, and Patricia M. Dugan. Studies on the Instruction Dignitas Connubii. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2006.
  • Nguyen, Hien Minh. Personal Parishes in the 1983 Code of Canon Law and the Pastoral Care of Migrants. Rome: Pontificia Studiorum Universitas a S. Tomas Aq. In Urbe, 1994.
  • Nobel, Michel. The Use of Means of Social Communication in the Context of Procedural Law. Chambly, Canada: Wilson & Lafleur, 2021.
  • Nord, Aaron Paul. Sede Vacante: Diocesan Administration. Rome: Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 2014.
  • O’Mahony, Patrick J., ed. Catholics and Divorce. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd., 1959.
  • O’Reilly, James T., and Margaret S. P. Chalmers. The Clergy Sex Abuse Crisis and the Legal Responses. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
  • Peters, Edward N. The 1917 or Pio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law: In English Translation with Extensive Scholarly Apparatus. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2001.
  • Pinillos, Ricardo Martín. The Evolution of the Right of Defense in the Preliminary Penal Investigation of Delicts Related to the Clerical Sexual Abuse of Minors. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 2012.
  • Plante, Thomas G. Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church: A Decade of Crisis, 2002-2012. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger, 2011.
  • Reid, Charles J. Peacemaking and the Canon Law of the Catholic Church. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill Nijhoff, 2024.
  • Renken, John Anthony. Particular Churches: Their Groupings: Commentary on Canons 431-459. Ottawa: Faculty of Canon Law, St. Paul University, 2012.
  • Rennie, Kriston R. Medieval Canon Law. Leeds, United Kingdom: ARC Humanities Press, 2018.
  • Richardson, William. The Presumption of Innocence in Canonical Trials of Clerics Accused of Child Sexual Abuse: An Historical Analysis of the Current Law. Walpole, Massachusetts: Peeters, 2011.
  • Roelker, Edward. Principles of Privilege According to the Code of Canon Law. Washington, DC: Catholic University, 2013.
  • Rowland, Tracey. The Anglican Patrimony in Catholic Communion: The Gift of the Ordinariates. London: T&T Clark, 2021.
  • Salachas, Dimitrios, and Krzysztof Nitkiewicz. Inter-Ecclesial Relations Between Eastern and Latin Catholics: A Canonical-Pastoral Handbook. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 2009.
  • Salonen, Kirsi. Papal Justice in the Late Middle Ages: The Sacra Romana Rota. Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate, 2016.
  • Scicluna, Charles, and Myriam Wijlens, eds. Rights of Alleged Victims in Penal Proceedings: Provisions in Canon Law and the Criminal Law of Different Legal Systems. Baden Baden, Germany: Nomos, 2023.
  • Shea, Patrick Timothy. A Study of the Canonical Status of an Exclaustrated Member of a Religious Institute in Light of the Civil Law Considerations in the United States of America. Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI, 1993.
  • Sitarz, Miroslaw, and Tomasz Palkowski. Competences of Collegial Organs in a Particular Church: In the Exercise of Executive Power According to the Code of Canon Law of 1983. Lublin: Wydawnictwo KUL (Catholic University of Lublin, Poland), 2013.
  • Spiteri, Laurence J. Canon Law Explained: A Handbook for Laymen. Manchester, New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press, 2013.
  • Tapsell, Kieran John. Potiphar’s Wife: The Vatican’s Secret and Child Sexual Abuse. Hindmarsh, South Australia: ATF Press, 2014.
  • Torfs, Rik, ed. The Right to Due Process in the Church: A Comparative Ecclesiastical Approach. Leuven, Belgium: Peeters, 2014.
  • Van Zeller, O.S.B., Hubert. The Holy Rule: Notes on St. Benedict’s Legislation for Monks. New York: Sheed and Ward, 1958.
  • Viau, Roger. Doubt in Canon Law. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 2013.
  • Vondenberger, Victoria. Rotal Jurisprudence: Selected Translations. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 2011.
  • Wachs, Justin M. Obsequium in the Church: Sacred Tradition, Second Vatican Council, 1983 Code, and Sacred Liturgy. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2014.
  • Wei, John C., ed. Summa ‘Reverentia Sacrorum Canonum.’ Rome: Vatican City: Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, 2018.
  • Wilfred, Felix, Torres Queiruga, Andres, and Enrico Galavotti, eds. Revision of Canon Law. London: SCM Press, 2016.
  • Woestman, O.M.I., William H., ed. Papal Allocutions to the Roman Rota, 1939-2011. Ottawa: Faculty of Canon Law, St. Paul University, 2011.
  • Woodall, G. J. A Passion for Justice: An Introductory Guide to the Code of Canon Law. Herefordshire, England: Gracewing, 2011.

3.5. Journals

  • Bulletin of the Institute of Medieval Canon Law, 1971-
  • Canon Law Abstracts, 1958-
  • Forum, 1990-
  • Jurist, 1941-
  • Proceedings of the Canon Law Society of America, 1900s-
  • Studia Canonica (Faculty of Law, St. Paul University, Canada; specify English edition), 1967-

4. Catholic Church – Eastern Rites

4.1. Online Resources

The following Eastern Catholic web pages are good for history, doctrine, and practices. Sometimes there are links for “canons,” “canon law,” or “tribunal.” Any of these may provide some information on canonical practices.

Not all Eastern Catholic Churches are “Byzantine” (i.e., following rites derived from Constantinople). This EWTN article is a good summary of Eastern Catholic rites.

4.2. Scripture, Catechisms, and Church Documents

  • Byzantine Daily Worship [includes Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil, and St. Gregory]. Allendale, New Jersey: Alleluia Press, 1989.
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000.
  • Catholic Bible: New American Bible, Including the Revised Psalms and the Revised New Testament. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
  • Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005.
  • Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005.
  • Dogmatic Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent and Vatican Council I. Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, 1977.
  • Flannery, Austin, ed. Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1975.
  • Flannery, Austin, ed. Vatican Council II: More Postconciliar Documents. Northport, New York: Costello Pub. Co., 1982.
  • Holy Bible: Douay Rheims Version. Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, 1989.

4.3. Encyclopedias

4.4. Codes and Monographs

  • Abbass, Jobe. The Eastern [Catholic] Code (Canon 1) and Its Application to the Latin Church. Bangalore, India: Dharmaram Publications, 2014.
  • Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches: Latin-English Edition. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 2001.
  • CUA [Catholic University of America] Studies in Canon Law. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 2013. A series of over 400 canon law dissertations from the 1920s through the 1960s.
  • Faris, John D. Communion of Catholic Churches. Brooklyn, New York: St. Maron Publications, 1985.
  • Faris, John D. Eastern Catholic Churches: Constitution and Governance. Brooklyn, New York: Saint Maron Publications, 1992.
  • Faris, John D., and Jobe Abbass, eds. A Practical Commentary to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2019.
  • Lorusso, Lorenzo. Eastern Catholics and Latin Pastors: Issues and Canonical Norms. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 2013.
  • Nedungatt, S.J., George. A Guide to the Eastern Code: A Commentary on the Code of Canons of the Eastern Church. Rome: Pontificio Istituto Orientale [Pontifical Oriental Institute], 2002.
  • Pospishil, Victor J. Eastern Catholic Church Law: Second Revised and Augmented Edition. Brooklyn, New York: St. Maron Publications, 1996.
  • Salachas, Dimitrios, and Krzysztof Nitkiewicz. Inter-Ecclesial Relations Between Eastern and Latin Catholics: A Canonical-Pastoral Handbook. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 2009.
  • Soule, Warren B., ed. Eastern Canon Law Bibliography. Brooklyn: St. Maron Publications, 1994.
  • Stephens, Christopher W. B. Canon Law and Episcopal Authority: The Canons of Antioch and Serdica. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.

4.5. Journals

  • Bulletin of the Institute of Medieval Canon Law, 1971-
  • Canon Law Abstracts, 1958-
  • Forum, 1990-
  • Jurist, 1941-
  • Kanon (published by the Society of the Law of the Oriental Churches), 1973-
  • Proceedings of the Canon Law Society of America, 1900s-
  • Studia Canonica (Faculty of Law, St. Paul University, Canada; specify English edition), 1967-

5. Orthodox Churches (“Eastern Orthodox”)

The Orthodox Churches are those churches with Apostolic Succession (bishops able to trace their ordaining bishops back to the Apostles) not recognizing the universal papal primacy. Instead, these churches recognize the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (now Istanbul) as being the primus inter pares among Orthodox bishops.[23] The Orthodox Churches consider themselves autocephalous.[24]

Because they adhere to autocephaly, the Orthodox Churches don’t have a codified canon law. However, many of their important canons and decrees are found in a compilation known as the Pedalion (Greek; literally, “rudder”) and are derived from decrees formulated at the Council in Trullo (692). The Council in Trullo was held in Constantinople for the purpose of drawing up disciplinary canons following the fifth and sixth general church councils (Constantinople II (553) and Constantinople III (680-681)).

5.1. Online Resources

Websites with specific mention of canon law:

The following publishers in the United States sell editions of the Pedalion as well as biblical and doctrinal materials:

National Orthodox Churches with English language web pages (good for church history, doctrines, and practices):

5.2. Scripture, Catechisms, and Church Documents

  • Carlton, Clark. The Faith: Understanding Orthodox Christianity; An Orthodox Catechism. Salisbury, Massachusetts: Regina Orthodox Press, 1997.
  • Orthodox Study Bible: New Testament and Psalms. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993.
  • Percival, Henry R., ed. The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church: Their Canons and Dogmatic Decrees, Together with the Canons of All the Local Synods Which Have Received Ecumenical Acceptance. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956.
  • Third Millennium Bible: New Authorized Version of the Holy Bible: Containing the Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books. Gary, South Dakota: Third Millennium Publications, 1998.

5.3. Encyclopedias

  • Grube, George W. The Complete Book of Orthodoxy: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia and Glossary of Orthodox Terms, History, Theology, and Facts. Salisbury, Massachusetts: Regina Orthodox Press, 2001.
  • McGuckin, John Anthony. The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.

5.4. Codes and Monographs

  • Doe, Norman, and Aetios Nikiforos, eds. Legal Thought and Eastern Orthodox Christianity: The Addresses of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. New York: Routledge, 2024.
  • Erickson, John H. The Challenge of Our Past: Studies in Orthodox Canon Law and Church History. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1991.
  • Hartmann, Wilfried, and Kenneth Pennington. The History of Byzantine and Eastern Canon Law to 1500. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2012.
  • L’Huillier, Peter. The Church of the Ancient Councils. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1996.
  • Mihai, Father Vasile (JD, MDiv, DMin). Orthodox Canon Law Reference Book. Brookline, Massachusetts: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2014.
  • Patsavos, Lewis J. Spiritual Dimensions of the Holy Canons. Brookline, Massachusetts: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2003.
  • Rudder of the Orthodox Catholic Church [Pedalion]: The Compilation of the Holy Canons. New York: Luna Printing Corp., 1983.

5.5. Journals (Some Coverage of Orthodox Canon Law)

  • Eastern Canon Law, 2012-
  • Greek Orthodox Theological Review, 1954-
  • Journal of Early Christian Studies, 1993-

6. Anglican Churches

The establishment of the Church of England as an entity separate from the Catholic Church occurred gradually during the reign of Henry VIII of England (reigned 1509-1547) and was completed during the reign of Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603).

The Church of England has spawned Anglican churches worldwide. All of them operate with some form of ecclesiastical law. The Church of England, as an established church (i.e., state-sanctioned church), continues to have some matters be considered state ecclesiastical law. The other Anglican churches are all disestablished (Church of Ireland, Church in Wales) or non-established churches (Episcopal Church of the United States; Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil).

6.1. Online Resources

6.2. Scripture, Catechisms, and Church Documents

  • 1928 Book of Common Prayer. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
  • Book of Common Prayer [1979 edition]. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1983.
  • Heflin, Charles C., and Cynthia L. Shattuck. The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer: A Worldwide Survey. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
  • Holy Bible with the Apocrypha: Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

6.3. Encyclopedias

  • The Churchman’s Yearbook and Encyclopedia. London: A. R. Mowbray [annual].
  • Crum, Rolfe Pomeroy. A Dictionary of the Episcopal Church. Baltimore: Trefoil Pub. Soc., 1943.

6.4. Codes and Monographs

  • Anglican Consultative Council. The Principles of Canon Law Common to the Churches of the Anglican Communion. London: Anglican Consultative Council, 2022.
  • Briden, Timothy J., and Kenneth M. Macmorran. A Handbook for Churchwardens and Parochial Church Councillors. London: Continuum, 2024. Briden, Timothy. Moore’s Introduction to English Canon Law, 4th ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013.
  • Canon Law of the Church of England: Being the Report of the Archbishops’ Commission on Canon Law, together with Proposals for a Revised Body of Canons; and a Memorandum ‘Lawful Authority’ by the Honourable Mr. Justice Vaisey. London: The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1947.
  • Canons of the Church of England. London: Church House Publishing, 2000.
  • Curtis, William Redmond. The Lambeth Conferences: The Solution for Pan-Anglican Organization. New York: AMS Press, 1968 [reprint of 1942 publication].
  • Doe, Norman. Canon Law in the Anglican Communion: A Worldwide Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
  • Doe, Norman. The Legal Framework of the Church of England: A Critical Study in a Comparative Context. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996.
  • English Canon Law: Essays in Honour of Bishop Eric Kemp. Cardiff, Wales: University of Wales Press, 1998.
  • Heal, Felicity, and Rosemary O’Day. Continuity and Change: Personnel and Administration of the Church of England 1500-1642. Leicester, United Kingdom: Leicester University Press, 1976.
  • Helmholz, R. H., Canon Law and the Law of England. London: The Hambledon Press, 1987.
  • Hill, Mark. Ecclesiastical Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.
  • Jones, Rhidian. Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England: A Handbook. New York: T & T Clark, 2011.
  • Leeder, Lynne. Ecclesiastical Law Handbook. London: Sweet & Maxwell, 1997.
  • Sparrow Simpson, W. J., Dispensations. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1935.
  • Wilson, H.A. [Introduction and Notes], Constitutions & Canons Ecclesiastical 1604. London: Oxford University Press [Clarendon imprint], 1923.

6.5. Journals (Coverage of Anglican Canon Law)

  • Anglican Theological Review, 1918-
  • Cambridge Law Journal, 1921-
  • Ecclesiastical Law Journal, 1987-
  • Journal of Anglican Studies, 2003-

7. Lutheran Churches

In 1517, the German Augustinian monk Martin Luther drew up a set of “Ninety-five Theses,” points of criticism of the Catholic Church, and nailed them to the door of the collegiate church in Wittenberg in the Holy Roman Empire, thus starting in motion the chain of events known as the Protestant Reformation.

Luther’s translation of the Bible into German, and his formulation of doctrine together with sympathetic theologians, laid the foundation for the Lutheran churches. In addition, Luther and his ecclesiastical successors developed close relationships with secular leaders. This would eventually lead to the secular authority controlling many ecclesiastical matters. Much of the control was exercised through legislation and what we would now call regulatory authority. This legislative control was similar to that exercised over the established Anglican churches of the British Isles. Canon law still existed, but often deferred at a certain level to secular authority.

The Lutheran faith eventually became the state church in several Northern European jurisdictions. It is the majority faith in Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway. There are significant Lutheran populations in present-day Germany, France (Alsace-Lorraine), and the border region of Slovakia-Hungary.

Over the centuries much Lutheran scholarly work was done in the German-language universities (with their high level of scholarship) and in Sweden (the state with Scandinavia’s highest population and an episcopacy-based Lutheranism very similar to Anglicanism).

7.1. Online Resources

7.2. Scripture, Catechisms, and Church Documents

  • Holy Bible with the Apocrypha: Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
  • Janzow, F. Samuel, ed. Getting into Luther’s Large Catechism: A Guide for Popular Study. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Pub. House, 1978.
  • Kolb, Robert, and James Arne Nestingen. Sources and Contexts of the Book of Concord. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 2001.
  • Luther, Martin. Luther’s Small Catechism, With Explanation. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Pub. House, 1991.
  • Reu, Johann Michael. The Augsburg Confession: A Collection of Sources with An Historical Introduction. Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, 1930.

7.3. Encyclopedias

  • Bodensieck, Julius, ed. The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Pub. House, 1965.

7.4. Monographs

  • Church Law and Polity in Lutheran Churches: Reports of the International Consultations in Järvenpää [Finland] (1970) and Baastad [Båstad, Sweden] (1977). Geneva: Lutheran World Federation, 1979.
  • Constitutions for Church Organizations and Society. Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern, 1900.
  • Grobien, Gifford A. Christian Character Formation: Lutheran Studies of the Law, Anthropology, Worship, and Virtue. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
  • Helmholz, Richard H., ed. Canon Law in Protestant Lands. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, 1992.
  • Linebaugh, Jonathan A., ed. God’s Two Worlds: Law and Gospel in the Lutheran and Reformed Traditions. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018.
  • Murray, Scott R. Law, Life, and the Living God: The Third Use of Law in Modern American Lutheranism. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Pub. House, 2002.
  • Placing Adopted Children Into Homosexual Contexts: Request for Opinion on Placing Adopted Children Into Homosexual Contexts from the Board of Human Care. St. Louis, Missouri: Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Commission on Theology and Church Relations, 2006.
  • Watson, Alan, and John Witte. Canon Law in Lutheran Germany: A Surprising Case of Legal Transplantation. Berkeley, California: Robbins Collection Publications, 2000.

7.5. Journals (Some Coverage of Lutheran Ecclesiastical Law)

  • European Journal for Church and State Research, 1994-
  • Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 1950-
  • Journal of Law and Religion, 1983-

8. Calvinist and Methodist Churches

The Calvinist Churches have their origins in the theology of the French (later Genevan) theologian Jean Calvin (John Calvin in the English-speaking world). The Scottish theologian John Knox also contributed greatly to the development of Calvinism, which is the major Protestant faith of Scotland, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, and Switzerland, and has significant and/or influential European populations living in France, Germany, and eastern Hungary. Calvinism has significant populations living in the Republic of South Africa, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Methodism derives from an eighteenth-century Church of England (Anglican) reform movement led by the brothers John and Charles Wesley. Methodism has large numbers of adherents worldwide, particularly in Africa and the United States. The United Methodist Church in the United States may undergo a separation based partly, though not exclusively, on sexuality issues, particularly same-sex marriage.

Update May 2024: Many US United Methodist congregations are “disaffiliating” with the national organization over issues of gay marriage. In early May 2024, the US United Methodist General Conference approved the ordination of “self-avowed practicing homosexuals[.]”

8.1. Online Resources

8.2. Scripture, Catechisms, and Church Documents

  • Campbell, Ted. Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press: 1999.
  • Calvin, Jean, and Hugh T. Kerr. Calvin’s Institutes: A New Compendium. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1989.
  • Calvin, Jean, and Donald K. McKim. Calvin’s Institutes: Abridged Edition. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2001.
  • Holy Bible with the Apocrypha: Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
  • McKim, Donald K. The Westminster Handbook to Reformed Theology. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2001.

8.3. Encyclopedias

  • Hart, D. G., and Mark A. Noll. Dictionary of the Presbyterian & Reformed Tradition in America. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity [sic] Press, 1999.
  • Yrigoyen, Jr., Charles, and Susan E. Warrick, eds. Historical Dictionary of Methodism. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2005.
  • Waltz, Alan K. A Dictionary for United Methodists. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1991.

8.4. Codes and Monographs

  • Buck, Lawrence P., and Jonathan W. Zophy. The Social History of the Reformation. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press, 1972.
  • Calvin, Jean. John Calvin’s Ecclesiastical Ordinances of 1541: Together with the Official Text of the Council of Geneva. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University, 1953 [Term paper] [Translation and notes by G. Aiken Taylor].
  • Carter, Henry. The Methodist Heritage. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1951.
  • Decock, Wim, et. al. Law, and Religion: The Legal Teachings of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations. Bristol, Connecticut: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2014.
  • Doe, Norman. Christian Law: Contemporary Principles. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
  • Doe, Norman, ed. Church Laws and Ecumenism: A New Path for Christian Unity. New York: Routledge, 2021.
  • Dunan-Page, Anne, ed. The Religious Culture of the Huguenots. Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate, 2006.
  • Emory, Robert. History of the Discipline of the Methodist Church. New York: G. Lane & C. B. Tippett, 1845.
  • Gamble, Robert C. Calvinism in France, Netherlands, Scotland, and England. New York: Garland Pub., 1992.
  • Gamble, Robert C. Calvinism in Switzerland, Germany, and Hungary. New York: Garland Pub., 1992.
  • Gunter, W. Stephen, and Elaine A. Robinson. Considering the Great Commission: Evangelism and Mission in the Wesleyan Spirit. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2005.
  • Latukefu, Sione. Church and State in Tonga: The Wesleyan Methodist Missionaries and Political Development, 1822-1875. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press, 1974.
  • Linebaugh, Jonathan A., ed. God’s Two Worlds: Law and Gospel in the Lutheran and Reformed Traditions. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018.
  • Merrill, Stephen Mason. A Digest of Methodist Law: Or, Helps in the Administration of the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church. New York: The Methodist Book Concern, 1912.
  • Murdock, Graeme. Calvinism on the Frontier, 1600-1660: International Calvinism and the Reformed Church in Hungary and Transylvania. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
  • Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Lexington, Kentucky: Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1988.
  • Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Legal Resource Manual for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Middle Governing Bodies and Churches, 2000-2003. Lexington, Kentucky: Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 2000.
  • Presbyterian Women. Presbyterian Polity and Parliamentary Procedure. Lexington, Kentucky: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1994. Robert, Henry M. Robert’s Rules of Order. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Perseus Pub., 2000.
  • Witte Jr., John. From Sacrament to Contract: Marriage, Religion, and the Law in the Western Tradition. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012.
  • Journal of Presbyterian History, 1962-1985
  • Methodist History, 1962-
  • Methodist Review: A Journal of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies, 2009-
  • Quarterly Review [Methodist], 1980-2005
  • Westminster [Presbyterian] Theological Journal, 1938-

9. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded by Vermont farmer Joseph Smith in the early part of the nineteenth century. The L.D.S. Church teaches that it has scriptures in addition to the Old and New Testaments. From its founding, it has been a very communal religion, which in the beginning led to repeated conflicts with secular authorities in New York, Illinois, and Missouri. These conflicts led to the eventual migration of L.D.S. members to Utah and the Rocky Mountain region.

Church dispute resolution mechanisms have always played an important part in L.D.S. affairs. These councils (or tribunals) often dealt with secular matters in the early days of settlement in the Utah Territory, before statehood, when the United States federal presence was minimal.

9.1. Online Resources

Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School

9.2. Scripture, Catechisms, and Church Documents

  • Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.
  • Doctrine and Covenants. American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, 2004.
  • Holy Bible. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979.
  • Jackson, Kent P., and Robert L. Millet, eds. The Pearl of Great Price. Salt Lake City, Utah: Randall Books, 1985.

9.3. Encyclopedias

  • Cannon, Donald Q., Richard O. Cowan, and Arnold K. Garr, eds. Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co., 2000.
  • Ludlow, Daniel H., ed. Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan, 1992.

9.4. Monographs

  • Ballif, John L. “Justifying Aims of Punishment in LDS Church Courts.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1982.
  • Berry, Stephen L. “A Detailed Analysis of the Organization, Structure, and Jurisdiction in the Judicial System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1980.
  • Clark, Robert S. “Secular Adjudication in the Church Judicial System.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1980.
  • Cooper, Kim. “Church Discipline: The Dichotomy Between Free Exercise and the Right to Privacy.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1988.
  • Eskridge, William N., and Robin Fretwell Wilson, eds. Religious Freedom, LGBT Rights, and the Prospects for Common Ground. Champaign-Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2019.
  • Everett, Stan. “A Comparison of the Judicial System of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Systems of Certain Protestant Churches for the Discipline of Laity and Clergy.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1980.
  • Firmage, Edwin Brown, and Richard Collin Mangrum. Zion in the Courts: A Legal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1988.
  • Givens, Terryl, and Philip L. Barlow, eds. The Oxford Book of Mormonism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015.
  • Hadley, Scott Marriott. “Sanctions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1980.
  • Herrick, Robert D. “’Due Process’ in the Judicial System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: A Comparison with the American Criminal Justice System.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1980.
  • Jessee, Dean C., and Esplin, Bushman, Grow, and Dirkmaat, gen. eds. The Joseph Smith Papers: Documents. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church Historian’s Press, 2013.
  • McCormick, James N. “Causes of Action in the L. D. S. Church Judicial System.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1980.
  • Meikle, Gary L. “Reinstatement Church and State: Cleansing the Record.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1976.
  • Monson, Glade. “Process of Appeal in the Church Judicial System.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1980.
  • Most Holy Principle [LDS-Polygamy, in four volumes]. Murray, Utah: Gems, 1975.
  • Musser, Rebecca, and M. Bridget Cook. The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife, Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2013.
  • Parmley, Richard A. “The Church Judicial System and the Secular Courts: A Comparative Analysis.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1980.
  • Ryskamp, George P. “A History of the Mormon Church Court System as a Preliminary Study for a Comparative Analysis of that System with Other Ecclesiastical Court Systems.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1978.
  • Torre, Olivia de la. “A Comparison of the Judicial Systems of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Catholic Church.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1980.
  • Worthen, Clyde F. “Evidence in Criminal and Church Courts.” Seminar paper, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1976.
  • Brigham Young University Law Review, 1975-
  • Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, 1966-
  • Journal of Mormon History, 1974-

[1] Canon Law: “A body of religious law governing the conduct of members of a particular faith[.]” See Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law 64 (1996). The website for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses a small case “d” for “day.” However, the abbreviation consistently uses a capital “D.” This article follows the website’s practice.

[2] N.Y. Domestic Relations Law§ 253 (McKinney 1999). The so-called New York “get” law was originally drafted to deal with the situation of the Orthodox Jewish woman who doesn’t obtain her “get” (a document the husband presents to his wife that shows she’s officially divorced and no longer subject to the religious sanctions for adultery).

[3] James A. Coriden, An Introduction to Canon Law 3 (2004).

[4] Id. at 3-4.

[5] This perhaps reflects the more mystical orientation of the Eastern Churches.

[6] 1500-1650, i.e., roughly the period from the end of the Polish Jagellonian dynasty during the 16th century to the Cossack uprising in Ukraine (then mostly Polish-governed) under Bohdan Khmelnytsky in the mid-17th century.

[7] Magisterium refers to the Church’s official teaching authority or an official Church organ exercising that teaching authority. See Entry on Tradition and Living Magisterium in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907).

[8] “[T]he form and manner of any religious observance[.]” See Entry on Rites in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907).

[9] The “Roman” or “Latin” Rite uses the Code of Canon Law. The Eastern Catholic Churches use the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

[10] Many, but not all, of these Eastern Catholic Rites have an Eastern Orthodox “equivalent.” Thus, the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are quite similar in rites and practices. However, the Ukrainian Catholic Church recognizes the universal papal primacy, while the Ukrainian Orthodox Church does not.

[11] Approximate dates: From the First Council of Nicea in 325 until the mutual excommunications by the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1054 (mutually rescinded in 1965). Some scholars argue that the so-called Council of Jerusalem (See Acts 15: 1-41 (King James) and Galatians 2 (King James) was the first Church Council, and included juridical norms, i.e., that Gentile converts to Christianity would not have to keep the Mosaic law.

[12] Approximately 1054 to 1400.

[13] Approximately 1100 to 1300.

[14] Bullaria are official documents, often dealing with juridical matters. See Entry on Bulls and Briefs in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907).

[15] The Roman Curia refers to the collective of administrative congregations and departments serving the Pope. See Entry on Roman Curia in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907).

[16] Appeals are normally made to the Roman Rota from archdiocesan or diocesan courts in the Roman Rite, or the equivalent jurisdiction (e.g., eparchy or metropolia) in the Eastern Rites. However, the Roman Rota also has original jurisdiction in certain cases. See Entry on Sacra Romana Rota in in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907).

[17] 1789-1815.

[18] On April 30, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Monsignor Elliott Titular Bishop of Manaccenser and Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne, Australia. On the use of the title “Monsignor,” see the Entry on Monsignor in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907).

[19] See Entry on Motu Proprio in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907).

[20] These might be considered more properly as examples of regula, meaning “rules” or “accepted standards.” See Corriden, supra. These orders and their rules are nonetheless subject to the Codex Iuris Canonici.

[21] For a discussion of Opus Dei as a personal prelature, see Francesco Monterisi: The Personal Prelature: A Framework Which Enriches the Communion of the Church (last visited June 30, 2020). Update, May 2024: Pope Francis issued a Motu Proprio reconfiguring Opus Dei: Ad Charisma Tuendum.

[22] The “Online Resources” throughout this research article will be in order of usefulness/relevance and not necessarily in alphabetical order.

[23] Primus inter pares, viz., first among equals.

[24] See Entry on Autocephali in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907).