Episcopal Elections in the Churches: Laws, Practices, Doctrines (Bologna Studies in Religious History, 2)

Book info: Episcopal Elections in the Churches: Laws, Practices, Doctrines (Bologna Studies in Religious History, 2) (Hardcover, 282 pages) – Brill, 2024. Language: English.

This work explores the procedures, norms, doctrines, and implications of episcopal elections in Christian churches. The evolution of episcopal elections reveals the political and social tensions and dynamics that influence the selection of bishops. The text analyses how such elections reflect the complexity of ecclesiastical structure from its origins in the New Testament to the present day. Election procedures never followed a fixed pattern, but were influenced by pre-existing traditions and contingent needs. The history of episcopal elections highlights the need for authority and consensus in the Christian community, exploring specific instances and historical developments that have shaped the current practice. Editorial Reviews About the Author Alberto Melloni is professor of history of Christianity at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and secretary of Fondazione per le scienze religiose – FSCIRE (Bologna and Palermo); he is holder of the UNESCO Chair on Religious Pluralism and Peace at Sapienza University of Rome. He is the director of the work A History of the Desire for Christian Unity. Ecumenism in the Churches, 19th-21st Century (4 vols., Brill) and editor of the COGD series – Conciliorum Oecumenicorum Generaliumque Decreta (Brepols).

Frederico Ruozzi is associate professor of history of Christianity at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and fellow at the Fondazione per le scienze religiose – FSCIRE (Bologna). He has published monographs, and many articles on Vatican II and on media and religion. He was visiting fellow at Oxford Brookes University and editor of the critical edition of the texts of Lorenzo Milani (Meridiani Mondadori).