By Edward A. David McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow in Christian Ethics and Public Life, University of Oxford 24 February 2023. A short paper for the Centre for Theology, Law, and Culture at Pusey House, Oxford Churches can be forgiven for describing themselves, like any other civil society organization, as “voluntary.” This Lockean portrayal, after all, dominatesContinue reading “Church Autonomy and the Corpus Mysticum Tradition”
Tag Archives: church autonomy
Lecture: Religious institutionalism at Oxford’s University Church
I recently spoke to the Graduate Theological Society at the University of Oxford about the moral foundations of religious institutionalism (or church autonomy doctrine) in the United States. James Hooks, a DPhil student, led the discussion. We spoke around the following theses: A predominate view of religious institutionalism tends to reduce the value of housesContinue reading “Lecture: Religious institutionalism at Oxford’s University Church”
Essay: Barry scholar James Pennell responds to my essay on church autonomy
James Pennell, a Barry Scholar at the University of Oxford, penned a response to my latest article for the Canopy Forum. He agrees that Christians should resist the Lockean image of religious associations, which views churches as mere loci for voluntarily consenting individuals. James, however, argues that courts need not affirm the truth of theContinue reading “Essay: Barry scholar James Pennell responds to my essay on church autonomy”
Essay: Church autonomy and the corpus mysticum tradition
Today, the Canopy Forum at Emory University published my essay on church autonomy and the corpus mysticum tradition. I argue that church communities should reflect on the extent to which they’ve ‘bought into’ individual rights-talk, especially when describing themselves as religious groups. This individualist (or voluntarist) tendency can skew their ecclesiological self-understanding and contribute toContinue reading “Essay: Church autonomy and the corpus mysticum tradition”
Edward A. David 