In this first volume of a trilogy, Daniel J. Elazar addresses political uses of the idea of covenant, the tradition that has adhered to that idea, and the political arrangements that flow from it, Among the topics covered are covenant as a political concept, the Bible as a political commentary, the post-biblical tradition, medieval covenant theory, and Jewish political culture.

In "New Ecclesiology and Polity," Steckel argues that the United Church of Christ ecclesiology and its polity have an urgent need to be re-examined and re-shaped if the church is to be a faithful and strong ministry in the post-modern world. He describes the transition from modernity to post-modernity focusing on ways the United Church of Christ, is aware of these transitions in the life of the church, but no awareness of how the denominational governing structures undermine faithful mission in a post-modern world.

Using research at the Pevey (22Lw510) and Lowe-Steen (22Lw511) mound sites on the Pearl River in Lawrence County, Mississippi, this book explores the social and political mechanisms by which these polities may have interacted with each other and the geographic limit to the effects of inter-polity competition.

In the framework of the international academic dialogue on Reformed church polity this study focuses on the way the notion of authority is articulated in the church orders of three Indonesian churches with different historical and missionary backgrounds. The analysis deals with the main aspects of church polity that would articulate power: identity, assembly, and ministry. It shows resonances between the characteristic features of Reformed polity and the cultural context of Indonesia. Authority can be characterized as context-relevant, relational, and accountable. Roy Alexander Surjanegara (1979), serves an Indonesian congregation in Australia. He started his PhD research in church polity in Amsterdam in 2012.

Pastors, church leaders, and students of Presbyterian polity will find this a useful guide to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) governance based on foundational principles. Recent changes in the PC(USA) Constitution have meant fewer rules and more flexibility in governance, making it imperative that leaders understand the historical principles that guide the church. Wilton explains the Book of Order's historic principles of church order in accessible language, providing readers with a lively appreciation of the revolutionary principles that guided the Presbyterian experiment in the New World and are still the beating heart of church life today. Principles of Presbyterian Polity is written from the conviction that it is not enough merely to know the “what†of polity; a deep, intuitive understanding of the “why†is just as vital. Church leaders will come away with a greater understanding of the Book of Order and have confidence using it in practical situations.

"Commissioned by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for use in United Methodist doctrine/polity/history courses." This in-depth analysis of the connection between United Methodist polity and theology addresses ways in which historical developments have shaped--and continue to shape--the organization of the church. This revised edition incorporates the actions of The United Methodist General Conference, 2004. The book discusses continuing reforms of the church's plan for baptism and church membership, as well as the emergence of deacon's orders and other changes to ordained ministry procedures. The text is now cross-referenced to the Book of Discipline, 2004, including the revised order of disciplinary chapters and paragraph numbering. Denominational statistics are updated, along with references to recent works on The United Methodist Church and American religious life.