This book examines how the practice of episcopacy in the Church of England and the EKD affects
the claim that the 'historic episcopate' is a necessary condition for 'the full
interchangeability of ministers'. It addresses four questions relating to the practice of
oversight: How have different forms of oversight sought to maintain the apostolic 'historic'
faith in history and today? How does the exercise of authority within contemporary societies
relate to the pre-modern ideas expressed in the idea of historic episcopate? How has the
practice of oversight changed in the light of demographic changes and declining levels of
church membership? What are the implications of synodical government and shared oversight for
the concept of 'historic episcopate'? The book's goal is to explore whether an
interdisciplinary analysis of episcopacy can assist the churches in establishing a new
understanding of the historic episcopate. With papers by Mark Chapman Jonathan Gibbs Matthias
Grebe Miriam Haar Alex Hughes Frances Knight Morwenna Ludlow Ralf Meister Friederike
Nüssel Bernd Oberdorfer and Peter Scherle.
