A clear, accessible guide to how Canon Law was adapted for American life after the Baltimore council.
This book introduces the nature and scope of ecclesiastical law, explaining how universal principles fit the U.S. church’s unique context. It highlights the practical aims of the Plenary Council and outlines where the law stays the same and where adaptation is needed for the American setting.
- What Canon Law is and how it guides faith, morals, and discipline
- How authorities, councils, and collections shape church governance
- The balance between timeless church teaching and local application in the United States
- The practical structure of ecclesiastical jurisprudence and its officers
Ideal for readers of church history, canon law, and American Catholic life.
Sebastian Smith is a prize winning author and journalist. He has been a correspondent in Washington, Moscow and London for the English-language service of Agence France-Presse.