You Tube Theology

The ELS was very pleased to host this webinar on 12 March 2025 on behalf of the International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ICLARS). ICLARS is an international network of scholars and experts of law and religion. It was founded in 2007.

The predominant focus for law and religion scholarship is usually the impact of state laws upon religious organisations. Often overlooked are the laws which Churches create for themselves. This webinar addresses Anglican Canon Law, a topic which is frequently misunderstood and misrepresented, de-mythologising its nature, sources and functioning. It explores the structure of the Anglican Communion as a loose federation of autonomous national or regional Churches, the so-called Instruments of Unity which seek to hold the uneasy tension between member Provinces, and the lack of any global juridical or enforcement provisions. It examines lawmaking in the Anglican Communion, particularly the creation and amendment of Constitutions and Canons, and tells the story of the drafting of Principles of Canon Law Common to the Churches of the Anglican Communion, advocating their utility in the promotion of ecumenism.

The webinar features Professor Norman Doe, Professor of Law at Cardiff University, the Right Reverend Dr Vicentia Refiloe Kgabe, Bishop of Diocese of Lesotho in the Anglican Church of South Africa, and the Venerable Alan Perry, General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada. The webinar is chaired by Professor Mark Hill KC.

See https://www.ecclawsoc.org.uk for more information about the Ecclesiastical Law Society, our programme of lectures and events, and how to join. We are very grateful for members' subscriptions which support us in our charitable activities, and in continuing to make content available online.