Episcopal polity

The chair (cathedra) of the Bishop of Rome (Pope) of the Catholic Church in the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran in Rome, Italy, represents his episcopal authority.

An episcopal polity is a hierarchical form of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") in which the chief local authorities are called bishops. The word "bishop" here is derived via the British Latin and Vulgar Latin term *ebiscopus/*biscopus, from the Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος epískopos meaning "overseer".[1][2] It is the structure used by many of the major Christian Churches and denominations, such as the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East, Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist churches or denominations, and other churches founded independently from these lineages.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Harper, Douglas. "bishop". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  2. ^ ἐπίσκοπος. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.