List Books » Ministry and the American Legal System: A Guide for Clergy, Lay Workers, and Congregations
Authors: Richard B. Couser
ISBN-13: 9780800626037, ISBN-10: 0800626036
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
Date Published: July 1993
Edition: New Edition
Written for persons who are not lawyers, accountants, or quasi-legal specialists, this book offers congregations and religious professionals practical insight, while avoiding mere listing of rules and lengthy discussions of cases. Part One provides an overview of the history, structure, and functioning of American law and its legal system, as these pertain to congregations, religious organizations, and professionals. Part Two details various areas of law, such as torts, contracts, real estate transactions, employment, copyrights, and taxation, that have direct bearing on congregational life and ministerial practice. Part Three focuses on "risk management": ways that congregations and religious organizations and professionals can improve their functioning and minimize their exposure to legal difficulties.
Preface | ||
Introduction: Religion and Its Legal Context | 1 | |
1 | Pre-Constitutional History | 9 |
2 | The U.S. Constitutional System | 14 |
3 | The Religion Clauses of the First Amendment | 30 |
4 | Ecclesiastical Organization and the Courts | 63 |
5 | Legal Privileges and Obligations of Clergy | 73 |
6 | Liability for Contracts and Torts | 81 |
7 | The Church as Regulated Employer | 96 |
8 | The Church as Property Owner | 115 |
9 | Copyright Law and the Church | 134 |
10 | Other Government Regulation | 144 |
11 | Organization and Governance | 179 |
12 | Hiring, Supervising, and Firing Employees | 195 |
13 | The Church as Wagepayer | 214 |
14 | Compensation and Taxes | 222 |
15 | Purchasing, Maintaining, or Altering Property | 237 |
16 | Accounting for Funds and Trusts | 251 |
17 | Supervision of Children: Social Events, Child Care, and Trips | 262 |
18 | The Counseling Relationship and Church Discipline | 265 |
19 | Litigation | 279 |
20 | Liability Insurance | 301 |
Conclusion: Weaving Law and Church Together | 307 | |
Appendix A: Constitution of the United States of America | 309 | |
Appendix B: Legal Citations | 322 | |
Appendix C: Conciliation Provisions for Contracts and Wills | 325 | |
Bibliography | 326 | |
Notes | 328 | |
Index | 350 |