Church structure
Can you all tell me what the structure of your respective denominations are? For example, my understanding (which is probably wrong) of Roman Catholicism is that the Pope is boss, cardinals are next, bishops are next, etc.
How about everyone elses? What is the "power" structure? Who makes the decisions on doctrine for your church? How is official doctrine changed...or is it changed? How many of you believe all of the doctrine taught by your church?
Looking forward to it...
You missed one, Douglas. The Holy Trinity is the boss (or bosses), then comes the pope, etc. :o)
Each Jewish community is independent, and hires its own rabbi. Synagogues join associations of like-minded congregations (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, or Reconstructionist), but these associations have no authority over the individual congregations, other than the power to expel them if they are teaching in contradiction to their beliefs. The associations exist to unite groups with similar interests to act in a unified way to accomplish common goals.
Doctrinal authority derives from a process very similar to secular common law. When there are questions about an issue of doctrine or practice, a rabbi is consulted for an opinion. Previous opinions are used as precedence for future ones. Following this opinion is voluntary, not manditory--he has no authority to impose his views. Rabbinic authority is thus a moral authority. The degree to which a rabbi's opinion is valued is based upon his reputation for scholarship and holiness. Over time, as issues are hashed out, a consensus emerges. The Talmud is (among other things) a record of the debates and opinions of the sages on matters of doctrine, law, theology, spirituality, practice, etc. If halakhah is the 'common law' of Judaism, then the Torah is our 'constitution' and 'statutes', and the Talmud is our 'case book'.