Canon Law
Canon law (from Ancient Greek: κανών, kanon, a ‘straight measuring rod, ruler’) is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members.
Canon law includes the internal ecclesiastical law, or operational policy, governing the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches), the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the individual national churches within the Anglican Communion. The way that such church law is legislated, interpreted and at times adjudicated varies widely among these four bodies of churches. In all three traditions, a canon was originally a rule adopted by a church council; these canons formed the foundation of canon law.
The internal legal systems and codes used by Christian churches to govern doctrine, discipline, organization, sacraments, and clerical conduct — rooted in both Scripture and tradition.
I. Canon law (Christianity) – Overview
II. Catholic Church canon law
III. Eastern Orthodox canon law
IV. Anglican canon law
V. Protestant legal and governance systems
While most Protestant denominations do not have formal canon law per se, they maintain legal-like systems of governance: