church court
Religious judicial body
A church court is a tribunal that adjudicates matters under religious law—marriage, divorce, clergy discipline, heresy, and similar ecclesiastical concerns.
Historically, church courts held significant power in Europe, sometimes rivaling civil courts.
Today they operate mainly within religious institutions: The priest was summoned before the church court to answer charges of misconduct.
- InquisitionChurch tribunal against heretics
- canon lawReligious institutional regulations
- adjudicationFormal decision on disputes
- excommunicationFormal barring from sacraments
- mortal sinGrace-destroying spiritual offense
burning at stake · synod · papal authority · papal bull · Reformation · bishopric · marriage annulment · holy orders · verdict · judge · parish council · bench · religious orders · witness testimony · penance · confession booth · gavel · benefice
- church gatheringsassemblies, conferences, congresses, convocation, conventions
- Medieval Institutionsabbeys, abbey, convents, convent, priories
- medieval justicetrial by combat, trial by ordeal, trial by fire, trial by jury, ordeal
- religious trialsheresy trial, inquisition, Spanish Inquisition, Roman Inquisition, Salem witch trials
- canon lawcanonist, tribunal, canons, canonists, codes
- church governancediocese, episcopacy, polity, parish councils, archdiocese
church courtcivil court
Forum for private disputes
state court · criminal court · civil authority · secular authority · federal court
church, court, churches, churched, churchly, churchgoer, courts, courted, courting