There Are More Things in Heaven and Earth Than Are Dealt with in Your Code: The Relevance of Social Science for Canon Law

As the careers of Stephan Kuttner and James Provost demonstrate, history and social sciences are valuable tools for interpreting and evaluating canon law. Historians can identify three phases in the evolution of structures of diocesan governance in the United States. In each of these phases, the Church has adopted and adapted the prevailing organizational models used by business enterprises. Social science analysis of these business models can diagnose weaknesses and problems in current models of organization that contribute to institutional dysfunctions and sometimes paralysis.