Beginning with the organizational difficulties that faced the postresurrection communities of Jesus' followers and concluding nearly six centuries later as many regional representatives of the universal church came increasingly under the influence of Roman bishops, "Church, Book, and Bishop" is the story of leadership-- its successes and frustations. It is a book about the managerial elites largely responsible for overcoming the theological, political, and social obstacles to organization.

Through a series of scenes drawn from clerical life, Peter Iver Kaufman identifies and illustrates...