CHURCIH POLITICAL AND CHURCH LAW interpretation of the legal provisions as such and an

interpretation of the situation, in a mutually related process. Within the framework of this chapter, we
focus on the interpretation of law, ie on jurisprudence or legal hermeneutics. A step by step we have to
take is identifying the applicable rules. Tia: may Cns eption to co-be several directly. may mutually
contradictory regu- lations may seem to be applicable. If that is the case, we have to be aware of the
three so-cailed rules of thump. First 'higher law (eg, nationa! Law): access precedence over "lower law eg
tribal law), of coursc, unless the higher law explicitly recognizes the validity of lower law. In most
churches within the presbytcrial-synodical tradition, local rules cannot be valid if they are contrary to the
denominationai church order Sometimes, of course, the church order itself will stipulate that undes
certain conditions are local congregations are ne: bound follow the main rule of the churuh o: but this,
indeed, corfims the priority of the church order as such, if so, we speak of the directory law rather than
the mardatory law. Further more, "Later laws abrogate earlier laws" (Rees 2008, 2c); a ruie more recently
accepted to be obeyed, even if it is against the rules (on the same level) the hat is still valid If I am not
mistaken, in many Western churches changes in church crders occur more than a few years ago; the ce
or on or intr least it nds on tie to ch eck if one really uses the most recent edition. Firally, 'specific reason
wi takes general precedence over law: a general rule does no: apply it to a specific case a specific
provision of bas been formulated. For instance, it may be that a specific rule for filing complaints in
particular cases is given, vhich in fact takes precedence over the general practice of 'complaints and
disputes' (the aforementioned PCN Church Order has them) or of appeals and revision '(as cter as wey
ot, then partner churches in the same tradition would say) ve all wh of coursp in case be diffic Vith rega
of anothe If the applicable rules have been identified, next step in the process of inter pretation requires
due attention. How exactly to interpret a specific regulation, g. in a church order? That is not self-evident
(cf. Coertzen 2004. 207-210). The law has to be found, by way of interpreting the regulations according
to a set of hermeneutical rules. It is a matter of theologies that are used to bring forward as follows 9-6).
Hert sion or uch norrules. We usually distinguish five levels of interpretation. as they discuss, for
instance, biblical admonitions. They have learned to use a broad set of exegetical and Hermeneutical
instruments to find out what might be the best interpretation. Nevertheless, to my surprise, it is no
exception at all that such as theologians forget about hermeneutics as soon as the church order is at
stake. But basically, we have to be aware of a quite similar set of hermeneuticals. The first level is
concerned with literal hermeneutics. It starts with understanding the meaning of each word, including
legal technical terms. "Laws have to be understood according to the proper meaning of their words"
(Rees 2008,: 1) cipline a res bots