This work seeks to understand the dominant socio-political view of Church authority in the context of history, and to articulate a vision of non-political authority in the Church drawn from spiritual anthropology rather than from political theories. Contents: SECTION I: A Historical Survey; Historical Context; Church as a Body Politic; Authority as a Power to Rule; Summary Remarks; Critique of the Traditional View; The Democratic Ideal; The Christian Economy; Authority as a Power of Grace; Conclusion; Footnotes; Bibliography.