Perhaps the two best adjectives to encapsulate this collection are comprehensive and workmanlike. Both words are meant positively inasmuch as this volume will be a useful reference work for anyone embarking on a study of oversight within the Church. The book divides into three sections. The first part offers some concise background from Scripture and ecclesiology. The chapters in Part 2 outline different patterns of oversight within different churches and denominations. The final section also reflects on practice; there is some blurring between the functions of the second two sections of the book.

Part 1 begins with Sean Winter’s succinct background from Scripture. Roger Standing and Paul Goodliff follow with a historical map of the development of oversight and an outline of the variety found in the contemporary church; Goodliff and Standing’s contributions are consistently interesting throughout the book.

The second section is a mixed bag, indicating, both in style and content, the kaleidoscopic variety of patterns within the different traditions. First are four sub-chapters on Anglicanism. Paul Avis contributes a characteristically clear ‘potted history’ within which he describes the Anglican pattern of apostolicity; notably, bishops are seen as the bene esse rather than the esse of the Church – it is a pity that Avis was not given more space. There follow two reflections rooted in experience from Stephen Cottrell and James Jones. The conclusion is an outline of the pattern of responsibilities and institutions within Anglican diocesan ministerial infrastructure.

The following 11 chapters offer an extraordinary mixture of essays capturing something of the patterns within different traditions. Jacob Phillips sets out clearly the basic Roman Catholic understanding of episcopacy – it is a rigorous piece within its own limits. Other chapters vary greatly in tackling the opportunity afforded them. So Diana Tidball’s account of the Baptist background captures the atmosphere of Baptist polity, whereas Rebecca Rominger’s piece on the United Reformed Church is largely a description of church organization. Mike Parker offers a short history of the Salvation Army beginning with William Booth and indicating how those patterns have developed in recent times; the Salvation Army is only a church in a very specific sense of that word. There follow brief chapters on Pentecostalism and ‘New Church Streams’, including a short reflection by Gerald Coates on ‘Pioneer Ministry’. David Muir offers a clear and analytical description of the debate about episcopacy within the Black Church movement. Finally, two contributions from Ian Mobsby and Roy Searle focus on the New Monasticism. Mobsby writes of his experience with Moot and the Wellspring Community. Searle describes something of the history of the Northumbria Community – there are manifestly some differences of opinion within that community on the use of the word ‘bishop’.

Part 3 comprises seven varied chapters. An interesting and balanced piece by Anne Hollingshurst reflects on episkope and gender. Goodliff and Standing offer interesting takes on different elements within episcopacy; these include comment on episcopacy and scholarship, the nature of supervision and discussion of three key terms defined in the Lima Document – the personal, collegial and communal aspects of episcopacy. Paul Butler concludes with some headlines for contemporary episcopal ministry.

There are some odd lacunae. In discussion of support, much is made of the role of marriage partners but there is very little reference to those who choose not to marry. This volume is a source not of new scholarship or creative theological thought, but rather a useful compendium with some thoughtful contributions albeit within a rather uneven collection.