Call for Chapters:

Proposals Submission Deadline: 10 July 2021

Full Chapters Due: 11 Jan 2022

Reviews Due:31 March 2022

Final submission Date: 30 Apr 2022

Description:

   The objective of this book is to revive scholarly interest in the sociology and history of a rare but important societal type, namely the covenantal model (see short description below). The intended audience of the book encompasses many fields (see Target Audience below). The chapters of the book will be prepared independently by experts in each embodiment of covenantal organizations. A synthesis including convergence and divergence will be left to the editors.

Project Outline:

   The project is about a rare societal type: the covenantal society. The term was coined by a researcher who dedicated his career to this type . The characteristics of this society are:

1. Egalitarian ethos – not to be understood as equality in terms of wealth, clout, healthcare, gender, income etc. Egalitarian ethos is a behavioral social behavior by an ideology of equality in justice administration. Pretensions to privileges are resisted, the members see them at most primus inter pares . This ethos is opposed to display of status symbols, opulence, elitist pretensions of dominance etc. See more in Faust’s chapter “Hierarchy and Equality”.

2. Reversed dominance hierarchy The community imposes its power on the membrs

3. Community self government

4. Community assembly government

5. A federative layered network of communities with a power flow from community to regional body to countrywide federation

6. If a military system exists at all then it is heavily reliant on mobilized civilian militia

7. Community justice, member are judged by their peers

8. Office holders – elders, presbyters, episcopoi, barbas, boni homines, oameni buni și bătrâni, טובי העיר (good men of the town). Usually not elected, not paid, manage by virtue of charisma, prestige, accomplishments et.

9. A Covenant, pact, compact, fore, discipline – The law is obeyed, a ruler is obeyed as long as his ruling obeys the law.

10. A psychology of minding other people’s business

Objective:

   The book is to provide a qualified synopsis of state-of-the-art knowledge of various embodiments of the covenantal organizations in the Old and New World. Individual chapters shall be prepared independently by experts either in each particular covenantal body or each specific aspect common to all the covenantal models (see Project Outline, above). We welcome contributions on the following indicative topics:
Recommended Topics:

Biblical Israel – The Oldest Known Covenantal Society

Roman Palestine – Town Government

Early Christianity – Charismatic Office Holders, Ephesus Corinth etc, North Africa – Tertullian;

Jewish Diaspora Communities

Medieval Romania - Cantemir`s Republics, Sunday in contemporary Maramures

Medieval Languedoc - Pyrenees – vesiau, Alps - Vaudois

English Puritans and Scottish Presbyterians - Regicide in England

Justice or Authority in modern Europe

Covenantal military organization(s)

Hierarchic, Oligarchic and Covenantal Town Architecture - Hierarchic – magnificent palaces, pyramids, Colosseum, Arc de triomphe, Kremlin, Eiffel Tower, Forbidden City, Oligarch sponsored public spaces – Florence, London, Chicago (although the display of opulence is evident, the construction serves useful purposes unlike the hierarchic centripetal design), Covenantal – Pilgrim’s Plymouth, meeting places in New England, Altneuschul of Prague – simple, modest, uniform buildings and streets.

American Puritans - Salem Witch-hunt