At this point in time, would the Orthodox be willing to undertake a systematic analysis of their understanding of the offices of the bishop, metropolitan, and patriarch with the science of politics, or the study of constitutions, authority, rights and powers, and so on, as a tool? What of consent and the delegation of authority (and the question of whether such a delegation can be withdrawn - perhaps not individually but through collective action)?
To end the discussion by appealing to the canons does not seem to work, if the canons are instances of human positive law and not divinely instituted law?
