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collegialism

noun
col·​le·​gi·​al·​ism | \ -ˌlizəm\
plural -s

Definition of collegialism

: a theory of church polity that defines the church as a society of voluntary members independent of the state, self-governing, and with authority vested in the members

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History and Etymology for collegialism

German kollegialismus, from kollegial (from Latin collegialis) + -ismus -ism

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