Hierarchy of the Catholic Church distinct from the general apostolate or ministry of the laity described above. The consultative leadership of the church, in both the diocese and the parish, usually comprises a Pastoral Council and a Finance Council, as well as several Commissions usually focusing on major aspects of the church's life and mission, such as Faith Formation or Christian Education, Liturgy, Social Justice, Ecumenism, or Stewardship. Religious—who can be either lay people or clergy—are members of religious institutes, societies in which the members take public vows and live a fraternal life in common. This is a form of consecrated life distinct from other
Religion within the Bounds of Bare Reason Religion within the Bounds of Bare Reason Religion within the Bounds of Bare Reason () is a 1793 book by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. Although its purpose and original intent has become a matter of some dispute, the book's immense and lasting influence on the history of theology and the philosophy of religion is indisputable. It consists of four parts, called "Pieces" ("Stücke"), originally written as a series of four journal articles. He strongly criticises ritual, superstition and a church hierarchy in this work. The First Piece originally appeared as a "Berlinische Monatsschrift" article (April 1792). Kant's attempt to