I. Whether the First Amendment's church autonomy doctrine and its "ministerial exception" should be understood as an immunity from judicial interference in internal religious leadership disputes covered by the doctrine, or instead as a mere defense against liability. This overarching question controls the answer to two sub-questions:

A. Whether the church autonomy doctrine protects churches against merits discovery and trial; and

B. Whether denial of a dispositive motion to invoke the church autonomy doctrine is appealable on an interlocutory basis.

II. Whether a minister's defamation claims against his church arising from internal church disciplinary proceedings are barred by the church autonomy doctrine or may instead proceed under the "neutral principles" approach developed for church property disputes.

Whether the First Amendment's church autonomy doctrine and its 'ministerial exception' should be understood as an immunity from judicial interference in internal religious leadership disputes covered by the doctrine, or instead as a mere defense against liability