In Ecclesial Cybernetics: A Study of Democracy in the Church, Patrick Granfield uses the principles of cybernetics (the study of communication and control in complex systems) to analyze the Roman Catholic Church's organizational structure and argue for significant democratic reforms. Granfield applies a cybernetic framework to the Church, viewing it as an open system that needs to be receptive to its environment to adapt and survive. The heart of this model is the feedback loop, where information (input) from the general membership influences the decisions (output) of those in authority. The book argues that there is an entropy-inducing imbalance among the Church's governing principles (monarchical, hierarchical, and charismatic/egalitarian). He seeks to balance the traditional hierarchical and papal authority with a recognition of the charismatic elements of the entire community, including the laity.