Could you give me a clear defintion of what corruption is? Examples in
the political and ecclesiastical sphere would be appreciated.

The word "corruption means deterioration, the breakdown from a
functioning, ordered state."  Corruption has multiple applications
depending upon the context in which it is used.   These relate to
political office, morality, decay, language, and data.  I have
provided details and examples of each of these types of corruption
below.

Sincerely,

Wonko

Political office: "In broad terms, political corruption is the misuse
of public office for private gain. All forms of government are
susceptible in practice to political corruption. Degrees of corruption
vary greatly, from minor uses of influence and patronage to do and
return favours, to institutionalised bribery and beyond. The end-point
of political corruption is kleptocracy, literally rule by thieves,
where even the external pretence of honesty is abandoned."

"Corruption (disambiguation)" Wikipedia (September 13, 2005)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption

Ecclesiastical: "moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral
principles; "the luxury and corruption among the upper classes";
"moral degeneracy followed intellectual degeneration"; "its brothels,
its opium parlors, its depravity"; "Rome had fallen into moral
putrefaction" ""destroying someone's (or some group's) honesty or
loyalty; undermining moral integrity; "corruption of a minor"; "the
big city's subversion of rural innocence""

Decay: "decay of matter (as by rot or oxidation); putrescence: in a
state of progressive putrefaction"

"Corruption" WordNet Search-2.1
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn%3Fs%3Dcorruption

Language: "Corruption of language or a text into a broken form or a
different meaning. "

"Corruption (disambiguation)" Wikipedia (September 13, 2005)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption

"A textual variation (as compared to what is present on some standard
letter) that has resulted from the accumulation of one or more
unintended copying errors."

"GLOSSARY for Paper Chain Letters"
www.silcom.com/~barnowl/chain-letter/glossary.htm

Data: "Data corruption is the receiving of data which is different
from that which was transmitted or otherwise intended. Error checking
is usually used to prevent this."

"Corruption (disambiguation)" Wikipedia (September 13, 2005)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption

"the accidental alteration of data saved on any storage medium."

"Glossary of IT Terms" www.geocities.com/mitalib16/FYHMCT/internet/IT_terms.htm

Search terms: define:corruption

Thank you for your help