An ally can be brought back from the dead with binding ties, but the ally still might not be able to do anything
Omitting irrelevant bits, the condition dead says that
[t]he character's soul leaves his body. Dead characters cannot benefit from normal or magical healing, but they can be restored to life via magic.
and the effect of community domain's family subdomain's special ability binding ties is that
you can touch an ally and remove one condition affecting the ally by transferring it to yourself. This transfer lasts a number of rounds equal to your cleric level, but you can end it as a free action on your turn. At the end of this effect, the condition reverts to the original creature, unless it has ended or is removed by another effect. While this power is in use, the target is immune to the transferred condition. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Thus a creature that employs the special ability binding ties on an ally with the condition dead, while the duration of the special ability binding ties persists, the ally is affected as follows:
- The ally loses the condition dead.
- If the ally has less than 0 hp the typical ally is dying.
- If the ally has exactly 0 hp, the typical ally is disabled.
- If the creature's nonlethal damage exceeds its current hp, the typical ally is unconscious. A GM may rule that a creature that's been dealt no nonlethal damage has, in fact, been dealt zero nonlethal damage, hence rendering the typical ally possessing 0 hp or less unconscious and either disabled or dying (see above).
- If the ally's both suffering from no other conditions or effects that would impair his ability to do so and possesses a positive hp total that's in excess of any nonlethal damage the ally's been dealt, the ally can take actions normally.
- The ally gains immunity the condition dead.
That means—for as long as 2 minutes if used by a high-enough-level creature—the binding ties ability can render a formerly dead ally unable to gain the condition dead… but the ally can still gain the conditions disabled, dying, and unconscious. In the meantime, the creature who used the ability binding ties gains the dead condition and—theoretically—isn't doing anything because that creature's… well… dead.1
A very weird rules quirk permits the creature who used the ability binding ties to take a free action to end the ability binding ties… despite the creature possessing the condition dead. I don't know of another way to take actions from beyond the grave, but the specific rules of the ability binding ties trumps the general rule of the condition dead.2
When the binding ties effect's duration expires, the ally regains the dead condition—which can be acquired despite a positive hp total—and the creature loses the dead condition. It's possible that this leaves the creature who used the ability binding ties disabled, dying, or dead if he otherwise meets the requirements for any of those conditions.
The dead condition, strangely, isn't the most problematic condition the ability binding ties can swap. If the creature is willing to fall over, the creature for several rounds can render an ally immune to the condition prone ("Why won't you fall?!"). And, from a ship affected by the spell animate objects, a creature can take the condition sinking.
I totally see what the ability is trying to do, but to use conditions so broadly rather than writing a more conservative inclusive list leads to absurdity, but, at least, it's interesting absurdity.
1 This theory hinges upon the soul's inability to control the body after having departed the body, a likely and unfortunate side effect of the dead condition. However, the soul's exit has no stated effect on the soulless creature. Ask the DM. This does, however, remind me of my favorite bit from the Monster Manual (1978):
The mind flayer's physical attack is by striking a victim with its four tentacles. If a tentacle hits it will reach the opponent's brain in 1-4 melee rounds and draw it forth, immediately killing the creature. (70)
Emphasis mine. I always imagined one of Gygax's players indignantly proclaiming, "So it has my brain. Big deal. I'm a fighter. What do I need a brain for?" and Gygax making a note to include that emphasized part… just in case.
2 However, effects can and often do continue after one's death.