The 1999 United States Lutheran-Episcopalian
agreement joined seven million people in a
highly-structured ecclesiology. What factors
contributed to such a massive and complicated
ecclesial reconciliation? Doctrinal consensus is
essential, but there is a role for the conditions
and motivations which call forth and receive that
consensus. The books method is historiographical,
the evidence comprises verbatim minutes of Lutheran
assemblies, interviews with participants, and ELCA-
conducted surveys. Many participants found non-
doctrinal factors important or even decisive. The
factors...