that has occurred between different churches and the broader aspects of Amer-
ican culture.

Each of the historical studies in this current series has a strong biographical
focus, using the real-life experiences of men and women in church life to high-
light significant elements of an unfolding sequence. The first part(s) of every
volume singles out important watershed issues that affected a denomination's
outlook and discusses the roles of those who influenced the flow of events. The
last part consists of biographical sketches, featuring those persons and many
others who contributed to the vitality of their religious heritage. This format
enables authors to emphasize the distinctive features of their chosen subject and
at the same time to recognize the sharp particularities of individual attributes in
the cumulative richness that their denomination possesses.

The author of this volume has been associated with Lutheran institutions for
more than two decades, both during the course of her formal training and in her
current professoriate at St. Olaf College. She brings many new strengths to a
perception of Lutheran experience as it has unfolded in the United States. This
denomination has traditionally been defined by the leadership of male clergy
and theology, particularly as expressed in the Augsburg Confession and the
Book of Concord. Lagerquist pays due attention to these elements, locating
precedents for thought and polity in Europe before bringing them to this country.
Then in full historical narrative she depicts the colonial experience of American
Lutheran beginnings and expands on them through the nineteenth century. Fa-
miliar categories receive full treatment here.

But that is hardly enough these days, and Lagerquist distinguishes her con-
tribution by highlighting new categories. She is especially interested in the ques-
tion of gender as related to leadership roles, and she repeatedly enriches our
reading by mentioning the myriad ways in which women have served as the
backbone of Lutheran enterprises. A concomitant of that interest is a focus on
laity in general as complement to, not as substitute for, ordained clergy. The
topic of ethnic identity has usually been basic to Lutheran studies, and here too
Lagerquist notes the centrality of German and Scandinavian peoples who pop-
ulate the denomination's many varieties. But she moves beyond the old limits
to include other groups, including African Americans, and depicts the growth
of churches as they expanded from Pennsylvania throughout states in the upper
Midwest. Lagerquist notes the worth of traditional emphases on the Bible and
magisterial sacraments. But readers benefit even more through her supplemental
discussions of worship patterns and education that emerged in the American
heartland. The people express modern versions of a tradition that began in Eu-
rope, one that has culminated in these times as the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America. This important volume provides us with a microcosm of what has
transpired in every denomination on this continent.

HENRY WARNER BOWDEN

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