Authority Vested

the long version

"In Authority Vested Mary Todd chronicles the history of this struggle for identity in the LCMS, critically examining the central - often contentious - issue of authority in relation to Scripture, ministry, and the role of women in the church. After recounting the history of the denomination, Todd uses the ministry of women as a case study of the process by which the synod has continually redefined its concept of authority in order to maintain its own historic identity as a confessional Lutheran church body." "Based on oral histories and on solid archival research, Authority Vested not only explores the internal life of a significant denomination but also offers vital insights for other churches trying to maintain their Christian distinctives in religiously pluralistic America."--BOOK JACKET.