The Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America was founded in 1872 by six charter member synods, led by the Missouri Synod and her unrivaled champion, C.F.W. Walther. Commonly known as the Synodical Conference, this ecclesiastical fellowship was founded on fundamental unity, not complete agreement on every detail of theology. Simply put, these Christians shared a common, faithful attitude toward the holy Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions. The conference brought together confessional Lutherans who were seeking to proclaim the gospel more effectively and efficiently in the United States and around the world through coordinated efforts, especially in education and missions. But soon they found themselves divided over the knotty doctrine of eternal election. This third volume of Wielding the Sword of the Spirit charts the course of the Election Controversy (Gnadenwahlstreit) in great detail and provides careful analysis as to why it led to the first breakup of the Synodical Conference in the early 1880s and how it has had a lasting impact on the Lutheran Church in America that continues to be felt today.
