- A complex story, well told, that describes the rise and development of one of the nation's most important and uniquely American religious institutions - Documents a sacred place where the nation has celebrated some of its greatest triumphs and grieved some of its greatest losses - Site at the crossroads of American life and culture, where major national issues have been discussed and illuminated, including civil rights and the war in Vietnam This new book provides a history of Washington National Cathedral from its inception to the modern day, focusing finally on the episcopacy of Bishop John T. Walker, who died in the fall of 1989. For the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Cathedral, its supporters, members of the National Cathedral Association, plus libraries and researchers interested in church history, the history of cathedrals and cathedral-building, iconography, architecture, and the broader history of Washington-based institutions.
