Restoration, Unity, and Freedom: How Churches of Christ (A Cappella) Have Interpreted the Declaration and Address

Having examined references by members of Churches of Christ since 1906, three broad approaches to the primary themes of the Declaration and Address are identified. Some hold that the "Unity through Restoration" called for in the Declaration and Address has been fully achieved through Churches of Christ. Others believe that "Unity through Restoration" has not been fully accomplished, but is a noble goal. Many others in Churches of Christ in the last few decades say the Declaration and Address views freedom, not restoration, as the path toward Christian unity.