The Zacchaeus Project [TLC, July 11] appears to offer a valuable new perspective on the Episcopal Church. However, the report does not meet some of the more rigorous standards of social scientific research. It lacks a comparative perspective. Further, it may encourage an undesirable introspection among Episcopalians.

The Zacchaeus Project uses research methods often employed in the social sciences. The research design includes focus groups and interviews in selected dioceses. Nevertheless, this document differs from much social science research. The social scientists who contributed to the project undoubtedly recognize the differences, but many readers may not be aware of them.

An important step in most research projects is the "literature review": The researcher examines previous studies, identifies a new problem to investigate, and selects appropriate methods. But the report on the Zacchaeus Project does not discuss recent research, and thus does not provide a context for the interpretation of its results. Although the report can be useful, it must be read with a careful eye to its possible limitations.

The Zacchaeus Project also lacks a comparative perspective. What is happening in other mainline denominations in the United States? What is happening elsewhere in the Anglican Communion? Are conflicts over sexuality unique to American churches, or do they occur elsewhere, too? The report neglects such questions.

More than a decade ago, in American Mainline Religion, Wade Clark Roof and William McKinney wrote that liberal protestant denominations like the Episcopal Church differ significantly from other religious groups in their views on women's rights and sexual morality. In Culture Wars: The Struggle to Define America, James Davison Hunter argued that two very different views of moral authority contribute to deep differences of opinion on important issues, including sexuality and gender. A more recent book by a team of social scientists, The Bully Pulpit: The Politics of Protestant Clergy, provided some support for Hunter's thesis. In addition, the authors found that liberal churches are much more conflicted about the primary tasks of the church than are more conservative religious groups. A full appreciation of the findings of the Zacchaeus Project requires attention to studies like these.

The Episcopal Church is also part of the Anglican Communion. At the 1998 Lambeth Conference it was obvious that not all Anglicans share the views of many leading Episcopalians on matters like homosexuality. It would be instructive to consider what historians and sociologists say about Anglican churches in other lands, especially developed countries like Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A comparative approach can reveal what may be unique to a particular group, and what it shares with others.

Careful readers of the Zacchaeus Project report need a broader perspective on other topics, too. An appendix offers some statistical data that calls for much attention. For example, the report notes that church membership in 1997 was essentially the same as it was in 1947, and concludes that predictions of the decline and disappearance of the Episcopal Church are mistaken. However, the population of the United States is much larger than it was in 1947, which means that the Episcopal Church has declined dramatically in relative terms. Why did this happen? In American Mainline Religion, Roof and McKinney argued that there was no wholesale exodus of people from mainline churches. They pointed to two factors: a low fertility rate among mainline church members, and a failure of these churches to attract and hold the loyalty of younger persons.

Some of the data in the appendix may well support the view that the Episcopal Church is a graying denomination. In 1998, there were more retired bishops than active ones. The average age of newly ordained clergy is much older than it used to be (46.35 years in 1998, up from 27.53 in 1960). There are also more of these older ordinands. In 1980, when the average age of newly ordained clergy was just under age 35, there were 304 ordinations; in 1985 there were 434, in 1990, 400, and in 1995, 354. The biggest recent change in the Episcopal Church may be the aging of its ordained leadership.

Additional signs of the graying of the church may be found in figures provided for attendance and giving. The report says that average attendance increased even as total membership declined. Perhaps church members are more committed than they used to be, but it is also possible that the explanation lies in the regular habits of older adults. The report also observes that pledges have kept ahead of inflation since 1973. One could explain this as a triumph of stewardship, but it could also mean that many church members reached their peak earning years in this period and had plenty of disposable income.

If the suggestions made here turn out to be correct, they will have important implications for the Episcopal Church. A church with an aging leadership and a stable or declining membership is probably not becoming more "diverse" or "inclusive," no matter what its leaders may say. Moreover, a church like this will find it hard to make significant changes at any level, particularly if its members continue to give enough money to keep things pretty much as they are.

Putting the Zacchaeus Project data into a broader social science context is not the only change in perspective that is needed. The report is very inward looking, not only in its focus on identity and its lack of a comparative dimension, but also in many of the questions it proposes for discussion.

Zacchaeus did not climb the tree in order to study himself, but to get a look at Jesus. When he saw Jesus, the tax collector came down from the tree and turned his life inside out. There is a serious risk that the lack of a comparative perspective and the report's focus on group identity will encourage endless introspection rather than revitalizing insight. Unless there is a significant shift in focus, this project won't get Zacchaeus out of the tree. It is more likely that he will build a tree house for himself and a handful of friends.

The Rev. David A. Tait is a professor of history at Rogers State University in Claremore, Okla.