[xone]

If Protestants had stuck with Luther they would have probably either returned to the Church within a few generations or been absorbed by the Orthodox.

I doubt it, since Justification is a sticking point out of the chute. Please don't bring up the Joint Declaration on Justification between the Catholics and lib Lutherans. Even that took 400+ years to grow Lutherans who could be co-opted.

[wagglebee]

However, even Lutheranism wandered far away from many of Luther’s teachings. I think they would have gone to the Orthodox if European politics hadn’t gotten in the way.