The events of the twentieth century have led to a rebirth of Protestant theology. This book is intended to help the layperson discover what is going on in theology. In clear, nontechnical language, it traces the rise of orthodoxy since the sixteenth century, and proceeds to examine schools such as fundamentalism, liberalism, and neo-orthodoxy. Because of their great influence and importance, the theologies of Karl Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Paul Tillich are treated separately, and this revised and expanded edition contains new chapters on Rudolf Bultmann, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the God is Dead" controversy.

All truly religious movements are informed by a search for spiritual renewal, often signaled by an attempt to return to what are seen as the original, undiluted values of earlier times. Elements of this process are to be seen in the history of almost all modern religious revivals, both inside and outside the mainstream denominations.