"William C. Placher ... is to be congratulated for having done what many would have considered impossible. In slightly more than 300 pages he has chronicled the whole history of Christian theology, from its background in the history of Israel to the various modes of liberation theology in the late 20th century. Moreover, he has touched almost all of the important bases and has dealt with significant figures, issues, movements in an incisive and illuminating manner. This intellectual history, a story of people and their ideas, is a delight to read. I predict it will be widely used not only in college and seminaries, but also in lay institutes and study groups."-The Christian Century