Critics & cultists cause confusion -- The Apostolic fathers explain the way -- The Apologists defend the faith -- Irenaeus exposes heresies -- North African thinkers examine philosophy -- Origen of Alexandria leaves a troubling legacy -- Cyprian of Carthage promotes unity -- Christianity gets its act together -- Alexandrians argue about the Son of God -- The Church responds at the Council of Nicaea -- Athanasius stubbornly keeps the faith -- The Cappadocian fathers settle the issue.

The schools of Antioch & Alexandria clash over Christ -- Nestorius & Cyril bring the controversy to a head -- Chalcedon protects the mystery -- Fallout from the conflict continues -- Augustine confesses God's glory & human depravity -- The western church becomes Roman Catholic -- The eastern church becomes Eastern Orthodox -- The Great Schism creates two traditions out on one -- Anselm & Abelard speculate about God's way -- Thomas Aquinas summarizes Christian truth -- Nominalists, reformers & humanists challenge the scholastic synthesis.

Luther rediscovers the gospel & divides the church -- Zwingli & Calvin organize protestant thought -- Anabaptists go back to the roots of Christianity -- Rome & Canterbury go separate but parellel ways -- Arminians attempt to reform reformed theology -- Pietists seek to renew Lutheran theology -- Puritans & Methodists struggle to revive English theology -- Deists try to transform protestant theology -- Liberal theology accommodates to modern culture -- Conservative theology hardens traditional categories -- Neo-orthodoxy transcends the divide -- Contemporary theology struggles with diversity.