Theology ancient and modern -- Christianity's current predicament -- The rise of modernity -- The Enlightenment -- Secularity and suspicion -- Can the Bible be trusted? Modern biblical studies -- The identity of Jesus -- Hermeneutics: are Christian teachings unambiguous? -- Life in the gutter: half-lives and have-nots -- No girls allowed: Christianity and feminist theology -- God, quarks and quasars: modern science and Christian thought -- Modern encounters between major religions -- Conclusion: Theology's paramount task.