not intended to be a volume on winners and lose but an exploration of the rich diversity of Christianity in the mod ern era. It'attempts to uncover some of the hidden dynamics of faith within the institutions of Christianity and to help show each of us the many ways in which other Christians have tried to live out the gospel in an uncertain world. It also demonstrates that all human institutions, including churches, change over time.

This is a story of conflict, controversy, and even violence that at times seems quite divorced from the peaceful teachings of Jesus; however, I have tried to make sense of the conflicts in their own settings. Certainly in these conflicts we see power struggles, greed, hatred, and even cruelty marifesting itself. It is important that Christians not be naive about their own history. particularly in the light of the Holocaust. However, in most of the conflicts in this book we also see Christians striving to put the gospel into action. It is not a black and white story of saints being persecuted by sinners, but a complex story of real humans trying to be faithful amidst the confusion and ambiguity of human life.

Craig D. Atwood holds the Starbuck Chair in Religion at Salem College where he also serves as chaplain. He received his M.D from Moravian Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. in Historic Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. His articles ha appeared in Church History, Lutheran Quarterly, Commun Societies, and Transactions of the Moravian Historical Society He also edited the eleventh edition of the Handbook of Denominations in the United States.

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