Protestantism is a thorough exploration of every aspect of protestantism as a religion-with special focus on its central religious and theological tenets, as well as its styles of life and cultural expression. Called by the Chicago Sun-Times "one of America's keenest observers of the religious scene," Martin E. Marty brings to this major study a wealth of sound scholarship and theological insights. The book is divided into four sections. In the first, he traces Protestantism in space and time, providing a world survey of origins, growth, patterns of thought, and the search for unity. In the second part, Marty presents central Protestant concepts of God, history, man and salvation-noting the tensions and conflicts that fave accompanied various views of God, such as those propounded by Luther and Calvin. From here, he progresses to a discussion of "Bases of protestant Life," treating such aspects as bible, community, laymen and clergy, baptism and communion. In the fourth section, “Expressions of Protestant Life," the author offers a searching analysis of the close inter-relationship between protestantism and culture. An invaluable feature of the volume is the extensive annotated Bibliography, which comprises the latter third of the book.