"Having devoted my life to the study of history, I am prompted in my latter days to ask whether one can make sense of it all."--from the IntroductionIn this book, Bainton pauses to reflect on the importance of studying history because of what it can teach us about human nature. The study of history, then, is the study of human behavior and therefore it helps us understand ourselves. And with this greater self-understanding comes the further inquiry beyond the human--to God, Christ, and Christian ideals.Readers who think history is as dry as dust have never read Bainton! In this book, Bainton shows that history is not only interesting, it's also important. One can indeed "make sense of it all."

Roland H. Bainton (1894-1984) was Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale University Divinity School for forty-two years. He wrote well into his retirement and authored many books, including Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther.