Today the work of theology, or "dogmatics," is widely thought to be of little practical importance for ordinary Christians. This challenging introduction to the tradition and practice of Christiandogmatics shows why reasoning theologically is still decisive for the life of the church. Gerhard Sauter introduces readers to the various approaches to dogmatics and points out what is essential in a complete and meaningful Christian theology. He also argues convincingly that dogmatics is properly understood as a movement of rational thought and not simply as an old-fashioned presentation of Christian doctrine, thereby firmly establishing the necessity of dogmatics for communicating the essentials of the faith.