Bultmann's pioneering study of the New Testament initiated a new era in biblical studies in the 20th century. Together with Karl Barth, Bultmann broke with liberal theology, but his often misunderstood programme of demythologization took him in a radically different direction from Barth. In many respects Bultmann set the agenda for biblical theology in the decades following World War II. Roger Johnson's introductory essay and notes on the selected texts set Bultmann in his historical context, chart the development of his thought and indicate the significance of his theology in the development of Christian theology as a whole.