What a Friend We Have in Jesus, part of a series on traditions of Christian spirituality, examines the history of evangelicalism, a belief system that crosses geographical and denominational lines. The author reviews the roots of evangelicalism in British Protestantism of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries under the influence of Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley and others. He quotes a number of scholars who portray evangelicalism as a significant religious force in Victorian England, leading some to call the 1800s "the evangelical century."

In treating the history of evangelicalism, Randall provides in-depth chapters on specific elements of the faith such as evangelicals and the bible, sacraments, prayer, and "the last times." With its inviting format and clear style, this work is an important resource in light of the current popularity of evangelicalism in the U.S.