Quantum hadrodynamics: Evolution and revolution

The underlying philosophy and motivation for quantum hadrodynamics (QHD), n amely, relativistic field theories of nuclear phenomena featuring manifest covariance, have evolved over the last quarter century in response to succe sses, failures, and sharp criticisms. A recent revolution in QHD, based on modem effective field theory and density functional theory perspectives exp lains the successes, provides antidotes to the failures, rebuts the critici sms, and focuses the arguments in favor of a covariant representation.