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Why Study History?
Why study History? Because it truly is God's story (His story). We can learn about God and His character and His dealings with man as we study history. Psalm 78 tells us to not forget the works of the Lord, to tell the generation to come of His wonderful works. To study history is to see God's Hand.
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Why I Love Teaching History
I have had a great time teaching American History and English to some of our high school students on Enrichment Day. Teaching home educated students is such a joy. I love seeing God's Hand and His Character through History and Literature. I have been blessed to have some amazing teachers in my adult life who have shown me the effects of Christ in history, and I am thankful to be able to pass it on.
It's so easy to see the wonderful effects of Jesus Christ in this world as we study history. Even though Athanasius, the great Church Father of the 4th century, lived during the reign of terror of Emperor Diocletian, whose goal was to wipe the church off the face of the earth, he never lost sight of the fact that the Word had become flesh and flooded the world with Light which the darkness cannot overcome. In his classic book, "On the Incarnation of the Word of God," Athanasius stated, "While idolatry and everything else that opposes the faith of Christ is daily dwindling and weakening and falling, the Savior's teaching is increasing everywhere! When the sun has come, darkness prevails no longer; any of it that may be left anywhere is driven away. So also, now that the Divine epiphany of the Word of God has taken place, the darkness of idols prevails no more, and all parts of the world in every direction are enlightened by His teaching."
Less than 25 years after Diocletian the Emperor of Rome was himself a Christian. When the gospel reached the British Isles the result was a book called "The Book of the Law of Moses," written by Patrick of Ireland (known as Saint Patrick), which set the 10 Commandments as the basis for all law. Patrick, who was taken from England to Ireland as a slave, taught the tribal chiefs how to apply God's law to all society. The world was forever changed. 400 years later Alfred the Great, king of England, applied the teachings from Patrick's book which brought a representative form of governing to Great Britain.
From that, the effect was the Magna Charta, which gave us the biblical principle that the king is under the law. This was the first attempt to limit government. Once the Bible got into the hands of the common man, thanks to Gutenberg's invention of the printing press, they began applying biblical principles to all areas of life. The Pilgrims brought the Bible to the New World. According to their governor, William Bradford, "They cherished a great hope and inward zeal of laying good foundations for the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the remote parts of the world, even though they should be but stepping stones to others in the performance of so great a work."
The whole rise of Western Civilization – science and technology, medicine, the arts, constitutionalism, the jury system, free enterprise, literacy, increasing productivity, a rising standard of living, the high status of women – is attributable to one major fact: The West has been transformed by Christianity. History is full of examples of God accomplishing His will through individuals just like you and me. The Bible, as well as the study of history, gives us hope; it gives us a message of victory, not defeat. We are making a difference, and we are having an impact on our society. How we came to be in this situation, free to teach our children according to our conscience, is the story of the Gospel and the affect Christ has had on this earth through His Spirit in the hearts of individuals. As Athanasius said, the Savior's teaching is increasing everywhere and all parts of the world are being enlightened by it. - Susan DeCamp
