Below are some of the responses turned in by my students when asked to prepare a top ten list for the reasons why Christians should study history:
Serious
- History is teleological – where do we stand in God’s timeline?
- The events recorded in the Bible are historical.
- To avoid being misled by others.
- To be a more effective apologist.
- People will take you more seriously (credibility).
- To avoid having a narrow vision and a narrow mind.
- It makes available new evangelistic opportunities.
- To avoid looking at the events of the Bible as a separate world from historical events not found in the Bible – there isn’t a Bible world and the real world.
- To understand the Bible in its historical setting — grammatico-historical interpretation.
- To discover our cultural roots.
- To see how Christianity has shaped the world, and where it has been shaped by the world.
- Learn from previous mistakes so as not to repeat them.
- It is interesting!
- It is fun!
- History can be beautiful.
- It enriches our understanding of other fields of study.
- History is His Story.
- Helps you better navigate your life (you won’t make stupid mistakes like naming your mission trip to Egypt “The Crusade”)
- Being introduced to great men and women of the past can help you to be a better person.
- You won’t reinvent the wheel (or arguments, or …)
- It helps you grow in your understanding of God (God creates, God judges, God redeems, God… — The God who parted the Red Sea is the same God we serve today)
- It evokes praise and worship when you see God’s sovereign hand at work.
- You get a chance to see God fulfill his promises.
- The multi-local, multi-vocal perspective helps a person to become more discerning.
- Historical investigation can result in spiritual growth and a more committed faith.
- You can see further when you stand on the shoulders of your predecessors.
- Exposure to other cultures (the past is a foreign country) is an enriching experience.
- It helps one be thankful for the blessings of life, liberty, prosperity, etc.
- Make it possible to observe the “flow of history” (Francis Schaeffer)
- History lets us see philosophy lived-out and appropriately evaluate it by its end-results.
- Helps us to comprehend what it means to be human.
- Keeps us from being practical Deists – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.” Then what?
- Helps us to understand other people groups and cultures and why they are the way they are, and to connect with them.
- Jesus was historical.
- It helps us to find solutions in the present.
- The past shapes the present, and the future.
- It is helpful to see how civilization and Christianity has developed through the centuries, and the relationship between them.
- Looking at notable figures from the past can be emboldening, motivating, and encouraging.
- To avoid the appearance of being stupid (Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th, 2010 years ago.)
- To more fully appreciate the sacrifices made by those who came before us.
- “The scholar has lived in many times and is therefore in some degree immune from the great cataract of nonsense that pours from the press and the microphone of his own age.” (C.S. Lewis)
- To behold the glory of God.
- Helps us to see what is unique and what is not. God is unique, other than that there is nothing new under the sun.
- God encourages collective memory. “Remember the days of old…”
- Historical perspective is necessary for the possession of a Christian worldview.
- To be equipped for every good work.
- Studying history is a practical way of seeing the effects of various ethical systems.
Picturesque and possibly humorous)
- Because Professor Stilley says so (and it is required to graduate).
- You are going to be history someday, and don’t you want someone to remember you?
- 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42
- It is the soap opera of truth.
- So that we can understand the process that led to the “mullet” being an acceptable hairstyle and AVOID it at all costs!!
- It will keep you from saying, “Hey, bring in that big wooden horse someone left outside.”
- To positively represent Christians in the event of an appearance on Jeopardy.
- You will reconsider going to a barbeque with Nero.
- To avoid being a recipient of the Darwin Awards.
- You won’t drink the Cool-Aide when going to Rob Bell’s church.
- So I can wear my cute new reading glasses.
- So I can be smarter than my 7-year-olds 1st grade teacher (okay, so I can be smarter than my 7-year-old).
- To remember the loudest person is not necessarily the smartest person.
