Should Churches have classes on Christian History?

Question

Are there any churches that actually teach Christian history, outside of what is in the Bible? I have been reading about Christian history, and find it very fascinating, and I find it explains a lot of things. I think it could enrich the life of a Christian to understand his or her own history. What do you think?

Answer 1

I couldn't agree more.

Christians know very little of the historical underpinnings of their faith, the great theological debates that have splintered the faith into so many sects, or the heroes and martyrs of the past. There is even a disturbing ignorance of basic "cornerstones" of Christian history, such as the authors of the four gospels!

In the United States, I think this trend is attributable to the tendancy to base religious faith on personal experience. Feeling and emotion are so important to many Christians that they seem to check their brains at the door when entering church.

The search for God, for many Christians, is focused more on self than on God. We want to know God as he relates to us. Religious faith becomes a form of egoism, and we miss the point. The truth is, we can know God outside of our personal experience. Scholars, theologians, saints, and ordinary Christians have been doing so for centuries, and their examples would be instructive.

Answer 2

Absolutely! However, many Protestants and especially fundies would have a tough time doing this. To study church history from AD 95 (most people know Church history prior to AD 95) until 1517 (the year of the Protestant Reformation) would be to discover that ALL of the "Early Chritians" were Catholics...since there were no Protestants! They would discover that even the Apostles led by Oral Tradition because NONE of the Books of the Bible were even written until sometime between AD 54 and AD 120...leaving only Oral Tradition as the only means of passing on the faith. They would also learn that it was a group of Catholic Bishops in council in Carthage, N. Africa in AD 397 that definitively determined which of the New Testament books would actually be accepted into the NT....for not all of them were. The Gospel of Peter and the Infancy Narrative of St. James (http://www.ntcanon.org/Gospel_of_Peter.shtml) obviously didn't "make the cut"....but again, it was the Catholic Church that made that determination. Protestantism overwhelmingly agreed with the Catholic Church -- otherwise there would be various lists of NT books -- but EVERY version of the NT -- whether King James, NIV, NKJV, the Darby, Young's Literal to name but a few -- ALL contain the SAME 27 books in their NT that the Catholic Church determined should be in it.

Read the conversion story (link below) of Peter Gillquist who was a member of the Campus Crusade for Christ and how some 40 years ago, he did a study on Church history and ended up entering the Orthodox Church (Catholicism's sister) AND leading more than 2,000 fellow Campus Crusaders into the Orthodox Church as well. Peter Gillquist is now Fr. Peter Gillquist. One simply cannot study Church history and not question themselves on why they they remain apart from the Church of the Apostles.


"We are obliged to yield many things to the Papists--that with them is the Word of God, which we received from them; otherwise we should have known nothing at all about it."
-- Martin Luther

Answer 3

I suspect a Christian history would look a lot like the books of Kings and Chronicles. An up and down, back and forth account of one kingdom as seen by the other. You could start with the Eastern chism's account of Catholicism, and later add the Vatican's reaction to the Protestant Reformation.

All parties have something virtuous, and something scandalous to offer.

But, I supect the atheists would continue to argue over what each party left out about each other.

Answer 4

I agree with you that it's an interesting subject, and I think it's of great importance to anyone who wants to examine why they believe what they believe. (Which is just about everyone at some point in time, I hope.)

I think my parents' church has assorted adult discussion groups, some of which touch on the history of Christian thought. There are also some folks at a university in town who give lectures on various topics in theology, such as the history of Bible translations, for anyone who happens to be interested. They were a bit heavy for me when I was 10 or so, but neat.

Answer 5

Not only Christian history but history of how the Bible came to be.

Answer 6

I will answer your banner question first: yes, they should. Are there any? Wouldn't know. I haven't been inside a church in many, many years. But you are so right that they should teach it. I suspect, though, that it is only taught in seminaries or "bible colleges," not in Sunday schools for ordinary folk to learn. If you are going to be a priest or minister, I think it is irresponsible in the extreme not to learn the history.

Answer 7

Yes if they can actually find people who are educated and knowledgeable on the history and the history of the Bible.

Including the good, the bad and the ugly.

Answer 8

My old church taught Christian history, the only problem was that they only taught the good times and the times when Christians were persecuted. They never taught the Crusades or any times that Christians were the aggressors. I think if you teach the history, you have to teach the good and the bad.

Answer 9

The early christian began with the apostles whilst they died fake coaching entered into the church. The church yielded to person-friendly ideals as do the church homes of as we communicate. If the majority feels that fornication is okay then they permit it. they adjust with the wind. Jesus observed it and as a result he reported they have been like the blind optimum the blind. in case you elect for real history of the church study the two Babylons by employing Alexander Hissop

Answer 10

If I ever become a pastor I would like to include history lessons. We can learn a lot through history.