A Christian Worldview of History

 

             A Christian worldview of history is a way in which the past is seen as primarily mankind's response to life in a fallen world. History, as described by historian John Fea, is "a discipline that seeks to explain the character and behavior of humans as they lived through time." (Fea, 2013. 29). For a Christian, this means that we place human beings in the Biblical category as image bearers of God, yet fallen through sin. We also affirm that God is in control of the world and has a plan for the future of mankind, as Hebrews 1:3 expresses that Jesus Christ upholds "all things by the word of his power." (Hebrews 1:3. KJV). 

The doctrine of providence, described by John Fea, is "how God exercises his divine control over his creation." (Fea, 2013. 29). This is a theological inquiry, but nonetheless, it becomes a struggle for a Christian historian who wants to remain true to the evidence, not imposing their worldview on events, and still affirm this Biblical principle. 

       How not to think about God's providence in history is to over-simplify and over "spiritualize" the past, as Professor Samuel Smith described (Smith, 1:16). We cannot, and should not, attempt to discern exactly what God had planned for a particular time or a person with absolute certainty. One reason why is simply because history is too complex for such over-generalizations. Secondly, as Christians, we believe that we are flawed in our thinking, we miss things, we have our own biases, and we are not infallible in our judgements. The only one who is perfect in judgement and wisdom and knowledge is God, therefore, it would be irresponsible to try and speak for God's will in matters that go beyond what is clearly written in scripture.

     Instead, the Christian historian should take the past as a study of human behavior in all its complexity. Historical figures can do good things and make terrible mistakes, and it is our job to explain rather than to pronounce judgements. 

     An example of a historian whom I admire is David McCullough. The reason why I think he is a good example of a historian is that he is primary-source driven yet writes with a creative style that makes him very enjoyable to read. His method of studying history is to fully immerse himself in the era, in other words, to transport himself back into the past. For example, he says, "With a book like John Adams, I've spent six glorious years in the eighteenth century," and describes how he reads what John Adams read in order to understand him more fully (McCullough, 2003). He says that history is "the enlargement of the experience of being alive," (McCullough, 2003), and I think that encapsulates the curiosity that is inherent in good historical inquiry. We ask questions about the past because we want to experience and enlarge our understanding of human behavior. 

     Finally, it is imperative for the Christian historian to hold fast to the Bible for our grounding in this world. We can dive into the past to study it for its sake while believing that despite how complex, muddy, and sometimes contradictory human behavior is, we know that God's providence in this world far exceeds our ability to comprehend. Rather than be intimidated by this, we should rest in the knowledge that God is faithful and will one day redeem the world and all his people. 

Sources

Fea, John. Why Study History?. Liberty University Online Bookshelf, Baker Publishing Group, 2013. https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781441244550/epubcfi/6/20[%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3Dx10-Ch04.xhtml]!/4/2[why-study-history-epubcs5]/2/128/1:87[the%2C%20go] 

Hebrews 1:3. The Holy Bible, KJV. Biblegateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%201%3A3&version=KJV. 

McCullough, David. 2003. “David McCullough.” National Endowment for the Humanities. https://www.neh.gov/about/awards/jefferson-lecture/david-mccullough-biography. 

Smith, Samuel. Watch: Christian Worldview and History, Liberty University. https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/681882/pages/watch-christian-worldview-and-history?module_item_id=73880691.