op patriotism in students . But if we make patriotism the purpose of our instruction , we will struggle to do a good job of teaching history . America is an exceptional nation , but it hasn ’ t always done the right thing . If our teaching is going to be honest , our nation ’ s wrong decisions will need to be taught . We do this not to destroy students ’ love for their country but rather to show them how they can make their country better . Patriotism is essential , but our chief purpose must be something else .
THE PURPOSE OF HISTORY INSTRUCTION Why do we teach history ? In my opinion , it ’ s all about developing wisdom for civic life . In the study of history , we examine how past societies have struggled to respond to the issues and controversies that have confronted them . We engage our students in this examination not because it is entertaining ( though it often is ). Instead , we are seeking to involve students in a kind of laboratory for decision-making in public life . By teaching the past , as it is presented to us by historians , we hope to lead our young people to develop skills for facing the challenges that will confront them when the burdens of civilization become their own .
THE ROLE OF WORLDVIEW If we take this as the key reason for studying history , we realize that history ’ s most important questions cannot be answered by evidence alone . To make sense of history — to know how to use our learning to be wise — we need to bring our worldview to bear on the study .
And what is a worldview ? Most basically , it is an orienting narrative . It is a grand story regarding where the world has come from , how things have gone wrong , and what is to be done to make things right . People use their worldview to make sense of the past , propose ways of dealing with the present , and prepare themselves for the future . In particular , historians ( and teachers ) use their worldview to engage in three key aspects of historical analysis .
1 . Selection of Events Before history can be taught , the historian ( and the teacher ) has to decide what will be presented — and what will be skipped . In the end , far more will be omitted than included . And how will this decision be made ? Worldview . Our orienting narrative will tell us what events are significant enough to present to students . Is there a God ? Did Jesus rise from the dead ? Is the church of Jesus Christ what the Bible says it is ? How we answer these questions will determine what events we focus on ( and which ones we will pass over ).
2 . Moral Judgments History is little more than trivia unless we judge the past . Who were the good guys ? Who were the bad guys ? What should have happened ? These are challenging questions , of course . But we must attempt to answer them , or we cannot
“ People use their worldview to make sense of the past , propose ways of dealing with the present , and prepare themselves for the future .”
use the study to teach students wisdom for public life . And as we attempt to answer them , we will be guided by our worldview . Is God the judge of all the earth ? Is the Bible His Word ? Are the moral teachings of Scripture binding on us ? These questions determine which path historians and teachers will travel when it comes to making moral judgments in history . The secularist and the Christian have similar views of what happened , but they come to very different conclusions regarding what should have happened .
3 . Cultural Identity When we teach history to students , we want them to develop a sense of what it means to be Russian , what it means to be Pakistani , and , of course , what it means to be American . Not everyone thinks about the world in the same way , and their cultural identity shapes the way people think about the world — and their past shapes their cultural identity . Here we must learn to put selection and moral judgment together to discern cultural identity . The worldview commitments that tell us what is most important in history help us understand what is most important in a people group ’ s identity . And the worldview beliefs enabling us to judge right and wrong will help us evaluate a nation ’ s identity — especially our own .
CONCLUSION The purpose of history instruction is to teach young people wisdom for public life . But , as you can see from this overview , not just any approach can deliver . Only education from a biblical worldview can develop in students the wisdom they need . Our young people are heading for troubled times . If they are to live biblically faithful lives , they will need to learn how to apply their worldview to the cultural issues before them . If they base their decision-making on what people around them are saying , they will likely be led astray . But if they base their thinking on Scripture , they can make a difference in this world for Christ . Our job is to give every student the opportunity to think and live Christianly . That is our obligation . That is our privilege . ■
Dr . Bryan Smith has worked in Christian education for nearly thirty years . He has been a classroom teacher as well as a textbook author . Currently , he serves at BJU Press as the Senior Manager for Biblical Worldview Formation . He and his wife , Becky , have six children .
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