A Christian Worldview of History
As a historian, applying a Christian Worldview of history is challenging and complicated. Yet the value to be found in such an approach is simply undeniable. This does not pertain only to a providentialistic approach but encompasses a wider school of thought. Those who follow the concepts behind providentialism are likely to also subscribe to the Whig interpretation of history as famously laid out by Herbert Butterfield.
Though it is interesting to consider history in this way it fails to observe the most basic principle of historical study which is the unbiased pursuit of universal truth. This truth can not be found by those who are driven by their agenda. It is understood that no historian can be perfectly unbiased, yet a search for truth can be done by using scripture as a filter through which history is analyzed. There is no requirement of a Christian historian to only create research centered on Christian events and people. It is a gift for a Christian historian to value people as made in the image of God and to care about people journey's as they relate to eternity. Many historians have managed this balance between an assumption of God's goals through historical events and rather a trust that God's goals are not always discernible yet God is sovereign throughout all history.
As educated as a historian may become, a Christian historian must bear this scripture in mind while analyzing evidence. God's ways are so far beyond our understanding that provincialism often takes the form of wild assumptions. As historians approach historical evidence with reason, logic, and creativity, they must keep in mind God's sovereignty over all of these things. I think that a Christian worldview of history has a great deal to do with surrender. It is the acceptance to know, that you don't know. A difficult path to follow for those seeking the truth. Mel Bradford is an excellent resource for those seeking to further their understanding of a Christian worldview in historical scholarly writing.
References:
Butterfield, Herbert. The Whig Interpretation of History. London, England: Norton Library, 1965.
Fea, John, Why Study History?. Grand Rapids, MI, 2013.
Smith, Dr. Samuel. "Christian Worldview and History." Lynchburg, Va Liberty University. Accessed August 3, 2017.
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