The document discusses the significance of studying church history, emphasizing that understanding the church's past helps connect current believers with their universal context and highlights the importance of orthodoxy. It identifies the wealth of knowledge from two millennia of Christian experiences as a guide for current practices and theology, while also acknowledging the essential elements of faith. Additionally, it argues that historical theology fosters a sense of belonging and hope by illustrating God's continuous guidance over the church through various challenges.

1. Why Study Church History?
Robert Munson
2015
Maranatha Bible College

2. 1. The church of history is Us.

The church, the body of Christ, exists, not
only in space, but in time.

You and I are in the same (universal)
church, but so are you and I and Augustine
of Hippo, and Polycarp, and Martin Luther,
and Amy Carmichael, and …

To understand the church, we need to
understand more than just “the Now.”

3. 2. Helps us understand
orthodoxy versus heterodoxy

The Bible was written into a historical
context, and the Bible is a book of history.

The Bible and interpretation of it was
passed on to us through history.

Cults typically use Christians' ignorance of
history to try to lead them astray.

4. 3. We can learn from successes
and failures of the past.

We are blessed with nearly 2000 years of
experiences of Christians in different
cultures and circumstances, with regards to
ministry, relationships, and contexualization
of theology.

To intentionally remain ignorant, and not
take advantage of such a wealth of
knowledge, is wasteful.

5. 4. Help us to recognize the
essentials

As we see the diversity of the church, in
different points of time, in different cultures,
among different peoples, we sense of what
is truly important for us and the church.

It can also help us to see that we have
freedom to connect our church with our
culture and time-- not to discover the first
century church, but to create the 21st
century church.

6. 5. Give us Hope

God has been with the church for two
millenia. As we see Him guide the church
through political and social upheavals,
through heresies, and persecutions, we
can have confidence that God is with us
now and that He is still, ultimately, in
control.
<This list draws from Mark Noll's book, Turning Points: Decisive
Moments in the History of Christianity, 3rd
edition (Baker, 2012)>

7. Or here is a different list from a
different source.
1. Historical theology helps the church distinguish
orthodoxy from heresy.
2. Historical theology provides sound biblical
interpretation and theological formulations.
3. Historical theology presents stellar examples of
faith, love, courage, hope, obedience and mercy.

8. Or here is a different list from a
different source.
4. Historical theology protects against the
individualism that is rampant today among
Christians.
5. Historical theology not only helps the church
understand the historical development of its
beliefs, but enables it to express those beliefs in
contemporary form.

9. Or here is a different list from a
different source.
6. Historical theology encourages the church to
focus on essentials, that is, to major on those
areas that have been emphasized repeatedly
throughout the history of the church.
7. Historical theology gives the church hope by
providing assurance that Jesus is fulfilling his
promise to his people [to build his church].

10. Or here is a different list from a
different source.
8. Historical theology [enables us] to enjoy a sense
of belonging to the church of the past.
<From Gregg Allison's book “Historical Theology: An
Introduction to Christian Doctrine” (Zondervan,
2011), 24-29. >

11. Key Assumption #1
GOD HAS BEEN AT WORK IN HIS
CHURCH AT ALL POINTS IN
BOTH TIME AND SPACE.

12. Key Assumption #1. As such,

This course rejects the “restorationist” view
that the church “died” and God resurrected
it in 1517, 1609, 1848, 1906, or some other
time.

This course also rejects the “secret church”
view (trail of blood) that the true church
always existed in hidden little pockets while
the rest of the church was fully
apostasized.

13. Key Assumption #2
While we are blessed with a lot of
historical perspective, no
assumption is here made that
people in the past got things wrong,
but we finally got things all right.

14. Key Assumption #2

15. Ways of looking at History

There are many ways to look at history. Too
many to bother listing. One way is
chronologically. Keep moving year by
year forward listing what happens. Problem
there is that it doesn't necessarily show the
interconnections of various things that
occur.

History is not just stuff in time... it seeks to
develop a story from what happened in
time.

16. Ways of looking at History

Another way is to look at it thematically.
Focusing on certain topics (theology,
missions, movements, people groups, etc.)
This has its value at times.

A third way is biographically. This focuses
on “important” people. Sometimes this
devolves into the “great man” theory of
history.

17. Ways of looking at History

The book, Turning Points, by Mark Noll, is
built on a paradigmatic way of interpreting
history. It sees history as going along in a
certain way, and at key points, something
happens that triggers (or at least marks) a
major change of direction-- a paradigm
shift.