What exactly is a Christian worldview of history? I know it is not the over-spiritualization of Scripture, in other words, as a future historian I know I am not supposed to look at scripture and attempt to attach it to a particular event. It is not emphasizing Christians throughout certain historical events, though they may have their roles to play it is not about saying that this event had the outcome did or did not solely based on x number of individuals being Christian.  Lastly, it should not be approached only on a providentialist view seeking what God was doing or intending when certain events occurred.

So what does it mean to me, to see history through the lens of being a Christian? First, it means that I strive, to be honest. To look at events through the eyes of those who experienced it. To be fair and balanced to understand that according to my beliefs man was made in God’s image. Therefore, we have the ability to reason. To understand that because Adam disobeyed God man is not perfect, he will do things that do not align with God’s word.  It also means that I know that all things happen according to God’s plan yet, I do not look at specific events and question what he was doing or was allowing to happen then.

I look to others who have laid the path before me in hopes of finding historians to model myself after.

 Dr. Clyde Wilson, a respected and leading Jeffersonian scholar as well as the editor of the papers of John C. Calhoun. After doing some research I have found that some historians feel that he is more of a neo-confederate in his approach to history, especially, the Civil War. He is a member of the Abbeville Institute whose goal is to “preserve and present what is true and valuable in the Southern tradition.” (http://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/principles/)  Below you will find a link to a video of a presentation written by Dr. Clyde Wilson as read by Liberty University’s own Dr. Carey Roberts, another historian that I hope one day to model myself but we will get to that a little further down. I hope you will take the time to listen to this presentation in hopes that you will gain a bit more insight to Dr. Wilson’s expertise of Jeffersonian History.
http://www.tjheritage.org/LookingForMrJefferson.html

.  Another historian I respect and find holds a clear Christian Worldview is that of Augustine of Hippo. Augustine’s book City of God, City of Man laid the foundation for how we should view history by seeing it through two realms. That of God’s eternal city and that of the earthly kingdom. City of God, City of Man was written as a response to Rome’s questioning of whether God had allowed the sacking of Rome. He was respected by his peers and was able to use multiple disciplines such as philosophy and theology to understand the world around him. Augustine is a great example of how Christian historians should use both history and theology to answer about things that are relevant to their time.

             Dr. Carey Roberts is another historian I greatly admire and respect. I have not personally had the opportunity to have him as a professor, but I have had the chance to sit and talk with him about his views of history. To carry on a conversation and learn why and how he incorporates a Christian Worldview. I have also had the opportunity over the course of the last three years to be able to listen to many of his videos that he has prepared for the various Liberty University History Department, of which I am a student.

There are other historians that I greatly admire for the ability to bring to life historical events during the Civil War, authors such as Shelby Foote, Dr. Gary Gallagher and so much more. However, one thing I am sure of is this, while I admire their ability to tell the story I can not say they are telling the story from a Christian Worldview. I see in areas where they are heavily biased in their writings and at times seem very liberal in their views. I am sure there are much more that I could learn from when it comes to a Christian Worldview of history. However, I will be honest when I say that I have not purposely searched out them. I have always been drawn to military historians and military stories so my experience has always been to view the writers from a military approach.