I love learning studying history. My undergraduate degree includes a major in Pre-Law Political Science. I teach my Bible classes with the explicit understanding that the Bible culminates in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the central narrative of the Christian faith and of redemptive history. This is all to simply say that social studies, biblical or historical or civic, is interesting to me. In the same manner, most educational institutions put significant weight and effort into contemporary social studies courses.
Social Studies as a core subject in Christian education has the unique opportunity to foster relevant theological discussion and to illustrate the providence of God in the past, in the present, and in the future. When I first started writing this blog post, I desired to outline a brief history of the Bible’s use in the world over time. However, not only was that endeavor a journey much longer than a single post, but simpler lessons arose regarding history and civics.
Regarding history courses, significant attention should be put on the redemptive narrative articulated explicitly in Scripture but continued in application through today. The ordo salutis articulated well in Paul’s epistles paints a picture of salvation completed and still relevant in the unfolding history of the day. This salvation was planned: “He chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4). This salvation was also bought and is being preserved. Read what Scripture says:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23–26, emphasis mine)
The One who planned the salvation of His children, who died to purchase redemption and satisfy wrath, who dwells in us to impact the world through us, is the God who makes known His providence, his purposeful sovereignty,[1] throughout all of history. Teachers, make known the providence of God in the events of history.
Teachers, make known the providence of God in the events of history.
Fostering a maturing and holistically biblical worldview in our students integrates cognitive propositions, heart orientation, and behavioral alignment, the threefold combination of which facilitates the awareness of their personal worldview, a commitment to a growth-focused reflection, and a personal ownership of this process as whole.[2] Moreover, the integration of a holistically biblical worldview into social studies courses lets students outline why they are where they are, when they are where they are, and how they possess agency through their life.
Here's an integrative example. If your school’s high school government course discusses welfare programming, have students open to and read Leviticus 19:9–10, which states, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.” Landowners were to appropriately harvest their land but were expected to leave some of their harvest for the poor, for those who could not do so for themselves; the owners had benefit and responsibility due to their own wellbeing.[3] Is this prescriptive? Could your students glean this principle of grace from this passage? Would you know to point them to this biblical declaration? Biblical integration takes effort, but it yields the fruit of personal development and helps equip students with a holistically biblical worldview that reaches farther than social studies on its own.
Biblical integration takes effort, but it yields the fruit of personal development and helps equip students with a holistically biblical worldview that reaches farther than social studies on its own.
Although the book is long, Providence by John Piper (Crossway, 2021) is my first recommendation for social studies teachers. The book is a brick, but it traces God’s sovereignty as well as the grand, redemptive, historical narrative of the Bible. With that treatment applied to social studies outside of the Bible, God’s providence remains evident in our studies. I would also highly recommend biographies of faithful Christians. Students need to hear stories and see examples of fellow sinners who were nonetheless used by the Spirit to make kingdom and cultural impact in this life. Some of my favorites that are relevant in history and civic studies are Timothy Keller by Collin Hansen (Zondervan, 2023), Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson, 2011), and 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy by John Piper again (Crossway, 2022).
John writes clearly in Revelation:
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 21:3–6a)
Let us continue developing our knowledge of God’s providence and Christ’s reign over all the past and the present, that we may look to the redemptive future of complete reconciliation.
[1] John Piper, Providence (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 21, Kindle.
[2] Roger C. S. Erdvig, “A Model for Biblical Worldview Development in Evangelical Christian Emerging Adults,” Journal of Research on Christian Education 29, no. 3 (2020): 298-300, https://doi.org/10.1080/10656219.2020.1816517.
[3] Mark Eckel, “Interdisciplinary Education Within Biblical Theology: A Scriptural-Philosophical-Educational-Practical Overview,” Christian Education Journal 12, no. 2 (2015): 393.