70 history in Scripture as a tool to teach us many things about Himself and about ourselves. We can understand from God’s use of history why it is an important endeavor for us today. As a result, it is incumbent upon Christian historians to use the principles of Scripture as a guide for understanding and evaluating the study of history. A number of important figures have spent a lifetime plumbing the depths of what Scripture teaches about the study of the past. I will present a few examples of them and explore the contributions they made in helping us understand better how to arrive at a truly integrated understanding of the past. Key Christian Historians and Their Contributions One of the great church fathers in western Christianity is Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. He lived from 354–430 A.D. and authored a number of works that continue to influence us today such as City of God and Confessions. Augustine believed in a teleological approach to history, meaning that he believed that God had a plan that He was working out within human history. God is the Creator and He has a design for the unfolding of history. Augustine held to a linear approach to history because he recognized in Scripture that God began human history with the creation of man and that He would one day bring human history to a close, at least on this earth. As a result, there was a clear beginning to history and there would be a clear end to it in the providence of God’s timing. Augustine believed that God was active and involved in His creation. The historian, then, should seek to recognize the hand of God in historical events. Augustine realized that ultimate meaning in history was not found in the events of history themselves, but rather was found in the person and character of the Creator God. The creation story underscored the significance and meaning of man. For Christians, the recognition that man fell is important as well. With this understanding, the Christian historian can have sympathy for the man of the past. While he or she may be sympathetic due to an understanding of man’s limitations, the Christian historian must still be willing to judge past events. The Scriptures provide the basis for those judgments and evaluations and they can help mankind make wise decisions in the present. Augustine underscored what became the foundational elements of a Christian understanding of history. Virtually all Christians who studied history after his time embraced the basic principles he emphasized. Jumping ahead to the 20th century, Herbert Butterfield, a professor at the University of Cambridge, agreed with Augustine regarding his recognition of the uniqueness of man as a creation of God. Historians
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