Description

Western Civilizations is a standard collegiate textbook on the history of western civilization. Volume 2 covers history from the 13th century “proto-Renaissance” to the modern era.

Reason For Teaching

Cole and Symes, along with numerous other contributing scholars, have assembled a very readable resource that draws upon the scholarship of the best historical scholarship on western civilization in recent years. It also presents numerous, valuable primary sources. Unlike many books in academia, which portray western civilization as a horrible thing, this book is rather fair—it highlights the great contributions and benefits that Europe has brought, while not sugar-coating the times when western civilization has been in the wrong.

Disclaimer

This text is not written from a Christian perspective. Though the book is mostly fair, it occasionally presents a perspective that does not come from a biblical worldview. The class utilizes these incidents in order to prepare students for what they will see on the AP exam, and for life in general.

Description

History through the Eyes of Faith examines one major historical question in western civilization from a biblical perspective. The historical dilemmas it addresses span from the ancient Israelites to modern times.

Reason For Teaching

This is currently the only historian’s analysis on the market that examines the big, difficult questions of western civilization specifically from a biblical perspective, in a readable, approachable manner. Generally, Wells does not tell the reader what to think, but raises aspects of historical dilemmas that are usually not on people’s radars.

Description

Lewis considers the whirlwind growth of Islam politically and militarily, contrasts that with its protracted death as a major world-player, and then asks, “What changed? Why did the Arabs and then Turks (and others), once the dominant civilization on the planet, fail to remain so?”

Reason For Teaching

Examining Islam in general is very difficult for historians, and the question Lewis raises had yet to be answered satisfactorily. In part this came from political and religious bias, including (frequently) from Christians whose own evaluations of the topic were lacking. Lewis provides a rational, well-researched argument for the failure of Islamic society after the great heights to which once aspired.

Disclaimer

Lewis’s argument does not purport to be an argument based on a biblical worldview.

Description

Shelley’s work is a very interesting, readable history of the church from Christ’s birth under Augustus to the modern period (it terminates roughly in the late 1990s). The book focuses primarily on Christianity in western civilization, though it does cover the Orthodox churches somewhat.

Reason For Teaching

This is one of the best resources to get a broad picture on some of the developments in European Christianity without having to wade through numerous, heady secondary sources. Shelley’s analysis of events and people is superb.

Description

This documentary portrays in dramatized fashion the difficulties of making peace at Versailles following the Great War. It is particularly interested in the role of Woodrow Wilson in the Paris peace conference.

Reason For Teaching

The Great War (WW1 as we typically call it) was life-changing, empire-breaking, and worldview-shattering—and the peace that came after it was an utter failure, the world would resume hostilities on an even greater level only 2 decades later. This fascinating documentary wonderfully dramatizes the decisions made by the four most powerful men in history, whose decisions shaped the lives of billions and a century of world history and more.

Disclaimer

There are two racial slurs used, one toward Africans and one toward Jews.

Description

Martin Luther wrote On Christian Liberty just a little while after engaging what he thought was an important but not world-changing event, his decision to publish his criticisms of the doctrine of indulgences (et al.). As time went on, while he hoped to see both reformation and healing for the church, he felt called to write about living a true grace-driven Christian walk, and specifically on the freedom that comes through that grace. He later followed it with a heartfelt letter of warning, mild rebuke, and a call to union to Pope Leo X, who only months later would excommunicate Luther.

Reason For Teaching

These documents capture the thinking of Luther, who almost single-handedly transformed the world. On Christian Liberty is still valuable for Christians today as a discipleship training tool.