There’s a Huge Gap in Our Christian Education
Church history is often overlooked in Christian education, yet it offers valuable lessons from those who came before us and helps us better understand our faith. Discover why knowing our Christian heritage matters and why it’s worth passing on to the next generation.
Have We Overlooked Our Christian History?
I have been homeschooling my kids for more than a decade, and it only dawned on me last year that I wasn’t teaching church history.
I don’t mean to suggest that only homeschooling families should teach church history (I think all Christian families should be familiar with it!), but as a homeschooling mom, I spend a lot of time thinking about what my children are learning, planning their subjects, and choosing curriculum. So I felt especially dumbfounded when I realized this over the summer.
But this year, I am making every effort to take my children through a broad overview of church history, so they can get familiar with the last 2,000 years of how God has been building His church. And I want to share the process along the way so other moms can be inspired and feel equipped to do it, too. Because it did cross my mind: How many other moms out there are serious about their Christian faith, practice spiritual habits, and teach their kids to do the same, but have totally let church history slip through the cracks?
You Don’t Have to Be a Historian.
You don’t need to be a theologian, scholar, or historian to start studying church history; just be willing to read and follow trails. I have only been dabbling in church history for six years, and I’ve barely scratched the surface. But I’ve learned so much, and it has opened up a world of history I didn’t realize was so extensive.
The Church History Gap
Personally, I feel like this is an area where the Protestant church has really dropped the ball. Our kids go to Sunday school every week, we sit in church services 52 weeks out of the year, and yet so many of us know very little about the history of Christianity outside of the Bible.
Bible reading is SO important, and this article isn’t about the things I dislike about modern Protestantism. But my point is that Bible reading is one important spiritual habit we should practice. Church history, apologetics, genuine fellowship, and sound Bible teaching all have their place in the Christian life.
When we neglect any one of these things, we miss a huge opportunity to know God better, learn from the past, grow together in unity, and understand why we believe what we believe.
Think about the years we spend building a foundation in mathematics, from kindergarten through high school. If someone tried to convince us that 2 + 2 = 5, we would know better because we’ve spent years learning otherwise.
Yet how many Christians have spent that same amount of time building a foundation in their own Christian history?
I think this is a great miss in the church, and perhaps one of the reasons Christian families don’t even think to teach church history to their children.
We Can Learn From the Christians Who Came Before Us
We’ve all heard the famous quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
The same principle applies to our Christian history. God has been building His church for the last 2,000 years, and when we study the people, movements, and events that have shaped Christianity, we can learn from both their successes and their mistakes.
Because God is at work throughout history, the history of His church is intertwined with the history of the world.
Consider the American Revolution and how closely it followed the Great Awakening, which was transforming religious life throughout the American colonies. Or the abolition of the British slave trade, where William Wilberforce’s Christian convictions played such an important role. We study these events in general history, but so much Christian history is woven into them.
And not all of it is good, either.
Take Martin Niemöller, for example.
In Eric Metaxas’s biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he shares the story of Niemöller, a German pastor who initially supported Hitler but later came to recognize his mistakes. After the war, Niemöller publicly acknowledged his failure to speak up against the persecution of others. His repentance and regret are reflected in his famous poem, “First They Came“.
How many of us know this part of the World War II story?
We can study these as political events, but studying the church’s involvement introduces another dimension. How did Christians respond? Where did they compromise? Who resisted? And what can we learn from their decisions?
We can learn so much from the Christians who came before us, both from their mistakes and the good they accomplished.
Church History Helps Protect Us
Knowing church history helps protect us from myths and misinformation. When we’re familiar with historical events, the development of Christian doctrines, and the people who have shaped the church, we’re better equipped to recognize when someone is misrepresenting Christianity’s history.
For example, someone might hear that powerful men compiled the Bible centuries after Jesus and decided what Christians were allowed to believe. Without any understanding of early church history, that claim might shake their confidence in Christianity. But someone familiar with the history of the biblical canon would have a foundation for evaluating that claim rather than simply accepting it.
Again, you don’t have to become an expert or a historian (unless you feel called to, nothing wrong with that!), but even a broad overview of church history can help you develop discernment when you encounter claims about Christianity.
Our Christian Roots
A few years ago, I took a DNA test through Ancestry because I wanted to know more about where my family came from. Learning about all the different places my ancestors came from was such a fascinating experience!
Unfortunately, my family wasn’t very good about writing down stories, passing along family information, or staying in contact over the generations. So I really don’t know much about my family heritage.
I can only imagine what my ancestors’ lives were like. The places they traveled, the hardships they faced, the things they believed, and the stories they could tell. It sure would be nice to know who my great-great-great-grandparents were!
And I think about how much of that history has been lost simply because it wasn’t passed down.
Teach the Next Gen.
Throughout Scripture, we see the importance God places on remembering what He has done and teaching it to the next generation.
In Deuteronomy 4:9, we read:
"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."
And in Psalm 78:4:
"We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done."
We even see the early church emphasizing the importance of teaching children. In the Didache, an early Christian document that gives us a glimpse into how Christians were living out their faith, parents are instructed to raise their children in the fear of God (The Didache isn’t Scripture, nor does it carry the same authority, but it is a valuable historical resource that shows how early Christians practiced and passed along their faith).
While these passages don’t specifically command us to teach church history, I would argue that church history has a place alongside Scripture, apologetics, and fellowship in the Christian education of our children. Not that all these things carry equal authority, but each offers something valuable.
There’s So Much More to Discover
If you’ve never studied church history before, I hope this encourages you to start. You don’t have to know everything or become an expert; you just have to be willing to begin.
All of this is stuff I’ve been thinking about this year as I’ve been exploring church history with my children. The more I learn, the more I realize how much there is to discover! I’m learning right alongside my kids, and I’d love for you to join us! I’ll share more of what we learn here on the blog and on Instagram. Come along as we unpack 2,000 years of history.
