What Is History?

“It is a mistake to see history as simply a body of content, a ‘background’ material for understanding the ‘great books,’ a series of facts to be memorized. History is not merely a subject, it is also a discipline. That is, it is not merely a thing to be learned, but a way to learn things. The lens through which the historian studies his subject is his focus on the changes that have taken place in human societies over time. Ultimately, the goal is to equip students with a thorough knowledge of history and a mastery of the skills of historical analysis; all from a Christian workldview that will enable them to become critical analysts of human action and acute observers of God’s redemptive actions in all history; even the history being written around us each and every day.” -Alan Sheriff, European History