Electives

1 Credit
Available to Grades 11-12

World History and the Church introduces students to the history of the church as it relates to events in the same cultural, spatial, and temporal context. The overall goal of this course is to provide students with a knowledge of how the church impacted and influenced the socio-economical development of the world. Students will also witness tangible examples of God’s faithfulness to his people, learn about historic errors in ways of thinking about God, and discover a time-tested and globally-shaped understanding of Jesus Christ. This course is based on Bruce L. Shelley’s Church History in Plain Language, 4th ed., which students must purchase; see the link below for more details.

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to explain the ways in which the church has benefited the world, articulate the historic orthodox understanding of Christianity, recognize key historical figures, highlight important events in the church and the world, and understand the value of seeing God’s guiding hand throughout all of history.

Per counselor approval, students can take World History and the Church instead of one of the following:

• World History (taken in grade 9 or 10)
• Bible Doctrine (taken in grade 11)
• Foundations for Living (taken in grade 12)

Topics Discussed:

• The Origin of the Church
• The Expansion of the Church
• Persecution of the Church
• The Church’s Rise to Power
• The Church's Influence on Civilization
• Orthodoxy
• Heresy