Many great reasons can be set forth as to why the study of history is important. The ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, stated that the purpose of history is "so that the actions of people will not fade with time." The great Roman orator, Cicero, stated that "To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to remain always a child." History is the series of pivotal events, the fascinating and inspiring (at times horrifying) biographies of men and women, and the ideas that have brought us to where we are today. And yet history is more than this. Christian scholar and writer C.S. Lewis said, "History is a story written by the finger of God." History is His story, and therefore it is important that we know this story.

Saint Augustine provides a powerful framework for the study of history in his monumental work, The City of God. Two cities exist side by side; the city of man and the city of God. Each city has its own history and its own destiny. In this course, we will follow Augustine’s framework.

Psalm 20:8 describes world history in this way, "They have bowed down and fallen, But we have risen and stood upright." History is the rise and fall of great civilizations. History is also the rising and expansion of God’s work in this world. On a personal note, history is also a wonderful adventure to see how our individual stories fit in to His grand overarching story.

To this end, we will discover the great civilizations of the world from the beginning of time until today. We will learn about the extraordinary events and people that have shaped the world. We will explore the ideas that have brought us to where we are today. In one year this class will provide a framework and a foundation for understanding the world in which we live and the story that God is writing. This class is not designed to be the completion of the student’s study of history. This class is designed to be the beginning of a lifetime of discovery.