Martin Luther certainly understood the value and importance of history, but especially of history as understood broadly through the lens of Truth. 路德相信历史是而且应该是有用的. It is a moral tool, giving "indications, memorials, and tokens" of "divine works and judgments." 历史 can show how God "sustains, rules, checks, furthers, punishes, and honors the world.鉴于历史可以以实际的方式教导道德, Luther argued that "historians are most useful people and the best of teachers; we can never sufficiently honor, 赞美, 或者感谢他们." For a Christian history can then provide lessons about good and evil, 罪及其后果, 滥用自由意志, and most certainly God's grace and the way that Christian thought and action has and can influence the course of events for God's glory. 因此，历史对潜在的领导人尤其有用, who can orient their decisions for the present and future with wisdom and lessons gained from the past.
事实上, 路德写道, "Rulers would derive the greatest benefit from 阅读 or having read to them, 从青春开始, 历史... in which they would find more examples of skill in ruling than in all the books of law." Schools, according to Luther, should thus stress the teaching of history. Emphasis on studying the past would allow students to "place before themselves, 就像在镜子里一样, 这个角色, 生活, 建议, 和目的, 成功与失败, 整个世界从一开始. 由于这方面的知识, they could form their own opinions and adapt themselves in the fear of God to 生活 in this world.历史又一次指引着一个人走向他的奋斗世界. Understood in the context of Truth, history comforts, nourishes, and warns. One can see God's grace and the terrible consequences sin has brought upon this fallen world. How can anyone look honestly upon the horrors that man has inflicted upon himself and upon this world and not see that something about this world is not deeply broken? How can one not look upon all of man's failed efforts to create utopias, 通常只是为了制造反乌托邦, 想知道是否需要更高力量的帮助? 像自然一样，历史无法揭示上帝是谁. 它可以展示人类堕落的状态. It can demonstrate God's sustaining grace and goodness despite man's fallen state. 它可以造就信心，也可以使人寻求认识神是谁.
上帝是, 当然, 历史之主, but one must be very careful in 阅读 God's will into historical events. 正如路德所写, 上帝“掌握着一切, 它依靠他的大能, 就像海上的一艘船, 不, 就像天空中的一朵云." God has revealed a great deal of historical knowledge in the Holy Scriptures-knowledge that must be accepted by faith. One cannot clearly see how God works in history outside of these events. 他的手在那里，但藏起来了. 路德写道:
"Great spirit and singular industriousness are found in Hannibal; so he imagines that he conquered the Romans by reason of these qualities. 亚历山大还有更大的才能. Equipped with these, he carries everything to a successful conclusion. 但这些都是面具. 只有它们才会引起我们的注意, 但是上帝的统治, 帝国由此建立或被推翻, 不击中我们的眼睛吗."
So, history should not and cannot be taught like some sort of game that guesses at the mind of God. 人无法知道为什么是上帝, 例如, allowed a man like Hitler to rise to power in Germany and torment the world for twelve long years of the twentieth century. 我们只能知道圣灵通过圣. 保罗说:“凡事我们都知道, 上帝的工作是为了那些爱他的人的益处, 谁按他的旨意蒙召呢."
To the end of more clearly defining this Lutheran perspective on the philosophy and usefulness of history, the 威斯康辛州路德 College Department of 历史 with the help of the college's Department of 神学 formulated eight statements outlining a Lutheran School of history:
- 上帝是宇宙的创造者和统治者. 他总是掌控一切.
- Although God does intervene in human events, for the most part he works in a hidden way in history. Therefore, the Lutheran historian often cannot distinguish God's short-term role or plan.
- God can and will use all events and individuals, good as well as evil, to reach his ultimate plan. 通常, 然而, 上帝通过自然的方式来干预, and therefore the Lutheran historian will investigate earthly cause and effect rather than glibly asserting God as the cause of specific events and outcomes.
- 上帝按照自己的形象创造了人. 因为堕入罪中, 然而, mankind turned away from God and became sinfully self-centered. 因为罪恶无处不在, Lutheran historians do not expect that human history will reveal an upward evolution in goodness or morality.
- 然而，上帝并没有放弃人类. The turning point of all history was the years of Jesus Christ's 生活 on earth. 在这之前, God brought people into his Kingdom primarily through the nation of Israel; after this he used the church to expand his Kingdom throughout the world.
- By the Holy Spirit's power in the preaching of Law and Gospel and the ministry of the Sacraments, 神继续呼召人归向他自己. While the working of the Spirit is invisible, the fruits of his work can often be seen in history. Yet even here the leaven of sin often taints the earthly legacy of the earthly church. 因此，教会必须不断改革自己.
- 因为上帝的形象被玷污了, unrepentant man can still at times use his reason and conscience to seek what appears to be morally good, such attempts can never be truly beneficial for mankind unless they are enhanced by Christian faith via the revealed knowledge of Scripture.
- The Lutheran historian does not see history as primarily cyclical, 进化, 或随机, 而是目的论和基督论. It has always been moving towards the goal established by God - Christ's second coming in power and glory. 直到那天, the Lutheran historian does not expect an earthly millennium or an end to social evils. Yet Christians will continue to do good to all and live in hope as Christ-like lights within the darkness.
这些语句, 概括地:全部地或概括地, appear in the department's history syllabi and inform the teaching of history at 威斯康辛州路德 College.
威斯康辛路德学院Alpha Theta Upsilon分会
- 1921年3月17日在阿肯色大学成立
- Charter Member of Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS)
- 820个活跃分会和275,000名会员
- 12,500名会员和超过1,000个图书馆订户 历史学家 (季刊)
- 2500名订阅者 新闻信函 (每年出版三期)
- 9,100名学员(平均每年)
- 每年春天在全国举行35次地区性会议
- Over 25 scholarships and prizes awarded annually (paper prizes, 书奖, 手稿奖, 最佳章节奖, 学生历史期刊奖, 世界历史奖, 等.).
- 会员资格(本科)
- 至少3个.12个或以上学时的最低绩点
- 至少3个.最低总GPA
- 当班级排名可用时，应该在班级的前35%
- 不需要是历史专业的
- 会员福利包括:
- 一年订阅 历史学家是Phi Alpha Theta学术季刊.
- 订阅一年的Phi Alpha Theta通讯.
- 会员卡及证书.
- 参加区域和两年一次的国家会议, providing excellent opportunities for undergraduate students to present papers. 访问网站 有关详细全球最大网赌正规平台,.
Those interested in membership should contact faculty advisor, Dr. 亚伦帕默. 一次性入会费用为40元. 启动将在4月下旬, and dues must usually be paid by APRIL 15 to ensure timely processing by the national office.
四世纪基督教 is a website promoting and storing reSearch tools and texts for the study of the Church and its environment in the Fourth Century. The site is sponsored by the 历史 Department of 威斯康辛州路德 College and by Asia Lutheran Seminary, 在博士的指导下. 格伦L. 汤普森.
四世纪基督教
