A God-Centered Approach to History

Dr. Vern Poythress speaks about the study of history and historiography from a Christian perspective. In his book, Redeeming Our Thinking about History: A God-Centered Approach (Crossway), Dr. Poythress emphasizes God’s own command to remember his works and share them with the next generation. He explores providentialism, divine purpose, and the four basic phases of biblical history: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. Dr. Vern Poythress, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Biblical Interpretation, and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pennsylvania, where he has taught for four decades. In addition to earning six academic degrees, he is the author of numerous books and articles on biblical interpretation, language, and science. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction00:03:44 Focusing on History00:14:01 Presuppositions of Historical Methodology00:17:06 Defining and Experiencing History00:22:07 Three Important Aspects of History00:32:29 Divine Inscrutability and Divine Revelation00:34:36 Common Grace and History00:40:12 Reductionistic Approaches to History00:48:14 The Academic Pursuit of History00:59:59 Conclusion Participants: Camden Bucey, Vern Poythress