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 Introduction
• 00:03:44 Focusing on History
• 00:14:01 Presuppositions of Historical Methodology
• 00:17:06 Defining and Experiencing History
• 00:22:07 Three Important Aspects of History
• 00:32:29 Divine Inscrutability and Divine Revelation
• 00:34:36 Common Grace and History
• 00:40:12 Reductionistic Approaches to History
• 00:48:14 The Academic Pursuit of History
• 00:59:59 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Vern Poythress