It always amazes me how many people are willing to say to my face, "I think history is boring" even after they know my undergraduate degree is in history. [I only graduated in May, so this is still a new thing.] So I tried not to be surprised when some of my fellow seminarians told me they were not looking forward to the church history requirements. We have to take at least three courses in church history: early/medieval, Reformation, and modern. There are many different options, and for this semester I am taking an orientation to early and medieval history. We began at the beginning with the cultural world into the the church was born, and today we heard a lecture about martyrdom and persecution of Christians. Our books work very well together. From the main texts, one is a history and the other contains primary sources/documents that were written at the time. I have studied the early church before but not in this depth, and it is very intriguing to see the flow and growth of the church.
Church history and history in general is important because we would not be here without the actions, events, and people who lived before us whether in 1909 CE or 1909 BCE. So look at your historical studies as a time for self-reflection.
Also, awesome quote...
"The Christian message offered a universal alternative to the religious divisions of the ancient Mediterranean world" [History of the World Christian Movement, page 33]
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