Course Spotlight: Survey of Church History

Explore the story of Christianity from the early Church to the present day—and discover how the past can shape Christian life and ministry today. Survey of Church History with Dr. Mykhaylo Khromyak is up ahead, at Horizon Seminary.

Christianity has a long and complex story. Survey of Church History takes students on a journey through that story, beginning with the world of the early Church and continuing through the major developments of Christianity in the 21st century.

Along the way, students will explore how Christians have understood their faith, worshipped, organized themselves, shared the gospel, responded to cultural change, and interacted with the societies around them.

Rather than simply memorizing dates and names, students will learn to see how people, events, movements, and ideas fit together—and why that history matters for the Church today. In this course, you will:

• Understand the story of Christianity.
  Identify important people, events, and movements and explain where they fit within the larger history of the Church.
• Connect history with ministry. Explain why an understanding of Church history matters for Christian life, leadership, and ministry today.
• Consider worship through a historical lens. Visit a Christian worship service from a different tradition and use what you have learned about Church history to understand its liturgy, architecture, music, theology, sacraments, and other practices.
• Develop research skills. Investigate a significant person, movement, or event in Church history using scholarly sources and historical evidence.

Knowing Church history helps Christians understand where we have come from and how the past continues to shape the Church today.

The course develops contextual awareness by helping students grow in an orthodox Christian worldview, develop a healthy understanding of themselves and their place in the Church, and engage people and cultures with wisdom and discernment.

For students preparing for Christian leadership, history is more than information. It provides context for understanding the people, traditions, questions, and challenges that shape ministry today.