Why Study History?: Reflecting on the Importance of the Past - Softcover

John Fea

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1540966607 ISBN 13: 9781540966605

Publisher: Baker Academic, Div of Baker Publishing Group, 2024

Synopsis

What is the purpose of studying history? How do we reflect on contemporary life from a historical perspective, and can such reflection help us better understand ourselves, the world around us, and the God we worship and serve?

Written by an accomplished historian, award-winning author, public evangelical spokesman, and respected teacher, this introductory textbook shows why Christians should study history, how faith is brought to bear on our understanding of the past, and how studying the past can help us more effectively love God and others. John Fea shows that deep historical thinking can relieve us of our narcissism; cultivate humility, hospitality, and love; and transform our lives more fully into the image of Jesus Christ.

The first edition of this book has been used widely in Christian colleges across the country. The second edition provides an updated introduction to the study of history and the historian's vocation. The book also contains updates throughout.

About this title

About the Author

John Fea (PhD, State University of New York at Stony Brook) is distinguished professor of American history at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and executive editor of Current. He is the author of several books, including Believe Me: The Evangelical Road to Donald Trump and Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? He writes a popular daily blog, The Way of Improvement Leads Home.

From the Back Cover

"A wonderful introduction to what historians do and how they think"

This introductory textbook shows why Christians should study history, how faith is brought to bear on our understanding of the past, and how studying the past can transform our lives. The second edition contains updates throughout.

"This book is a wonderful introduction to what historians do and how they think. I am pleased to see a second edition in print."
--Benjamin Wetzel, Taylor University

"I've been using John Fea's textbook for as long as I've taught my department's Introduction to History course, and I'm eager for my students to start reading his updated edition. Why Study History? remains an accessible, winsome, and thought-provoking case for the power of history from a leading scholar who approaches the study of the past as a Christian vocation."
--Christopher Gehrz, Bethel University; author of Charles Lindbergh: A Religious Biography of America's Most Infamous Pilot

Praise for the First Edition

"Fea's love of his craft is infectious and his knowledge of it inspiring. Serious readers of Why Study History? will find their own love and knowledge of history deepened in satisfying and fruitful ways."
--Eric Miller, Geneva College

"Why Study History? performs a tremendous service for all students, teachers, and readers of history."
--Thomas S. Kidd, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

"A splendid, engaging book. Anyone interested in the craft of the historian or the relationship between historical inquiry and the life of faith stands to benefit from having this volume within reach."
--Thomas Albert Howard, Valparaiso University

Edition details

• Publisher: Baker Academic, Div of Baker Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1540966607
• ISBN 13: 9781540966605
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 192