Liberty University students take a lot of Bible classes. Under the current degree requirements, students take Old Testament, New Testament, two semesters of Theology, Evangelism, and a Religion class that is a condensed version of the two semesters of Biblical Worldview previously required.
Students at a Christian university should expect to take a good amount of Bible classes, of course. But the current selection of required faith-based courses is lacking one class that would be immensely beneficial for a Christian college student: church history.
Liberty University is a thoroughly evangelical school, and evangelicalism is a relatively recent tradition within the whole history of the Christian church (it has its foundations in the early 18th century). It is understandable that Liberty may not view the history of the church as an essential focus of study. Evangelicalism’s emphasis is on the Word of God rather than institutional truth, and much of church history is learning about what various institutions of the church decided as true.
However, this leaves students unprepared for the world that they are entering into. Many were raised evangelical, and Liberty’s theology, worship style, and theological emphasis—in other words, its tradition—is the only exposure they have to Christianity.
Some students stay within the evangelical tradition, and they have little knowledge of other traditions beyond the few broad strokes outlined in their Theology 202 class. They think that evangelicalism is the be-all, end-all of Christian expression, treating other traditions with suspicion and disdain.
Some students want to leave the evangelical tradition, and they also have little knowledge of other traditions beyond the few broad strokes outlined in their Theology 202 class. Because evangelicalism is all they know, they don’t know where to go when they feel empty, disconnected, or uprooted from evangelical worship. There’s a possibility that another expression of faith may have the emphasis they need, but they don’t have enough knowledge to even know where to start finding it. As a result, they leave the historic Christian faith altogether.
By jumping straight from John’s Revelation (in AD 90) to “here’s what the Bible says” (in AD 2018) students are left ignorant of the rich history of Christian thought and expression. The history of the church is filled with fascinating people, councils, arguments, creeds, and treatises that shaped Christianity as it is today. By tracing those lines of thought, Liberty could show students that as Christianity has interacted with the world and with itself, it has asked different questions. The answers to those questions have led us where we are today.
This is not to say that every thought and expression had by a Christian is an orthodox thought or expression. But learning about heretics can be just as useful as learning about saints. The mystery of the Trinity and the incarnation of Christ have perplexed Christians through the ages, and there are six councils that the church (even Protestants) has used to affirm those mysteries. By learning about the heretics at those councils, Liberty students would be able to refute misguided thoughts about Christ before they even have them. This would leave them with a stronger understanding of their faith and a more accurate understanding of the person at the center of it.
Many of these topics are loosely addressed in the two theology courses that Liberty students take. I would argue that a church history course could supplant the first of those, acting a prerequisite for a single Theology class. In the church history class, the students would gain the historical context they will need for a proper discussion of theology. Instead of hearing about random points and traditions as they come up in two theology courses, they will follow the lines and branches of Christian thought. They will be better prepared in their theology class to actually discuss those theological points because they will understand how they arose.
One result of a church history class could be a rising interest in other traditions beyond evangelicalism. I would argue that this is better than a rejection of Christianity as a whole. But Liberty should not be afraid that by giving students more knowledge, they could move away from its tradition. If evangelicalism holds true (and I believe much of it does), then exposure to other historical traditions within an evangelical classroom would only strengthen its case.
A church history class can only benefit Liberty students by exposing them to the roots of what they believe. They would gain a broader understanding of Christianity, leaving them better prepared to interact with other branches of Christ’s body. Most of all, they will be able to see how they are a part of God’s redeeming work in the world through a body of believers that stretches back millennia.
