TheLivingChristian.net

Matthew.4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

For a long time historians have been trying to make history relevant in the modern world. There was a time when the study of history was considered crucial for any person thinking of a career as a diplomat, politician or in the military. After World War Two, history lost its relevance for a younger generation but in recent years there has been a major effort by historians to make their subject relevant again.

Benjamin Shambough said historians were to begin “interrogating the past in the light of the condition of the present and the obvious needs of the immediate future to the end that the rational program of progress may be outlined and followed in legislation and administration.”*1 What he was saying is that history could and should be used to find solutions to modern day and future problems and situations.

The Belfer Centre describes applied history as the ‘explicit attempt to illuminate current challenges and choices by analysing historical precedents and analogues.’*2

Christianity is suffering from the same problem – relevance or a perceived lack threof. More and more people see Scripture and Christianity as irrelevant in modern society. Secular psychology, courses and ‘gurus’ are deemed sufficient for the modern person.