AZ EGYHÁZTÖRTÉNET TANÍTÁSÁNAK JELENTŐSÉGE ÉS MÓDJA
SIGNIFICANCE AND WAYS OF TEACHING CHURCH HISTORY

Summary/Abstract: Church history brings up pictures from the past in order to help win in the present, so „to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luk 1,17). Keeping that in mind we can teach Church history in a,) linear time surveys b.) point-like stories of paragons c.) value orientations d.) pointing on to the mystery of the church. Surveys are proper for youth and adults, episodes and examples on life-values can be used even with small children. Difficulties: our prejudice that teaching Church history is difficult; lack of sources partly due to the battle-filled past of the Hungarian Reformed Church; much reading is required in order to find proper stories not only data; one must use more than one resource for self-control. Ways of teaching: We can begin „in medias res” with a special interesting story from the person’s life to be introduced, asking: who was it?; we can raise questions around a known information. We can use these old stories as illustrations on the truth of a Biblical text. We can analyze sources. Using visual aid is vital. Polemic discussions are also good to keep attention awake. Any way we choose, we must teach enthusiastically, in an adventure-like spirit, not in a boring way. Church history is part of our identity. The article gives some illustrations on these statements.

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