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Providential History - Thoughts?


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Are you asking about a specific program called Providential History or the philosophy of providential history in general?

 

Providential history takes the view that everything happens according to God's plan. The death of so many Native Americans? Unfortunate but necessary to God's plan. I don't agree with that point of view at all. I think God can make good come out of evil deeds that humans do. I think it's horrible to justify evil deeds as part of God's plan.

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I fully believe in God's Sovereignty, but I am adamantly opposed to man doing what he feels is right in his own eyes and stamping God's name on it.

 

I have a hard time with most things dubbed *providential history*, because it's so...*white*. (for the record, I'm caucasian)

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I'm not sure if this is the same as the course materials your coop is planning to use or not, but I will say that I considered using a providential history course at one time and rejected it after reading the main book. While I am an adamant believer in the sovereignty of God, I don't endorse the core beliefs of texts like America's Providential History. I have not looked at this text in many years, but as I recall the basic idea is that America IS the city set on the hill, rather than the church. I felt that the movement was elevating America to a position that I could not Biblically support from my own, admittedly dispensational, point of view. However, if you are from the thoroughly Reformed side of the church, it may have strong appeal for you.

 

When I read America's Providential History, I felt that the book was stretching history to fit the frame of the picture they wanted to paint. My advice to you is to check the main text out of the library, give it a quick, but thoughtful read, and see if it matches with the philosophy you want to impart to your child.

 

HTH!

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I have several reformed Prez friends who tend to side with the Providentialists. I'm glad to hear there are some dissenters! really though, we have friendly discussions from time to time....The Dallas Seminary fans on one side and RTS on the other....

 

offered tongue in check with a big grin!

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Another reformed person who believes God is sovereign over the affairs of men and is a Presbyterian as well and I would not use this text for history at any level, but especially not in high school. I've only read it over for a friend (who is neither reformed, nor Presbyterian), I haven't tried to use it (If you are talking about America's Providential History.)

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I am talking about the book by Beliles. Like some of you, I am reformed, and yet I see what Europeans/Americans did to NATIVE Americans as being horrendous. Can God use such horrific things? Surely, and yet that doesn't excuse man's role in the horror. I haven't read the book, and so I don't want to judge unjustly. I've heard that some extreme "providentialists" will say that slavery was actually good because it got Africans into an environment where they could hear the gospel. That makes me shudder.

 

So...

this http://www.amazon.com/Providential-Including-Principles-Education-Government/dp/1887456007 is the book that this co-op is considering. Those who have read it, can you let me know if this is the sort of extreme ideology it espouses?

 

Thank you!

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I've heard that some extreme "providentialists" will say that slavery was actually good because it got Africans into an environment where they could hear the gospel. That makes me shudder.

 

 

Well, I'm sure I'm going to get thoroughly slammed for this but... I guess it depends upon your perspective. For the record, I'm not sure I'm an 'extreme providentialist,' but I certainly believe in hell. From that perspective, you're weighing a lifetime of suffering against an eternity of worse ... so I can see how one might come up with that.

 

However, from the perspective of the slave-owner... wow! What they had to answer to God for is truly terrifying.

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