What if history is about far more than memorizing names, dates, and events?

In the first episode of this three-part series, Roger Erdvig and Maggie Pope explore what it means to understand history from within a biblical worldview. Roger introduces his new book, Teach Biblically: History—A Guide for Seeing History Within a Biblical Worldview, and explains why teachers need a clear philosophy of history before turning to classroom strategies.

Together, Roger and Maggie discuss three essential purposes for studying history: preserving a people's story, gaining wisdom for living well in the present, and discerning God's interaction with His creation. They also examine Luke and Paul as biblical models for doing history—pursuing certainty about the past, carefully interpreting what happened, and applying its lessons to our lives today.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why adding Bible verses to a history lesson is not the same as teaching history biblically

• Why many Christian educators struggle to connect their faith with their subject area

• How history helps students understand their identity and live wisely

• Why truth about the past matters for navigating the present

• What Luke and Paul teach us about the work of a historian

• Why teachers must develop a biblical philosophy of history before focusing on pedagogy

• How multiple perspectives can help us form a fuller and more truthful picture of past events

Whether you teach history full-time, include it as part of an elementary curriculum, or teach your children at home, this conversation will help you move beyond facts and dates to see history as a meaningful exploration of truth, human choices, and God's work in the world.

Featured resource:
Teach Biblically: History—A Guide for Seeing History Within a Biblical Worldview by Roger Erdvig

Order the book at store.summit.org by searching for "Teach Biblically History."

Join us for the next episode in this series, when Roger and Maggie turn from philosophy to practice and explore concrete strategies for teaching history from a biblical worldview.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a hotly debated topic in Christian education. While many educators appreciate its focus on relationships and emotional health, others are concerned about the secular worldview that often accompanies it.

In this episode, Roger Erdvig and Maggie Pope welcome Tyler Groves, Head of School at Woodfield Academy and co-author of Growing With One Another, to explore whether Christian educators should reject SEL altogether—or reclaim it through a thoroughly biblical worldview.

Together, they discuss God's design for human flourishing, why Scripture provides a richer vision for social and emotional development than secular frameworks, and how Christian educators can cultivate Christlike character without simply adopting the latest educational trend.

Whether you're a classroom teacher, administrator, counselor, or school leader, this conversation will help you think more deeply about what it truly means to help students become who God created them to be.

• Why social-emotional learning has become such a controversial topic in Christian education

• The difference between secular SEL and a biblical understanding of human flourishing

• Why the Bible provides a richer framework for social and emotional development

• How the Biblical Meta-Narrative reshapes our understanding of identity and flourishing

• Why the goal isn't becoming the "best version of yourself," but becoming more like Christ

• How Christian educators can model biblical social and emotional maturity every day

• The importance of Scripture, the "one another" passages, and Psalm 139 in developing true self-awareness

• Why apologizing, extending forgiveness, and honoring image bearers are essential classroom practices

• Practical ways teachers can cultivate biblical social and emotional growth without adding another program to their workload

• Why worldview formation begins with educators before it reaches students

• Growing With One Another — Dr. Tyler Groves & Dr. Ken Coley

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to subscribe to the Teach Biblically Podcast and share it with another teacher, administrator, counselor, or school leader. As Christian educators, we have the opportunity not merely to teach content, but to cultivate classrooms where students learn what it means to flourish as image bearers of God.

Preparing for a new school year involves more than arranging desks, decorating bulletin boards, and writing lesson plans. Long before formal instruction begins, the classroom environment is already teaching students what matters, what success looks like, and how people should be treated.

In this episode, Roger and Maggie offer five practical questions to help Christian educators create classrooms that intentionally nurture biblical worldview formation. They explore how visual displays, daily routines, classroom celebrations, personal interactions, and the overall culture of a room quietly shape students' beliefs, desires, and habits.

Whether you are setting up an elementary classroom, preparing for a new group of high school students, or leading faculty into a new year, this conversation will help you think beyond organization and aesthetics to the deeper formative power of the classroom.

• Why formation begins before—and continues long after—formal instruction

• How classroom walls can reinforce biblical truth or communicate competing ideas

• Why even attractive, encouraging posters should be evaluated through a biblical worldview

• How to conduct a "secret shopper" review of your classroom environment

• Why classroom routines function as formative liturgies

• How classroom creeds, greetings, prayer, and student jobs can point students toward God's purposes

• What awards, grades, recognition, and celebrations teach students about success

• Ways to recognize humility, compassion, courage, service, and spiritual growth

• What a teacher's words, discipline, and responses to mistakes communicate about human dignity

• How remembering that every student bears God's image can transform classroom relationships

• Why conflict should be treated as a worldview-formation opportunity

• A simple reflection exercise to help teachers envision the lasting influence of their classroom

1. What are students looking at?

2. What routines are you creating?

3. What do students think success means?

4. What does your classroom say about people?

5. How will students remember your classroom?

A worldview-shaping classroom is not merely attractive or well organized. It is an environment that consistently points students toward what is true, good, and beautiful—and toward who God has created them to become.

• Beyond Biblical Integration by Roger Erdvig

• Summit's Train-the-Trainer program: summit.org/train-the-trainer

Subscribe to Teach Biblically wherever you listen to podcasts, and share this episode with a teacher or school leader preparing for the new school year.