Jul. 14, 2008 - Free Study Guides, Not Free of Political Correctness

I previewed the Outline of U.S. History, from the U.S Department of Education site, and found it to be generally useful. However, the Outline contained historical distortions that recur when secular writers attempt to explain how Christianity has influenced history. Here is one problematic example:

"During the religious upheavals of the 16th century, a body of men and women called Puritans sought to reform the Established Church of England from within. Essentially, they demanded that the rituals and structures associated with Roman Catholicism be replaced by simpler Calvinist Protestant forms of faith and worship. Their reformist ideas, by destroying the unity of the state church, threatened to divide the people and to undermine royal authority."

Notice that the text seems to omit any concept of the doctrinal issues involved; it reduces the complex Puritans to some kind of simplistic troublemakers, upsetting the unity of the people. Perhaps the writer is heavily influenced by an outdated Marxist world view?

The Outline of U.S. History, leaves out the most important reason that Puritans gave (in original sources) for leaving Holland. As explained in Saga of the Pilgrims: From Europe to the New World, by John Harris, the Pilgrims actually traveled to America in order to escape "the great licentiousness of youth in that country," which negatively influenced their children.

I was only able to review a small snapshot of the huge database of information at Federal Resources for Educational Excellence. Yes, it contains politically correct distortions. However, the site still offers a starting point for studying history, if you supplement with more detailed, balanced information and critical thinking exercises. My point is that as parents and educators, we can use a variety of resources. We can also explore original sources, histories untainted by political correctness, and train our children to analyze various world views.

Study Puritanism in-depth, at A Puritan's Mind:

“Fifty years ago the academic study of Puritanism went over a watershed with the discovery that there was such a thing as Puritan culture, and a rich culture at that, over and above Puritan reactions against certain facets of medieval and Renaissance culture. The common assumption of earlier days, that Puritans both sides of the Atlantic were characteristically morbid, obsessive, uncouth and unintelligent, was left behind. Satirical aloofness towards Puritan thought-life gave way to sympathetic attentiveness, and the exploring of Puritan beliefs and ideals became an academic cottage industry of impressive vigour, as it still is.

North America led the way with four books published over two years which between them ensured that Puritan studies could never be the same again. These were: William Haller, 'The Rise of Puritanism' (Columbia University Press: New York, 1938); A.S.P. Woodhouse, 'Puritanism and Liberty' (Macmillan: London, 1938; Woodhouse taught at Toronto); M.M. Knappen, 'Tudor Puritanism' (Chicago University Press: Chicago, 1939); and Perry Miller, 'The New England Mind Vol I; The Seventeenth Century' (Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA, 1939). Many books from the thirties and later have confirmed the view of Puritanism which these four volumes yielded, and the overall picture that has emerged is as follows.”--http://www.apuritansmind.com/PuritanArticles/JIPackerQuest.htm

Read more about finding primary source material from the Pilgrims (such as the journals of William Bradford Edward Winslow and others), http://eaglesnesthome.blogspot.com/2007/11/giving-thanks.html at my old blog. If you desire to study history critically from a Biblical perspective, you may also enjoy the TruthQuest History series, "American History for Young Students," as well as hundreds of other choices for inexpensive books and curriculum, at Christian Book Distributors.

Aug. 29, 2008 - Free Art Materials from National Museum of Art in DC

Aug. 29, 2008 - Freebies