Academics

We Wear the Purple

I can’t believe we are already halfway done with this semester.  While it feels good have midterms out of the way, I am somewhat saddened because I am halfway done with one of my favorite classes at Pensacola Christian College: Greco-Roman History.

(In the picture above, the entire class decided to surprise Dr. Northrop by wearing purple.  If you want to know the significance of "wearing the purple," you'll just have to take the class and find out. . . )

I want you to venture into the past for a moment.  Suspend your cares for the day—homework, tests, bills, stress—forget it all and join me as we travel back to the land of Ancient Greece.

You are no longer a college student; you are a Greek soldier.  That purple shirt that you wear to class is a sign of your nobility.  You are not in a classroom; you are in an open amphitheater.  You are in the land of olive groves and turquoise waters, of incredible battles and ancient heroes, of mythical legends—and, above all, the birthplace of democracy.  This is no ordinary class . . .

This is Greco-Roman History with Dr. Northrop.

As a history major I am probably biased, but I think the history classes at Pensacola Christian College are simply phenomenal.  And Greco-Roman History is no exception.

History is a story—and Dr. Northrop relates the story in a vibrant, edge-of-your-seat manner.  At the start of every class period, we embark on an adventure of antiquity.  Whether it’s the admirable Athenians and their democracy or the fabled Spartans and their code of honor, Dr. Northrop is a master at teaching and relating the stuff of legends.

Dr. Northrop makes the class engaging and fun.  He makes you realize that history is more than battles and names and dates.  History is people—like you and me—performing everyday acts in their everyday lives.  Their lives teach us lessons of the past: lessons in warfare, politics, economics, geography, and much more.  But the most important lessons we learn are viewed through the providential lens of God.

Considering that I went to public school nearly my entire life, I never had the chance to learn history through a Christian perspective.  Take Alexander the Great, for instance.  While in public school, I learned that he was an excellent commander, but his great empire was not much more than a “flash in the pan.”  To the Christian, Dr. Northrop points out that Alexander—while not an ideal man to emulate—was certainly used by God to prepare the world for the Gospel.  Because of Alexander, Greek became the leading language for most of the known world.  A bloodthirsty Macedonian was used to prepare the world for the Word of God.  Imagine that.

Perhaps my background makes me appreciate it more, but I truly love this providential approach to academics at Pensacola Christian College.  It’s refreshing to learn how the events of the past not only affected our world, but how they specifically fit into the divine plan of our Lord.

As students at a Christian college, we should never take this for granted.  Instead of having your beliefs torn down by secular, humanistic teachers with ulterior motives, professors like Dr. Northrop build your faith through teaching—teaching through a Christian worldview.  Not only are the professors at Pensacola Christian College dedicated to your academic success, but they are also completely invested in your spiritual success.  They want to see you succeed. To live in Christ.  To learn.  To Grow.  And to me, that is the most important aspect of academics.  Not only to know knowledge, but to know God.

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The thoughts and opinions expressed in Life in the Nest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pensacola Christian College.

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Major History and English double major

From Washington, DC

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