A Christian Philosophy of Education

The educational philosophy of the public schools could hardly be called Biblical. The public schools have largely abandoned even feeble attempts at transmitting culture and literature. Now their goal is simply to make students employable in the workplace and thus their focus is on the most basic, pragmatic skills. As Christians, we need to think about why we are educating our children and what responsibilities the Bible gives to parents. Our goal should be to help our children acquire wisdom and godly character. The way we teach each subject needs to be examined in the light of those goals.

A Walk Through Western History

Rob attempts in 60 minutes what you can't do in one year - a survey of Western History. The focus here is on anecdotes and incidents that illustrate the character of key figures in each major age. Along the way Rob offers observations about the "Providential" aspect of world history, and recounts some of the "politically incorrect" lessons that are no longer presented in current textbooks.

An introduction to Mohammed and the History of Islam for Christians

1. Who was Mohammed? When did he live? What do we know about him? How did the Koran come to be written? 2. How did Islam spread? What is the history of Islam as a religious and as a political movement? What is the difference between Shiite and Sunni? 3. What does the Koran teach? How does it compare to the OT and the NT?

China and the Gospel – a history of the Chinese Church

Although there were some fascinating contacts between Christians and the Chinese court during the Middle Ages, China was only opened to western missionaries in the middle of the 19th century (1850) or so. In the century from 1850 to 1950 the gospel was preached throughout China and seeds were planted. After the communist revolution, all Christian missionaries were expelled. When China re-opened to foreigners 25 years later, they discovered that the Chinese church had flourished. What happened in China? Rob will review the religious upheavals of China during the 1860’s (the Taiping Rebellion) and 1900 (the Boxer Rebellion), the pioneering work of Hudson Taylor who preached in every part of China, as well as the explosive growth of the underground church since the failed Tiananmen Uprising of 1989.

Christians before Luther: Observations on Church History

What happened between Paul and Luther? A lot of church history, that's what! And there is much we could learn by studying and reflecting on how Christians in the past have faced the struggle to live redeemed lives in a fallen world. Our problems are not new problems. How should we think about the medieval church? What led to the rise of monasteries? Why did Luther's reform movement first take root among Augustinian and Franciscan monks? Rob presents sketches, stories, and observations on figures like Athanasius, Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, Benedict, Hildebrandt, Francis, Dominic, Waldo, Wyclif, and Hus.

Egypt and Israel: An Introduction / Overview

Exciting new archeological evidence on the Exodus Egyptian archeologists have been puzzled by the (apparent) lack of evidence for the events described in the Old Testament. In the last five years, a new theory about Egyptian history has emerged that explains the reason - they’ve been looking in the wrong places! And the two candidates for Pharaoh of the Exodus are probably both wrong. In this seminar Rob will present the latest evidence from the ancient world and discuss in detail the “new chronology” for Egypt proposed by David Rohl. The “new chronology” provides exciting evidence for not just the Exodus, but also the time of the Patriarchs and the war between Saul, David, and the Philistine kings.

Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation

The Renaissance has been denounced as pagan, immoral, and secular. It has been praised as the opening of the modern era of scientific and intellectual accomplishment. Which is more accurate? Were the Renaissance humanists the fathers of secular humanism? Did the Reformation have anything to do with the Renaissance? Was it a reaction against Renaissance immorality or a continuation of Renaissance scholarship? What were the central issues that caused the split between Protestant and Catholic? Are those issues still important to us today? Why did the Reformation fail to reform the church? What caused the split between the followers of Luther and Calvin? Which of the modern denominations can trace their origins to the reformers? Why were the Anabaptists persecuted by both Protestants and Catholics?

Greece and Rome: An Introduction / Overview

and an update on the latest archaeological and historical evidence Did the Trojan War really happen? Was there a poet named Homer who wrote the Iliad/Odyssey? What were the Greek dark ages? How did the hellenistic world affect Israel? How much did Paul owe his education and insights to Greek culture and Philosophy? When were the gospels written? How did the church and the synagogue diverge? What were the real reasons for the fall of Rome? There have been many exciting new findings on all the questions over the past 100 years. Unfortunately, many of them have yet to make their way into the textbooks or the popular mind. The historical accuracy of the Bible has been confirmed at every turn. Parents (and students) attending this seminar will come away with a new understanding of the ancient world, and easy-to-remember "big-picture" outline, and an increased appreciation for early church history.

Models for Understanding History

Is progress inevitable? What tends to happen to great civilizations over time? Drawing on examples from Israel, Egypt, Greece, Rome, England, and America, Rob talks about the patterns and models that repeat in history and how the Biblical principles that govern historical development. There are only three logical possibilities for the future - progress, judgment, or revival. The inevitability of progress is the dominant belief of 20th century culture, but it is the least likely of the three to happen. A review of man’s recorded history will reveal that it has almost NEVER happened. This seminar will give you a new understanding and approach to the study of history.

The Biblical Mandate for Godly Magistrates – why Christians should pursue political office and positions of responsibility in civil government

Beginning with Romans 13:4 (where Paul twice calls civil magistrates “ministers of God”) Rob shows the biblical basis for civil government and then reviews some of the historical examples of godly magistrates who have made a difference. Note: Rob served for seven years as City Manager for Mt. Juliet, TN, population 25,000 and one of the fastest growing cities in the state of TN.

The Conversion of the Barbarians

After the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine to Christianity in 310 AD, Christianity appeared triumphant. The collapse of the Roman Empire and the conquest of pagan Germanic tribes meant that Christians were once again slaves and conquered people. Yet from 500AD to 800AD, all of the Germanic kingdoms were converted to Christianity. How did it happen? Who were the heroes?

The Spirit of Adoption – gentle encouragement for Christian families to consider adoption

Rob and Cyndy share the biblical imagery of adoption as a picture of our relationship to God. This seminar includes a gentle encouragement for Christian families to consider adoption. The Shearers will share their experiences adopting two daughters from China – including the details of dealing with social workers, state human services, and the INS.

Twaddle-Free History

(with Cyndy) Most of us have a bad taste in our mouths about history. It was boring and we hated it. It doesn't have to be that way. Homeschoolers have the chance to rediscover the fun and excitement of history (yes, we did just use fun, excitement and history in the same sentence). The seminar will focus on WHY we should study history - because its an essential tool for building godly character - and a number of practical ideas about HOW to teach history (in ways that won't torture children or adults).

Famous Men of the 16th & 17th Century

28 biographies from Queen Elizabeth I (who came to the throne in 1560) through King Louis XIV who died in 1715. The 17th century was an age of religious wars and revolutions. The French had seven civil wars of religion from 1570-1590. The German Empire had a religious civil war from 1618-1648. The English had a civil war from 1642-1649. It was also the century in which the English and French settlements were founding in North America at Jamestown, Plymouth, Boston, & Quebec. But learning the wars will not convey to students what the times were like. Biographies will. Here are the twenty-eight individuals who are profiled: I. Catherine de’ Medici (1519-1589) II. Henry of Navarre (1553-1610) III. Elizabeth I (1533-1603) IV. Sir Francis Drake (1540-1595) V. Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) VI. James I (1566-1625) VII. Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) VIII. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) IX. John Smith (1580-1631) X. Albrecht von Wallenstein (1583-1634) XI. Gustavus Adolphus (1594-1632) XII. Samuel de Champlain (1570-1635) XIII. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) XIV. Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) XV. Charles I (1600-1649) XVI. Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) XVII. William Bradford (1590-1657) XVIII. John Winthrop (1588-1649) XIX. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) XX. Rembrandt (1606-1669) XXI. John Milton (1608-1674) XXII. Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) XXIII. Charles II (1630-1685) & James II (1633-1701) XXIV. Jan Sobieski (1629-1696) XXV. William of Orange (1650-1702) XXVI. John Locke (1632-1704) XXVII. Johan Pachelbel (1653-1706) XXVIII. Louis XIV (1638-1715)

Greenleaf Press 2009

Famous Men of the Renaissance & Reformation

The Renaissance was the beginning of the modern world. Its leading thinkers were the first to recognize that there was now a huge gap between themselves and the ancient nations of Greece and Rome, and that civilization had been through a "dark age." The Renaissance revered Greece and Rome and sought to recover the ancient languages, literature, art, and in some cases also their pagan religion. The Reformation, too, was a modern movement in which theologians and Christian thinkers became aware of the large differences between the late medieval church and the early church and the teachings of Christ in the Bible. The towering figure of Martin Luther dominates the Reformation. He mastered the literature and language skills of the Renaissance humanists, and became convinced that the church was desperately in need of reform. The printing press spread his ideas rapidly and he miraculously avoided the martyrdom that Jon Hus had undergone when he called for reform a century earlier. Pope Benedict XVI himself has now initiated a re-evaluation of Martin Luther and acknowledged that many of the reforms he called for were later adopted by the Roman Church. Drawing on 30 years of reading in Renaissance & Reformation history, I have selected 15 figures from the Renaissance and 15 from the Reformation whose lives illustrate the history of the times. From the Renaissance: Petrarch, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Cosimo de' Medici, Lorenzo de' Medici, Savonarola, Botticeli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Cesare Borgia, Machiavelli, Pope Leo X, and Erasmus. From the Reformation: Wyclif, Hus, Luther, Charles V, Durer, Zwingli, Muntzer, Grebel & Sattler, Menno Simons, Henry VIII, Thomas More, Tyndale, Cromwell & Cranmer, Calvin, and Knox. The biographies are written so that they can be profitably read by an upper elementary student as well as any high school student. Reading through these biographies will give you a broad introduction to both the Renaissance and Reformation and help you to understand how the events of that time continue to shape our world today. - Rob Shearer "a richer picture of the period than we usually encounter" - Cathy Duffy one of Cathy Duffy's "100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum".

Greenleaf Press 1996

The Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History

with Cyndy Shearer

This book outlines a program which will take you through the history of Israel by reading through the historical books, Genesis to Nehemiah,chronologically. The Old Testament's history of Israel is divided into 196 Bible readings (approximately 1 chapter each). Along with each reading assignment are suggestions on how to cover the material and keep it interesting. For each reading there is a series of questions to help you focus on the significant details. There are also background notes, and suggestions for further study. This book won’t answer all your questions, but it will give you a well thought out program of reading and studying the ancient history of Israel. The book is intended as a first history course for the early elementary grades, though many parents are using it with high school students. Suggestions are given for supplemental materials for varying grade levels. The companion background for the study of ancient Egypt is included in The Greenleaf Guide to Ancient Egypt. "The Old Testament is the perfect place to start teaching history since it truly starts at the beginning.Many of us shy away from such a study because of the difficulties we might encounter, but the Shearers have made it much easier with this guide." - Cathy Duffy One of Cathy Duffy's "Top 100 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum."

Greenleaf Press 1992