The Goal Of A Historian And History

One of the biggest difference and clearest concepts between earth and world is the earth represents everything of the physical nature like, sand, coal, diamands, gold etc. Whereas the world is described as everything we as human beings have done or invented using the things from the physical nature. An example of this can be seen in that of using gold that is found from earth and the world producing jewellery from the gold. Thereof it is understood that the world displays a system that is seen throughout history and time to come where the world controls things on earth and thus creates cultures and traditions.

In Eccleciates 3:11 (NKJV) it says “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts.” The very understanding of the basis of history regarding the persue of understanding the things of this world relating to historical events, human interactions and the storyline behind past events has its foundation that is found in the very hearts of human beings. The word heart in greek is ‘kardia’and is also associated with the word consience, the thinking from ones heart as we as humans are moves by feelings and emotions as the heart takes the seat of consience thinking to create things etc.. The heart can also be seen as the aspect of the need to socialize and being able to think and dream collectively with other human beings to persue those very feelings that has been birthed within the human hearts. The collective vision and passion that comes from the hearts of humans can make history as we know it.

In Matthew 6:13 it says “For yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory forever”. God alone has the authority and is the authority of all things including time and history. He has the power to change events as to fulfill His purposes and eternal goal He has. He determines the very direction of history because of the authority He has and through this He governs everything. As an eternal Father, he leads all historical events towards reconciling us to Him thus He is the author of history.

Some may refer that the goal of a historian is merely to be a storyteller but others have seen the importance of historians and as such seen them to be data collectors and professionals who has the duty to give accurate explanations of history. One of the primary goals of an historian is through collecting data, to educate its people and to show what happened at certain events of the past.

The first task is for the historian to cross – examine the relics that are the witnesses to past events. Each relic or witness tells a story of the past but the historian needs to ensure that the evidence is true. The second task is for the historian not to get bugged down on the historical sources like the relics etc. as they are just witnesses of history and contribute towards the historical judgement of the historian. It is up to the historian to contribute towards the actual thinking of the people thatlived in the past by interpreting the data collected. The third task is for the historian to be well trained and putting aside self interests as part of building up a good character as a historian, this is very important as a historians character gives him the credibility. The fourth task is to consider the authorship and the people (collaborators) helping the historian in writing the historiography. If the collaborators dont share the same character as that of the historian in writing the historiography, it may also lead to the demise of the intergrity of the historian and the credibility of his work. The fifth task for the historian is to identify and select a problem for the study and what part of that study to communicate. Furthermore, when chosing a selected filed of study it is important for the historian to be well trained on the various facts of that field as to establish the process of interpreting the facts of the rest of history. The sixth task is for the historian to use his or her own imagination in interpreting certain aspects of human history based on their own experience or that of others around them.

Historical narratives can be seen as both hypothesis and synthesis starting with the latter (synthesis), in it as the historian looks to recreate the history based on the knowledge that was gathered by individual facts.Whereas hypothesis, is the linkage between the facts but not always provable. The work of the historian is both the gathering of facts and evidence relating to history but in filling in the gaps left behind, the historian needs to make use of imagination and thinking in order to bring to light the narrative written about history.

As a historian is a present author that is writing things about history that the author might not have been part of, as much as the author can collect data, relics and witness accounts some gaps can be left exposed as there might not be enough data for the particular time or topic to make a complete conclusion, at that moment the historian has to use his own imagination and knowledge of that particular portion of history into piecing the facts together into making into a narrative for the reader to understand and see what it possibly might have looked like. The implications arise when it might not be a true reflection of the moment in history as it is the intrepetation of the historian based only on his imagination and thinking. Some facts and momnet in history might be missed or misinterpreted.

History as it stands is alligned to our spiritual side as humans in a natural way,because history is formed be human actions and the character that initiated that action it can therefore only be explained through a theological explanation, as a result of this, history has to be theological in it’s character. As said inthe beginning humans take certain actions based on the emotions and feelings that flow from their heart it is what gives us our character and from our heart it flows through and gives drive to the actions we want to take. Our character as humans is thus associated it with the moral values that we carry and what we belief and understand, and as such becomes part of our theology. It is only when humans begins to appreciate and see the ultimate plan of God through history and His eternal plan for us, that we will actually understand history.

Historian needs to apply hermeneutics to understand the past. The very nature of historical understanding is hermeneutical and implies the consideration of philosophical questions. The understanding of history is in essence a basic problem of hermeneutics because the science of hermeneutics studies the way texts should be understood.