Framing History: An Introduction to Conceptualization Techniques

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Framing History An Introduction to
Conceptualization Techniques
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Framing History

• What constitutes a historical period?
• Creative ways to recall the past
• use of images
• use of acronyms
• use of timelines

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Framing History

• What if you are asked to tell the story of the
  great religions of the West and of the East in a
  one hour lecture?
• One answer Tell the story of the
• Butterfly and the Cow

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Origins of the Great Religions of the West
Rome
Mesopotamia
Jerusalem
Egypt
Mecca
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Origins of the Great Religions of the East
Japan
Aryans
Korea
Chinese Religions Confucianism Daoism
Buddhism
Indus River
Southeast Asia
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Framing History

• What if you were asked to teach
• 4000 years of Biblical and Church history
• to a class of Kenyan pastors over a two week
  period?

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The Kenya Curriculum

• The Method
• J E S U S F R I E N D
• e x e n c a e n a i
  e
• h o t i h l t c r
  c n
• o d t t i l u a l
  e o
• v u l e s r r y
  n m
• a s e d m n n e
  i
• h m a C
  n
• e K t h
  C a
• n i i u
  r t
• t n o r
  e i
• g n c e o
• d h d n
• o
  s
• m

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A gallop through 4000 years

• Jehovah God of creation covenants
• Exodus From Joseph to Moses
• Settlement Joshua, Judges and the Confederation
• United Kingdom Saul, David, Solomon
• Schism The Divided Kingdom
• Fall Isaiah, Jeremiah and the Era of Captivity
• Return Ezra and Nehemiah
• Incarnation The New Testament Story
• Early Church Expansion and Persecution
• Nicene Creed Constantine and the Formation of
  Dogma
• Denominations The Divisions of Christianity

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Framing History

• What if you wanted to write a comparative world
  religion textbook and include within it
  representative passages from the sacred
  scriptures of each tradition?

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The Organization of Sacred Words

• Three by three chapter structure
• The Great Religions of the West
• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam
• The Great Religions of the East
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Chinese Religions Confucianism Daoism
• The Indigenous Oral Traditions
• Native American Religions
• Traditional African Religions
• Oceanic Religions

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The Organization of Sacred Words

• Each chapter explains the 6 Ss
• Setting
• Sacred Stories
• Scriptures (or sacred oral traditions)
• Subdivisions
• Sacred Observations and Practices
• Sources (samples from the sacred scriptures)

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The Scripture Selections focus on 9 common themes

• Beginnings God, Time and the Universe
• Humanity The Problem of Good and Evil
• Sacred Stories Divine Messengers, Prophets
  Priests
• Divine Law Justice, Reward Punishment
• Gender Women Men in Society
• Daily Living Health, Etiquette Holy Days
• The Human Quest Paths to Salvation
  Enlightenment
• The Religious Life Worship Righteousness

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Criteria for selecting scriptures
Sacredness are the passages considered to be
sacred by large numbers of the
faithful? Historical Importance are the
passages known within the tradition and have
they impacted the historical development of the
tradition? Fairness Balance are the passages
representative of themes contained in the larger
canon? Topical Content do the passages relate
to one of the 9 themes that frame the
text? Readability will lay readers be able to
understand the passages?