Trial and Testimony of the Early Church is a course about church history presented via videos and PDFs. The Teacher's Guide (contained on the DVD as PDF files) has detailed lesson plans, teaching, tips, background information for presentation before viewing each segment, discussion questions (with suggested answers), biblical applications, Bible study lessons that connect with each segment, and creative activities. The activities (e.g., debate) are designed for older Sunday School type groups so they might not work well in family settings. The set also includes six copies of Glimpses (Christian History Institute papers that focus on single topics)
The six segments of this course are "Foundations," "Spread," "Accusation," "Persecution," "Testimony," and "Transition." "Foundations" begins with Jesus Christ, the apostles, Paul, and the birth of the Christian church. "Spread" examines how the Gospel was transferred throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. "Accusation" deals with the reasons for resistance to the growth of Christianity. "Persecution" investigates attempts to destroy the faith. "Testimony" focuses on two early martyrs, Polycarp and Perpetua, who were representative of so many others who died for their faith even though they could have easily avoided that fate. "Transition" examines the political and cultural ascendance of Christianity under Constantine with both good and bad consequences.
I encountered a few instances on the DVDs where I would question the slant of the presentation. For example, in Foundations we are given the impression that Paul was trying to decide how to make the gospel acceptable, an idea with little Scriptural support. You might use any such instances to do further investigation for yourself. You might use this course with your family or a group.
Check the publisher's website for a streaming option.
