This is the 2nd Edition, which includes a digital Download Code for newly revised Companion Guide (chockful of enriching activities for all ages).

Time Frame: The Early Church and the Middle Ages

Volume II, in the words of the author:

The Mystery of History Volume II (AD 30 – 1456) picks up where the story of Volume I leaves off – at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the first lesson I address Acts 1:8 with the promise of the Father to send the Holy Spirit. It is called the Day of Pentecost. From there, the history of the Early Church really begins. It is not an easy history to digest. It was amid trials, persecution, and martyrdom that the magnificent story of Jesus Christ spread.

In Volume II, I expand on the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Dark Ages that followed. This text delves into the chivalry of knights and damsels, kings and queens, and the peasants who faithfully served them. Students visit Vikings and villains; castles and crusades; and the poetry of Dante and Chaucer. Beyond Europe, this volume examines the life of Mohammed and the spread of Islam along with the rise and fall of dynasties in Japan and China. In Africa, Volume II looks at the Coptic (Egyptian) Church and Great Zimbabwe in the south. Students will unveil the rituals of the Aztecs and the gold of the Incas in Peru. And in two distant corners of the earth, at nearly the same time, the peoples of New Zealand and Greenland emerge into our view of world history.

All along the way, Volume II of The Mystery of History pauses to hear the voice of God as He speaks through missionaries like Columba, St. Patrick, and Cyril. Students will learn of the struggles within the Medieval church as it grows, expands, and threatens the authority of emperors and kings. I ended this volume with the tragic death of Joan of Arc, the fall of Constantinople, and the invention of the printing press that helps spread the Word of God across Europe.

You won’t find these significant and amazing stories packaged together just anywhere. I’ve done the research for you so that you and your students are free to absorb this history and explore the untold mysteries in between.