Read this book yourself online
OR
Running Time: 11 hours, 13 minutes
The Story of Mankind by Hendrik van Loon
Read this book yourself online or on a Kindle, or read it here with accompanying illustrations.
Summary: Relates the story of western civilization from earliest times through the beginning of the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the people and events that changed the course of history. Portrays in vivid prose the achievements of mankind in the areas of art and discovery, as well as the political forces leading to the modern nation-states. Richly illustrated with drawings by the author. Winner of the first Newbery Award in 1922, The Story of Mankind has introduced generations of children to the pageant of world history. (Summary from mainlesson.com)
Running time: 13 hours
Note to parent: I am including this book on My Audio School, as it is used by Ambleside Online curriculum. They recommend it for older children (middle school through high school).
My Audio School is being used by so many children whose families hold varying perspectives on creation and evolution. I have not provided links for the first 3 chapters of this book, (30 minutes of material), which are full of evolutionary content. Should you need to refer to these chapters, you can use the links provided above for reading or downloading this book at its Internet Archive page in its entirety. I have not pre-read the majority of this book, but found evolutionary references in the two additional chapters that I listened to (The Age of Science and The New World). Please be aware there may be evolutionary content in other chapters, as well. Should you have further questions about the suitability of this book please read this review from Cathy Duffy.
Ancient and Medieval Church History
Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, has made several classes available for free online through their Worldwide Classroom.
Although Ancient and Medieval Church History is a college-level course, I believe it would be appropriate for a high school student studying this topic.
In order to listen to these free classes, you’ll need to register with Worldwide Classroom. After registering, you’ll be able to listen to all of these sessions on Mp3, as well as download written transcripts and study guides for each lecture.
Click here to learn more about this course or to download a syllabus.
Click here to learn more about Worldwide Classroom.
Click here for Covenant Theological Seminary’s statement of faith.
Here is a course description and a list of the topics covered in this course.
Course Description (taken from the Worldwide Classroom site):
A study of Christianity from the Early Church to the dawn of the Reformation, with source material readings. This course places an emphasis on the application of church history to life and ministry and helps the student to understand the development of Christian thought and the formulation of doctrine as part of God’s overall pattern of history. This course is taught by David Calhoun.
Lesson 1: The Study of Church History
Lesson 2: The Growth of the Christian Church
Lesson 3: The Persecutions
Lesson 4: The Apologists
Lesson 5: Orthodoxy and Heresy
Lesson 6: Canon, Creed, and Bishops
Lesson 7: The Early Church Fathers
Lesson 8: The People of the Early Church
Lesson 9: The Church in the Fourth Century
Lesson 10: The Beginnings of Monasticism
Lesson 11: Donatism
Lesson 12: The Council of Nicea
Lesson 13: Cappadocians and Constantinople
Lesson 14: Ambrose, Jerome, and Chrysostom
Lesson 15: Augustine’s Confessions
Lesson 16: Augustine and the Pelagian Controversy
Lesson 17: Augustine’s Theology of History
Lesson 18: The Council of Chalcedon
Lesson 19: The Early Middle Ages
Lesson 20: Medieval Missions
Lesson 21: The Christianization of Great Britain
Lesson 22: Learning and Theology
Lesson 23: Eastern Orthodoxy
Lesson 24: The Late Middle Ages
Lesson 25: Medieval Monasticism
Lesson 26: Crusades or Missions?
Lesson 27: The Waldensians
Lesson 28: Scholastic Theology
Lesson 29: Thomas Aquinas
Lesson 30: The Sacramental System
Lesson 31: Church and State
Lesson 32: Wycliffe and Hus
Lesson 33: Reform in Italy
Lesson 34: Mysticism and the Modern Devotion
Lesson 35: The Waning of the Middle Ages
Appendix A: Catholic World Missions
Appendix B: The Spread of the Western Church
Appendix C: The Spread of the Eastern Church
Appendix D: The 100 Most Important Dates in Church History
Martin Luther
Martin Luther, a monk, came to realize that salvation was through grace alone by faith alone, and not by works. He posted his 95 theses on the Wittenburg Door and was tried as a heretic at the Diet of Worms, where he refused to recant his writings. It was there he said those famous words, “I cannot–I WILL NOT recant….Here I stand: I can do no other.”
Click the link below to hear an audio recording of what Martin Luther said at the Diet of Worms.
Before the Diet of Worms by Martin Luther
Listen to The Ninety-five Theses by Martin Luther
Scene from Martin Luther movie when Luther goes before the Diet of Worms
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan
To download this book to Mp3, click here. To read it yourself, click here.
To listen to this book, click play in the box below, or click on the chapter links in this post.
Part 00 – Publisher’s Foreword & Preface
Sermons about Reformers
This podcast from Columbia, South Carolina First Presbyterian Church’s Thornwell Lecture Series includes sermons about The Life of John Calvin (from Dr. Mark Ross), William Tyndale (Rev. Iain Murray) and Martin Luther (Rev. Dr. John R. de Witt).
Clicking this link will take you to the church’s online media page, where you’ll see an audio player. Scan through the archives to find these messages.
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Volume 1: A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Early Christian and the Protestant Martyrs
Internet archive page on Librivox
Click on the chapter links to listen to this book, or click play in the box below.
Chapter 1, History of Christian Martyrs to the First General Persecutions under Nero
Chapter 2, part 1, The Ten Primitive Persecutions
Chapter 3, part 1, Persecutions of the Christians in Persia
Chapter 4, part 1, Papal Persecutions
Chapter 5, part 1, An Account of the Inquisition
Chapter 6, part 1, An Account of the Persecutions in Italy under the Papacy
Chapter 7, An Account of the Life and Persecutions of John Wycliffe
Chapter 8, part 1, An Account of the Persecutions in Bohemia under the Papacy
Chapter 9, An Account of the Life and Persecutions of Martin Luther
Chapter 10, General Persecutions in Germany
Chapter 11, An Account of the Persecutions in the Netherlands
Chapter 12, part 1, The Life and Story of the True Servant and Martyr of God, William Tyndale
Chapter 12, part 2, William Tyndale, continued
The Large Catechism by Martin Luther
Internet archive page on Librivox
Summary: Luther’s Large Catechism consisted of works written by Martin Luther and compiled Christian canonical texts, published in April of 1529. This book was addressed particularly to clergymen to aid them in teaching their congregations. Luther’s Large Catechism is divided into five parts: The Ten Commandments, The Apostles’ Creed, The Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, and The Sacrament of the Altar. It and related documents was published in The Book of Concord in 1580. (from Wikipedia)
To listen, click play in the box below or click on the chapter titles.
The Fifth through Seventh Commandments
The Eighth through Tenth Commandments
Conclusion of the Ten Commandments
Commentary on the Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer
A Child’s History of England by Charles Dickens
Internet archive page on Librivox.
To read this book for yourself, click here.
You can also click play in the box below, or click on the chapter titles in this post.
01 – Ancient England and the Romans
02 – Ancient England Under the Early Saxons
03 – England Under the Good Saxon, Alfred
04 – England Under Athelstan and the Six Boy-Kings
05 – England Under Canute the Dane
06 – England Under Harold Harefoot, Hardicanute, and Edward the Confessor
07 – England Under Harold the Second, and Conquered by the Normans
08 – England Under William the First, the Norman Conqueror
09 – England Under William the Second, Called Rufus
10 – England Under Henry the First, Called Fine-Scholar
11 – England Under Matilda and Stephen
13 – England Under Richard The First, Called The Lion-Heart
14 – England Under King John, Called Lackland
15 – England Under Henry The Third, called , of Winchester
16 – England Under Edward the First, Called Longshanks
17 – England Under Edward the Second
18 – England Under Edward the Third
19 – England Under Richard the Second
20 – England Under Henry the Fourth, Called Bolingbroke
21 – England under Henry the Fifth
22 – England under Henry the Sixth
23 – England under Edward the Fourth
24 – England Under Edward the Fifth
25 – England Under Richard the Third
26 – England Under Henry the Seventh
27 – England Under Henry the Eighth, Called Bluff King Hal
28 – England Under Henry the Eighth
29 – England Under Edward the Sixth
32 – England Under James I
33 – England Under Charles the First
34 – England Under Oliver Cromwell
35 – England Under Charles the Second, Called the Merry Monarch
Sermons about the Scottish Reformation
Click here to listen to Rev. Iain H. Murray’s sermon John Knox and the Battle.
Click here for Rev. Murray’s sermon Robert Bruce: Pulpit versus Throne.
To listen to more of Reverend Murray’s sermons about the Scottish Reformation, click here.
St. Bartholomew’s Eve by G. A. Henty
Set in the days of the religious wars of Europe, St. Bartholomew’s Eve is the tale of the Huguenot’s desperate fight for freedom of worship in France. As the struggle intensifies the plot thickens, culminating in the dreadful Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Eve. Henty, “The Boy’s Own Storyteller” weaves the life and adventures of Philip Fletcher and his cousin, Francois DeLaville, into the historical background with thrilling battles, sieges and escapes along the way (not to mention a fair damsel in distress!). (Summary by Minkona for Librivox)
You can also listen to this book by pressing play in the box below or by clicking on the chapters in this post.
To read the book yourself, click here.
Running time: 12 hours, 3 minutes
00- Preface
01- Driven From Home
14- The Assault On The Chateau
The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Synge
Read this book yourself here.
You can also stream this book right here by clicking play in the box, or listen to individual chapters by clicking on the links throughout this post.
04 – A Dutch Reformer
05 – The Story of Martin Luther
11 – The Massacre of Bartholomew
16 – Drake’s Voyage Round the World
25 – The Golden Days of Good Queen Bess
26 – First Voyage of the East India Company
27 – The Story of Henry Hudson
35 – In the Days of Oliver Cromwell
38 – The Founder of Pennsylvania
43 – The Siege of Vienna by the Turks
45 – The Story of the Huguenots
46 – The Greatest General of His Age
48 – How Peter the Great Learned Shipbuilding
50 – The Boyhood of Frederick the Great