I’ll be teaching my affordable one-month online course on historical methods in a couple weeks (starting July 1): Thinking Like a Historian: Historical Methods, Practice and Theory. Please share this announcement to anyone you know who might be interested! Or join us yourself!

We will closely examine and discuss my book Proving History (which you’ll need to buy a print or digital edition of) and other materials and examples I’ll provide in the course. You’ll learn how to question and investigate claims about history. And learn not only the logic of historical reasoning and argument, but also a lot of the practical tips and tricks real historians employ to test and check claims. In all, you’ll hone your skills of skeptical and critical thinking about history.

Primary topics: Best practices among historians; historical methods as modes of reasoning (both criteria-based and Bayesian); examples of flawed reasoning and bad arguments in peer reviewed history journals and monographs (and how to spot them as a layperson); and what to do to critically examine a claim using both immediate criteria and procedures for more labor-intensive inquiry…

What it’s like: The course is one month online. You study and participate at your own pace, as much or as little as you like, and you get to ask me any questions you want about the course topics all month long, as well as read and participate in online discussions with me and other students. I will direct and comment on readings throughout each week and offer weekly course assignments, for those who want to tackle them, which consist of doing a simple online investigation, or answering questions about what you’ve learned and what you think about it.

Required Course Text: The only course text you have to buy is Proving History (in print or digital). All other readings and media will be provided to students for free (all you bring is your access to the internet).

Note: This course is useful by itself, but also a good preparatory course for my class on the historicity of Jesus, and a good companion course to my class on New Testament studies for everyone, both of which I will offer again later this year.

Tuition: $69

Must register by July 10
. But register as soon you can! It could fill to capacity. And it may be a year before I offer it again.

More details & registration here.

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