Diocese of Lansing Unveils New History Curriculum
Father Gabriel Richard High School is at the forefront of an initiative by the Diocese of Lansing to “make history ‘His Story’” through a renewed History curriculum that was introduced at FGR on March 23rd, 2026, to diocesan educators.
“Today, I am excited to share our new framework for teaching history in our schools. It represents a return to a true timeline-based, incarnational history curriculum,” said Tom Maloney, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Lansing.
Incarnation is Central
Keynote speaker, Dr. Brad Birzer, Professor of History at Hillsdale College, encouraged the educators to view and teach history as revelation and think of the Incarnation as the very center of our history. Furthermore, he tied the ancient history of Greece and Rome as well as the Jewish culture to Christianity. “Jesus came in the ‘fullness of time’ and all are one in Jesus,” said Dr. Birzer. He likened God taking on flesh to a painter entering into the very fabric of his painting and discussed how ancient philosophers understood the nature of the human person and prophesized the coming of Christ. He also noted that Jesus is the Divine Reason that enlightens all of us and that it is our duty as educators to pass on everything that Jesus gave us.
The new curriculum has been in development over the course of the last several years by a diocesan committee on which FGR Principal, Christopher Dotson, and History Instructional Leader, Sean McNally served. At FGR, the curriculum will be implemented one year at a time with the class of 2030 being the first to experience the new cycle. Core classes for the History Department at FGR will include Western Civilization (Ancient History), Modern Western Civilization (History of Christendom), American History and Government, and 19th and 20th Century History and Modern Economics. Additionally, the updated History curriculum aligns with the Literature and Theology curricula to provide a more cohesive and interdisciplinary study of all subjects. The goal is to help students understand more fully the context of the works they study and provide them with the full picture of the human experience.