Drive Thru History - The Gospels {Review}

This review was originally published April 2017 on our Gypsy Road site.

Has your family ever watched Drive Thru History® videos?  Do you have boys?  Kids?  Teens?  Adults that act like kids?  😊  Then you’re going to love Dave Stotts and his videos!  Recently, we watched DriveThru History® – “The Gospels”, which, as the title would indicate, is all about the Gospels of the New Testament.  Now, if you’ve seen Drive Thru History videos in the past, I’ll start off by saying that these have a different tone to them, but they’re no less as educational and entertaining…they’re just a little less goofy.

The Gospels DVD set has 18 episodes in the series - each is half an hour long – and an accompanying study guide.  Our boys are in both the elementary and middle school range, and while they have all enjoyed Drive Thru History in the past, it was really the older ones who enjoyed this particular series.  It is geared more toward middle school, high school, and adult viewers.  That’s not to say that the younger ones didn’t like it, but some of the material was over their heads, and since it wasn’t as goofy as previous series, it was less entertaining to them.  (Mom’s note : I feel like there was less humor and silliness because the film crew didn’t want to have something come out wrong, or just sound blasphemous.)

Our one son who is very much into archaeology and ancient history really loved the series.  He learned “how to cross-reference history books with the Bible” (his words), and was very excited by that!  While the main focus is Biblical history, and the life of Jesus, there is also a lot of timeline work and archaeology incorporated into this series.

The series centers around the life of Jesus, as told through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  The film crew visited a multitude of sites throughout Israel, Palestine, and the surrounding regions to delve back into time and connect the past with the present.  My husband and I, who both love to travel but haven’t made it very far overseas, both appreciated and enjoyed the virtual field trips and the beautiful cinematography of the footage….it really makes it feel as though you’re walking beside him in the Holy Land. 

The 118-page study guide covers each of the episodes separately, and includes stunning photos, discussion questions, inspirational quotes, and ideas for further study.  If you’ve been wanting to incorporate Bible study into your curriculum, but (a) the kids aren’t into it; (b) the material you’ve previously used seems dry; or (c) it’s just not at all engaging….then you should give Drive Thru History a shot! 

If we were allowed to teach religion in the schools today, this would be the perfect series for middle and high schoolers.  It's informative and engaging, and the narrator is just goofy enough to keep you asking what will happen next!  The cinematography is well-done, and the history is presented at an age-appropriate level for children to understand and adults to want to learn by their side.

The episodes include :

• The Historical Landscape
• The Announcements
• Jesus is Born
• Jesus Grows Up
• Jesus Starts His Ministry
• Jesus Returns to Galilee
• Jesus Begins His Miracles
• Jesus Teaches with Authority
• The Sermon on the Mount
• Jesus Travels the Sea of Galilee
• Jesus Travels North
• A Final Trip to Jerusalem
• Jesus Arrives in Jerusalem
• The Last Supper
• The Trial of Jesus
• The Crucifixion of Jesus
• The Resurrection of Jesus
• Who is Jesus?

 See what others are saying about Drive Thru History at the Schoolhouse Review Crew!