Christian worldview
Encyclopedia
Christian worldview refers to the framework of ideas and beliefs through which a Christian individual, group or culture interprets the world and interacts with it. Different denominations of Christianity have varying worldviews. There are varieties of particulars within the Christian worldview, and disputes of the meaning of concepts in a Christian worldview, but certain thematic elements are common in the Christian worldview.
, a worldview
is an ontology
, or a descriptive model
of the world. It should comprise these six elements:
indicated as the central clusters of the system of metaphors in the Bible - mountain, garden, and cave. A similar thematic representation of Christian worldview in the Reformed tradition has been formulated as Creation, Fall, Redemption
and Consummation
.
in the New Testament, not the Torah
in any of its differing canonizations. Aramaic
by this time was spoken mostly among the poor of Palestine. The Greek-speaking synagogues of Jerusalem and other large cities were well attended by Christians like Stephen the Martyr
, Jews native to Jerusalem and other parts of Palestine and pilgrims and converts who spoke mostly Greek.
Reformed
philosopher H. Evan Runner
of Calvin College
in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Runner used the term in his evangelical Reformed community in North America, promoting the worldview concept from a philosophical concept to a synonym for "doctrine."
Definition
According to Leo ApostelLeo Apostel
Leo Apostel was a Belgian philosopher and professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Universiteit Gent. Apostel was an advocate of interdisciplinary research and the bridging of the gap between exact science and humanities.- Biography :Leo Apostel was born Antwerp in 1925...
, a worldview
World view
A comprehensive world view is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the entirety of the individual or society's knowledge and point-of-view, including natural philosophy; fundamental, existential, and normative postulates; or themes, values, emotions, and...
is an ontology
Ontology
Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
, or a descriptive model
Mental model
A mental model is an explanation of someone's thought process about how something works in the real world. It is a representation of the surrounding world, the relationships between its various parts and a person's intuitive perception about his or her own acts and their consequences...
of the world. It should comprise these six elements:
- An explanation of the worldCosmologyCosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
- An eschatologyEschatologyEschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
, answering the question "where are we heading?" - Values, answers to ethical questionsChristian ethicsThe first recorded meeting on the topic of Christian ethics, after Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Great Commandment, and Great Commission , was the Council of Jerusalem , which is seen by most Christians as agreement that the New Covenant either abrogated or set aside at least some of the Old...
: "What should we do?", What would Jesus do?What would Jesus do?The phrase "What would Jesus do?" became popular in the United States in the 1990s and as a personal motto for adherents of Evangelical Christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the... - A praxeologyPraxeologyPraxeology is the study of human action. Praxeology rejects the empirical methods of the natural sciences for the study of human action, because the observation of how humans act in simple situations cannot predict how they will act in complex situations...
, or methodologyMethodologyMethodology is generally a guideline for solving a problem, with specificcomponents such as phases, tasks, methods, techniques and tools . It can be defined also as follows:...
, or theory of action.: "How should we attain our goals?" - An epistemology, or theory of knowledgeKnowledgeKnowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
. "What is trueTruthTruth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...
and false?", John 18:38John 18:38John chapter 18, verse 38 of the Gospel of John, is often referred to as "jesting Pilate" or "Truth? What is truth?", of Latin Quid est veritas?... - An etiologyEtiologyEtiology is the study of causation, or origination. The word is derived from the Greek , aitiologia, "giving a reason for" ....
. A constructed world-view should contain an account of its own "building blocks," its origins and construction.
Differing Christian worldviews
Different denominations of Christianity have varying worldviews. There are varieties of particulars within the Christian worldview, and disputes of the meaning of concepts in a Christian worldview. Certain thematic elements are common within the Christian worldview. For instance, Northrop FryeNorthrop Frye
Herman Northrop Frye, was a Canadian literary critic and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th century....
indicated as the central clusters of the system of metaphors in the Bible - mountain, garden, and cave. A similar thematic representation of Christian worldview in the Reformed tradition has been formulated as Creation, Fall, Redemption
Redemption (theology)
Redemption is a concept common to several theologies. It is generally associated with the efforts of people within a faith to overcome their shortcomings and achieve the moral positions exemplified in their faith.- In Buddhism :...
and Consummation
Consummation
Consummation is the initial sexual act made within a marriage.Consummation can also refer to:* Consummation , 1970 recordingSee also:* Consummation of days, event predicted in Daniel Chapter 12, verses 1-4...
.
Language factors: the case of Palestine in Jesus' day
Another worldview factor has to do with language. It is the Greek Septuagint that is quoted in the Pauline epistlesPauline epistles
The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen New Testament books which have the name Paul as the first word, hence claiming authorship by Paul the Apostle. Among these letters are some of the earliest extant Christian documents...
in the New Testament, not the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
in any of its differing canonizations. Aramaic
Aramaic of Jesus
It is generally agreed that the historical Jesus primarily spoke Aramaic, perhaps along with some Hebrew and Greek . The towns of Nazareth and Capernaum, where Jesus lived, were primarily Aramaic-speaking communities, although Greek was widely spoken in the major cities of the Eastern Mediterranean...
by this time was spoken mostly among the poor of Palestine. The Greek-speaking synagogues of Jerusalem and other large cities were well attended by Christians like Stephen the Martyr
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
, Jews native to Jerusalem and other parts of Palestine and pilgrims and converts who spoke mostly Greek.
Worldview vs. doctrine
The U.S. use of the term "worldview" in Christian rhetoric can be traced to the evangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Reformed
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
philosopher H. Evan Runner
H. Evan Runner
Howard Evan Runner, often referred to as H. Evan Runner, was professor of philosophy at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA from 1951 until his retirement in 1981....
of Calvin College
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Runner used the term in his evangelical Reformed community in North America, promoting the worldview concept from a philosophical concept to a synonym for "doctrine."
Original worldview thinkers in Protestant evangelicalism
- Gordon H. Clark.Gordon ClarkGordon Haddon Clark was an American philosopher and Calvinist theologian. He was a primary advocate for the idea of presuppositional apologetics and was chairman of the Philosophy Department at Butler University for 28 years...
A Christian View of Men and Things: An Introduction to Philosophy. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans (1951); reprint, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker (1981). - Herman DooyeweerdHerman DooyeweerdHerman Dooyeweerd was a Dutch juridical scholar by training, who by vocation was a philosopher and the founder of the philosophy of the cosmonomic idea. He received early support for his work from his brother-in-law D. H. Th. Vollenhoven...
. A New Critique of Theoretical Thought. Jordan Station, Ont.: Paideia Press (1984) online summary with excerpts - Carl F. H. HenryCarl F. H. HenryCarl Ferdinand Howard Henry was an American evangelical Christian theologian who served as the first editor-in-chief of the magazine Christianity Today, established to serve as a scholarly voice for evangelical Christianity and a challenge to the liberal Christian Century.-Early Years and...
. God, Revelation, and Authority. Waco, TX: Word (1976). - Abraham KuyperAbraham KuyperAbraham Kuijper generally known as Abraham Kuyper, was a Dutch politician, journalist, statesman and theologian...
. Lectures on Calvinism. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans (1931) online version - James Orr.James Orr (theologian)James Orr was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and professor of church history and then theology. He was an influential defender of evangelical doctrine and a contributor to The Fundamentals.- Biography :...
The Christian View of God and the World. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons (1893) online version - Francis SchaefferFrancis SchaefferFrancis August Schaeffer was an American Evangelical Christian theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor. He is most famous for his writings and his establishment of the L'Abri community in Switzerland...
. The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer: A Christian Worldview. Wheaton, IL: Crossway (1982).
Other relevant sources
- Jürgen HabermasJürgen HabermasJürgen Habermas is a German sociologist and philosopher in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism. He is perhaps best known for his theory on the concepts of 'communicative rationality' and the 'public sphere'...
, The Theory of Communicative Action, Volume II (1981)The Theory of Communicative ActionThe Theory of Communicative Action was published in 1981 in two volumes, the first subtitled Reason and the Rationalization of Society , the second, Lifeworld and System: A Critique of Functionalist Reason...
- see sections on Worldviews and Worldpictures - Arthur F. HolmesArthur F. HolmesArthur F. Holmes was Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College, Illinois . Before his retirement in 1994, he served as Chairman of Wheaton's Department of Philosophy. Since his retirement, he has held the title of Professor Emeritus...
, All Truth Is God's Truth.All Truth is God's TruthAll Truth is God's Truth is a book written by Christian philosopher Arthur F. Holmes and published in 1977. This book has its place in Holmes' wider body of work on Christian higher education, as an application of Christian theology and philosophy to human learning...
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans (1977). - David NaugleDavid NaugleDavid Naugle is an author and professor. He is considered an expert on the Christian Worldview.Naugle is the head of the philosophy department at Dallas Baptist University...
, Worldview: A History of the Concept. Grand Rapids, MI:Eerdmans (2002) on line table of contents - Nancy PearceyNancy PearceyNancy Randolph Pearcey is an American evangelical author on the Christian worldview.-Career:Pearcey was the Francis A. Schaeffer Scholar for several years at the World Journalism Institute. In September 2007, Pearcey was named Scholar for Worldview Studies at the Center for University Studies at...
, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books (2004) on line table of contents - Nancy PearceyNancy PearceyNancy Randolph Pearcey is an American evangelical author on the Christian worldview.-Career:Pearcey was the Francis A. Schaeffer Scholar for several years at the World Journalism Institute. In September 2007, Pearcey was named Scholar for Worldview Studies at the Center for University Studies at...
, Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning Broadman and Homan Publishing Group (2010), ISBN: 978-1-4336-6927-9 - James Sire, The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press (1997) on line table of contents
- Ninian SmartNinian SmartProfessor Roderick Ninian Smart was a Scottish writer and university educator. He was a pioneer in the field of secular religious studies...
, Worldviews: Crosscultural Explorations of Human Belief (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000) - Albert M. WoltersAlbert M. WoltersAlbert Wolters is a professor of Religion & Theology, and Classical Studies at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario and has provided expert commentary for the Copper Scroll in the Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls , and also in a Nova documentary.After World War II, his family left...
, Creation Regained: Biblical Basics For A Reformational Worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans (1985). - Leslie Stevenson, David L. Haberman, "Ten Theories of Human Nature" Oxford University Press (2004) - book examines each one of four points--the nature of the universe, the nature of humanity, the diagnosis of the ills of humanity, and the proposed cure for these problems. Good introduction to where main worldviews originate and how to begin to think about them in context of human nature.
External links
- McKendree R. Langley, "Abraham Kuyper: A Christian Worldview." From the Orthodox Presbyterian ChurchOrthodox Presbyterian ChurchThe Orthodox Presbyterian Church is a conservative Presbyterian denomination located primarily in the United States. It was founded by conservative members of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America who strongly objected to the pervasive Modernist theology during the 1930s . Led...
web site, retrieved September 16, 2006. - The Christian Worldview Radio Show
- "Christian Worldview" A Christian Worldview and Apologetics mega-site.
- "Worldviews" Website portal dedicated to Christian Worldview and comparative worldviews.