Everyone believes something to be true, and everyone has a set of basic beliefs by which they live their lives. That is, a set of fundamental beliefs about the most basic of things concerning the world we live in:

 

1. Origin – where did I come from?

2. Meaning – why am I here?

3. Morality – what is right and what is wrong?

4. Destiny – where am I going?

 

A worldview is formed by a commitment to the answers of the above four questions. It is not only Christianity that forms a specific view of these basic questions of life, but every worldview attempts to answers these questions. A worldview is something everyone has. It shapes one’s life and controls behavior. Some people are aware of the worldview they prescribe to and try diligently to live according to it. On the other hand, others are unaware and unwittingly living out a view, never have given a second thought to its implications.

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A worldview is often portrayed as a set of glasses one views the world through. Looking through a set of glasses with red lenses gives a different perspective than looking through a set of glasses with green lenses. Similarly, people holding different worldviews will see life, death, and everything in between from different perspectives. The worldview becomes the basis, or shall we say, glasses, from which one will view the world through. When faced with a decision or question in life, a person’s subconscious reverts to the answers (worldview) of the four questions, to act on it or make a reply. It is the worldview that affects the decision making and day-to-day behavior of a person.

So, what exactly is a worldview? A worldview in its simplest form is a way a person views the world in which he or she lives. Formal definitions are:

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• A worldview is a way of viewing or interpreting all of reality. It is an interpretive framework through which or by which one makes sense out of the data of life and the world (Geisler and Watkins, Worlds Apart).

 

• A worldview is the sum total of our beliefs about the world, the big picture that directs our daily decisions and actions (Colson and Pearcey, How Now Shall We Live).

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• A worldview is an ideology, philosophy, theology, movement or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and the relationship of people to God and the world (Noebel, Thinking Like A Christian).

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• A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) that we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being (James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door).

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The Christian worldview best describes the world we live in from the top down. It best answers and corresponds to what we experience in everyday life. The Christian worldview is a comprehensive, coherent, and consistent view of all of reality. It speaks to every area of life. It is knowable, rational, experiential, and capable of being lived out. No other worldview meets this criterion. By defending (apologetics) the Christian worldview, we are defending a worldview that is far superior to all other worldviews. Christianity is a worldview that is unsurpassed by any philosophy, science, or religion when it comes to the explanatory power of the origin of time, space, and matter. It best answers the greatest philosophical questions of all: origin, identity, meaning, morality, and destiny. 

 

The Problem

George Barna's latest statistics:

Among Millennials, 44% claim a biblical worldview; results from the American Worldview Inventory, however, reveal that just 4% have one. Among the 53% of Gen Xers, only 6% have a biblical worldview. As for the 54% of Baby Boomers, there are only 8%, while those over 75 years old, which accounts for 62%, only 8% truly have a biblical worldview. "Our studies show that Americans are neither deep nor sophisticated thinkers. Most people seem more interested in living a life of comfort and convenience than one of logical consistency and wisdom. Our children will continue to suffer the consequences of following in the unfortunate footsteps of their parents and elders. People who are willing to fight for a more reasonable way of thinking and acting can make a difference, but it will be slow progress," Barna observed.

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Because the majority of Christians do not have a complete and coherent biblical worldview, at West Florida Theological Seminary (WFTS) we incorporate worldview training in all of our degrees. We teach the foundations of the two main competing worldviews in America today, Secularism and Christianity. Worldviews can be studied and analyzed by two methods:

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1. Metanarrative – A worldview can be described as a metanarrative which is an overarching story that explains why things are the way they are in the world. A metanarrative is a story that explains all of reality. In other words, every event in life, to include life itself, is understood through and by this overarching story. Each story involves a four-point explanation of: 

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1. Origin-how did it all get here?

2. The problem-what’s wrong with it?

3. The solution-how do we fix it?

4. The result-how should it look when its fixed?

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    2. Worldview elements – the second way we can study worldviews is by the independent or collective                      components that make up a worldview. Every worldview takes a position in each category.

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1. Theology – Is there a God, and what is God Like?

2. Philosophy—What is real, and what is true?

3. Biology—What is the origin of life?

4. Psychology—What is the basic nature of mankind?

5. Ethics—What is right?

6. Sociology—How should society be structured?

7. Law—What is the basis for law?

8. Politics—What is the purpose of Government

9. Economics—What produces a sound economy?

10. 10. History—How should we interpret human events

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At WFTS we study worldviews using both methods and equip our students to know what the Christian worldview (the Bible) declares of each. It is most important for a Christian to understand that there is no area of life, no category, or no academic discipline in which the Christian worldview does not have a developed point of view. God has spoken to all of reality as both Creator and Sustainer. A biblical worldview education will not only help us apply our faith to every area of life, but it will also equip us to live a life consistent with the teachings of Scripture. In other words, it is a vital part of sanctification and discipleship.

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Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

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The Apostle Paul identifies two worldviews in contrast here “this world” against the biblical Christian worldview. Paul is warning Christians against the influences of the “worldly system.” "This world" is the Greek word aion which means a particular stage of history understood according to its values, beliefs, and morals that are in opposition to Gods. A Christian must live his life consistently within the framework of the biblical Christian worldview careful not to conform or borrow from the incorrect foundations of the “worldly systems.”

 

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Some of our textbooks and resources:

 

 

Free pdf version of Dr. Turner's book

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