What Is A Biblical Worldview?
I've recently started reading unChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, which looks at attitudes to Christianity among young adults (16-29) in the US. This is a group among whom respect for Christianity has plummetted over the last ten years - which I think is hardly surprising. Between the political antics and abuses of the religious right since they got influence; the US Episcopal Church tearing itself apart so unlovingly; the Southern Baptist Convention doing its own arrogant thing; and a general anti-religious trend after 9/11: it hasn't been a good decade for US churches (nor indeed for the rest of us).
Kinnaman is president of The Barna Group, a religion-focussed market research organisation, so the book has plenty of facts and figures. But the problem with Barna has always been that they filter everything through their own, strongly evangelical, approach to the world, which makes their data difficult to use. This book has the same problem.
One glaring example is where he analyses peoples' responses according to whether they have a 'biblical worldview', which he defines by saying "A person with a biblical worldview experiences, interprets, and responds to reality in the light of the Bible's principles". In market research terms, he then defines that in terms of eight statements which such people agree or agree strongly with:-
- Jesus Christ lived a sinless life;
- God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and he still rules it today;
- Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned;
- Satan is real;
- A Christian has a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with other people;
- The Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches;
- Unchanging moral truth exists;
- Such moral truth is defined by the Bible.
Whilst I don't have a great problem with any of these statements in themselves, they do not constitute, or even come close to defining, a Biblical worldview; what they do is simply reflect the worldview of a particular conservative US evangelical tradition. A true Biblical worldview has to start from what the Bible says and emphasises, not just echo the cultural beliefs of a religious tradition.
I know several readers of this blog have a good working knowledge of the Bible, so what do you think defines a 'biblical worldview' - in eight or less agree/disagree statements? And why?
Here's my stab:-
- God created the universe and remains actively involved in caring for it today;
- There are all kinds of philosophical issues with an activist God, but that's what you have all through the Bible;
- There are all kinds of philosophical issues with an activist God, but that's what you have all through the Bible;
- Other people are to be treated with justice and mercy, especially the poor;
- The law, the prophets and much of the New Testament focus on the way we treat others and on justice, although the history section of the OT does a rather poor job of illustrating it;
- The law, the prophets and much of the New Testament focus on the way we treat others and on justice, although the history section of the OT does a rather poor job of illustrating it;
- Jesus is God's anointed king and ruler of all God's people;
- That's what 'Christ' or 'Messiah' means - it's a title rather than a surname - and this is a focus of the OT prophets and of much of the NT;
- That's what 'Christ' or 'Messiah' means - it's a title rather than a surname - and this is a focus of the OT prophets and of much of the NT;
- The job of the church is to point people to God by its unity and its love;
- If only they would! This is mostly from John and Paul, but it is a big theme in both;
- If only they would! This is mostly from John and Paul, but it is a big theme in both;
- The world and its inhabitants are in a mess;
- From chapter 3 of Genesis to chapter 20 of Revelation this is the underlying theme ...
- From chapter 3 of Genesis to chapter 20 of Revelation this is the underlying theme ...
- God has decisively intervened through Jesus' death on a cross to sort this mess out;
- ... along with God's working to change things ...
- Jesus will return to bring a 'new earth' of justice and of peace, where sickness and death will be no more;
- ... and the underlying hope, from prophets and letter-writers, that the time will come when the world will be remade as it should be - as it was in the beginning, when God looked at all that He had made and "it was good";
- The Bible is God's gift to us, given in love to help us, not to condemn us;
- This should be so obvious, but seemingly isn't.
What's your list?
To be honest, I don't have a list. There is truth. There are
interpretations of the truth. And there are manipulators of the truth - of
which there are many. Spirituality is the truth. Religion, including the
Bible, is man's interpretation of that truth through denominations. And
the slicksters who are out for riches, material things and power.
Spiritualists see the harmony in life, even though we are all on our own
wavelength. Religion focuses on the duality of good and evil - even
personifying evil. Rarely, seeing the individuals responsibility.
Spiritualists know of our responsibility through Spritiual Law.
Interesting, Capt. I'll pull out some of those points for more reflection;
I hope without doing too much damage to your original meaning.
Not bad!! I'm in agreement that many perspectives are needed to truly
experience the truth. I've mentioned on a few occasions that it's being
able to take many perspectives that allows for one to see the nature of
reality better. Remember, to me viewing reality comes from taking clusters
of perspectives. The difference being, not to judge but to observe. The
information regarding reality comes through this observation. Religion
often makes a judgment out of its observations, yet tend to fail to JUDGE
RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT.