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CWV-101-301 Topic 1 Overview

Understanding Worldview

Introduction

Welcome to Grand Canyon University's Christian Worldview course; a study that will not only familiarize you with the Christian worldview, but will do so in the context of other, very different worldviews. It is common for students to feel somewhat apprehensive about taking this course for various reasons.

Some students may feel that such a course is really not necessary for their major and object to having to take it. As our classrooms and the professional world are becoming more and more diverse, worldview is becoming more and more important. From marketing to nursing and from education to management, textbooks are engaging with the challenges and opportunities that multiple worldviews bring. This course will help you prepare for worldview discussions in later courses.

Christian worldview will also help you to understand Grand Canyon University more fully. Grand Canyon University has a long-standing Christian heritage, meaning that our Christian faith is fundamental to all that we do. We want all students to feel welcome here, regardless of their religion or beliefs, but we also want all students to at least understand the Christian worldview and be challenged to think carefully about the deeper questions of life.

Some students may be unsure what their worldview is or have a worldview that is very different from Christianity and wonder how they will fit into such a class. Everybody has a mixture of beliefs that make them unique. Please be assured that the instructor's goal is to help each student feel comfortable interacting with other students and to have a positive experience. The College of Theology instructors hope to encourage critical thinking about your worldview and purpose in life. This is an opportunity to think about what you believe, challenge your assumptions, learn from others, and move forward on your unique life journey.

"Finding your purpose" is a motto that extends well beyond merely discovering your gifts and talents and recognizing what career is the best fit for you. This course is designed to help students explore the underlying purposes of life and how these may enrich their career, family, and personal life.

Another fear many students have is unfamiliarity with the Bible. The Christian Worldview course is designed to help every student learn how to access and understand the Bible at a basic level. Since you will not be studying heavy theological issues or denominational differences in this course, you will need to use one of the modern translations of the Bible listed in the Course Materials.

Throughout this course, you will be seeking wisdom. And from the perspective of the Christian worldview, all wisdom comes from God. This is why James, the brother of

Jesus, wrote in his letter, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., James 1:5).

What Is a Worldview?

Worldview is not an opinion on a topic, and it is not religion, though religious beliefs inform and affect worldview. Worldview is more connected to philosophy. Your core worldview beliefs affect how you see yourself, others, life, and society.

The following definitions are helpful:

• "A set of assumptions or beliefs about reality that affect how we think and how we live" (Cosgrove, 2006, p. 19).

• "The comprehensive perspective from which we interpret all of reality" (Keller, 2012, p. 157).

As mentioned in The Beginning of Wisdom, worldview is often described as a set of lenses through which we view the world (Grand Canyon University, 2020). Each of the six core worldview beliefs affect how we see life, ourselves, others, and society differently. These core beliefs can affect how to interpret raw data and at the same time, it can affect what is the proper course of action based on the information that is known. Whichever belief you hold in these six core areas of worldview, it affects your perceptions, attitudes, and behavior.

If someone views the nature of the universe as consisting of only physical matter and energy, then that person's understanding of the meaning of life and how we should live will likely be far different from someone whose perception of the universe includes a spiritual realm where life continues after death and goodness is rewarded.

While it is true that all people have their own values and beliefs that have been shaped by culture, education, experiences, and relationships, it is also valuable to speak of foundational beliefs that many people hold in common. For the sake of this course, we will focus on three basic worldview families.

What Are the Three Basic Worldview Families?

Though there are many different worldviews, for the purpose of this course they have been simplified into three basic worldview families. There are many variations within these families.

Atheism

Atheism is the worldview of those who believe that only matter and energy, as well as natural cause and effect, exist. This view believes in no God or spiritual realm. The cosmos consists of only the natural or physical realm. Other names often associated with this worldview family are materialism, naturalism, and secular humanism. Many whose worldview values and behavior are aligned with atheism prefer to be considered agnostics. These are uncertain of the existence of God, skeptical for the most part, yet

open to the possibility.

Pantheism

Pantheism is the worldview of spiritualism, the belief that "all is God" as the word implies. Pantheists believe in a spiritual realm, but not in a relational God who has revealed himself to humanity and is actively involved in the lives of those who believe in him. This worldview family consists of the Eastern religions of Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as the more eclectic Western belief known as New Age. Pantheists typically embrace an impersonal oneness of which all humans may become a part, becoming godlike themselves as they reach higher levels of spirituality.

Theism

Theism, or monotheism, is the worldview of the three major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Though these three have huge differences rendering them incompatible with each other, they do nonetheless have some similarities. Theists all believe in a single, personal, and relational God who is the creator and sustainer of all that exists. They all, likewise, believe that truth and morality are absolute and objective. They also believe that humans have an immaterial soul that lives beyond death in an afterlife. The focus of this course is Christianity, so the course will be comparing these three worldviews: Atheism, Pantheism, and the Christian worldview.

Another common worldview name, deism, is somewhat of an enigma—having a basic belief in God, but a God who is not active in the universe or involved in human life. So although falling under the broad category of theism, deists may effectively live as atheists. Many people have complex worldviews that are a mix of various beliefs from the major worldview families.

How Do We Determine Our Worldview?

In Chapter 2 of The Beginning of Wisdom, you will learn that there are six components that help to determine worldview (Hiles & Smith, 2020). In the assignment for this first topic, you will answer each of these six questions for yourself:

1. What Is Ultimate Reality?

Does reality consist basically of physical matter and energy, as the atheists believe? Is reality an impersonal spiritual energy that dominates the universe and to which all humans must endeavor to attain unity with, as the pantheists assert, or is there a personal and relational, all-powerful, and sovereign God who exists everywhere, but is separate from the physical world he created, as believed by Christians and other theists?

2. What Is the Nature of the Universe?

This is related to the question above, but focuses on what one believes about the world in which we live. Is the universe strictly physical and yet eternal in one form or another? Is it merely an illusion intended as a battleground for us to work toward enlightenment,

or was the universe created by God and consisting of both a physical and a spiritual realm?

3. What Is Human Nature?

Is a human basically a biological machine, just a higher level of animal? Is a human a type of god with powers to reach perfection? Or is a human designed in the image of God with an eternal spirit like his and similar abilities to reason, seeking moral purity, communicating on a high level, created for beauty and love, even for those who cannot love in return? Are humans basically good, or do humans have internal temptations for selfishness that must be overcome? Is death the end of existence, or is there a soul that lives on? Does that soul return in another life, or does it return to God and await judgment?

4. What Is Nature of Knowledge?

This question is not focused on how a person learns nor the importance of knowledge, but on the big questions of life: What is truth? Is truth absolute and objective, or is truth relative and subjective? People learn from study, the influence of people, and life experiences. Can people also learn through spiritual means? Can knowledge be acquired by revelation from God like praying for guidance? Should you only trust your senses, or should you explore the spiritual realm and seek knowledge from God?

5. What Is Your Basis of Ethics?

How do you know right from wrong? Is morality learned, or is it designed into our conscience? Is morality an absolute and objective standard that applies to everyone, or is it relative and subjective, influenced by culture and society? Is there a set of moral standards given by God?

6. What Is Human Purpose?

Is human life as you know it merely the result of a cosmic accident, or is there an underlying meaning to history, a purpose toward which time will culminate? Does life have meaning and purpose for individuals, or is it simply whatever one makes it? Did the Creator design his children with a purpose? If so, what might that be?

How Do We Test Our Worldview?

As pointed out in Chapter 1 of The Beginning of Wisdom, everybody forms their worldview on the basis of faith and reason (Waddell & Jibben, 2020, para. 30). So now we must address the first worldview component, "how reasonable or consistent is our worldview?" Are there any contradictions that are apparent? We are going to consider only three basic tests summarized here, but expanded in Chapter 2 of The Beginning of Wisdom (Hiles & Smith, 2020, para. 79–85).

1. The Coherence Test checks the internal consistency of a worldview to see if someone's specific values and beliefs contradict any other beliefs within the worldview.

2. The Correspondence Test examines how well a worldview corresponds to reality. It evaluates evidences and experiences to see if the worldview matches with what one perceives in the real world.

3. The Practical Test evaluates a worldview's livability. Does the worldview bring personal satisfaction? Can one live practically in culture with their worldview? Do real-life situations challenge your beliefs and causes you to reconsider?

Conclusion Understanding worldview is important in understanding oneself and understanding others that

will help with in-class discussions and in professional life. This topic will look further at what

worldview is and the three primary worldview families (atheism, pantheism, and theism). From

there, the six core worldview beliefs (ultimate reality, nature of the universe, nature of

humanity, ethics, nature of knowledge, and human purpose) will be presented. Finally, an

overview of the three worldview tests will be provided. One of the most helpful ways to begin

understanding worldview is to identify and analyze one's own worldview beliefs.

References

Cosgrove, M. P. (2006). Foundations of Christian thought: Faith, learning, and the Christian worldview. Kregel.

D. Diffey & R. Holland (Eds.), The beginning of wisdom: An introduction to Christian thought and life (5th ed.). Grand Canyon University. https://bibliu.com/app/?query=1000000000071#/view/books/1000000000607/

Hiles, J., & Smith, A. F. (2020). Evaluating wisely. In D. Diffey & R. Holland (Eds.), The beginning of wisdom: An introduction to Christian thought and life (5th ed.). Grand Canyon University. https://bibliu.com/app/?query=1000000000071#/view/books/1000000000607/

The Holy Bible, New International Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV- Bible/#booklist (Original work published 2011)

Keller, T. (2012). Every good endeavor: Connecting your work to God's work. Dutton.

Waddell, J., & Jibben, J. (2020). Seeking wisdom. In D. Diffey & R. Holland (Eds.), The beginning of wisdom: An introduction to Christian thought and life (5th ed.). Grand Canyon University. https://bibliu.com/app/?query=1000000000071#/view/books/1000000000607/

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