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Liberty University
Research Paper
Worldview
Hannah Trump
Religion 104: Christian Life and Biblical Worldview
Professor Thomas Keiser
06 February 2023
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Worldview has been described by many different authors and scholars in many different
ways. However, my favorite and most specific definition that I have encountered is written by
Mikael Stenmark saying that worldview is “the constellation of beliefs, values, and attitudes that
people, whether consciously or unconsciously, hold and which constitute their basic
understanding of (a) who they are, what the world is like, and what their place in it is, (b) what
they should do to live a good and meaningful life, and (c) what they can say, know and rationally
believe about these things” (Stenmark, 2022). Simply, I believe that worldview is a framework of
life meaning that it is an individual’s overall perspective in how they see and interpret the world.
This then affects the majority of our lives and everyday actions.
The Bible is so important when having a biblical worldview because it is what we are
supposed to put our faith in and tell us what is and isn’t. The question of origin can be answered
very simply if you have that strong belief in God and in His Word because the Bible tells us that
everything started with Him. God made the heavens and the earth as well as everything around it
(The Bible, New International Version, Exodus 20:11). His Word also says that he is responsible
for creating not only the heavens and the earth, but humanity in his own image (Genesis 1:27).
Christians are able to answer questions of identity through Christ and faith. In this
biblical worldview, we are the children of God and therefore see ourselves as brothers and sisters
in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:26-27). When you become a follower or believer, you set yourself
apart from the normal. You lose your identity of the world and embrace a new life in Christ
surrounded by others. We find our identity in God because he has called us, not animals or
plants, chosen and “his special possession” (1 Peter 2:9).
A biblical worldview puts our life and purpose into perspective because it gives us
specific instructions. The Bible tells us that God created all things for His pleasure and it is our
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doctrine that we live according to His will and purpose (Revelation 4:11). This means loving
God and choosing to put Him first. We look at the world as what we can do for God instead of
what we can do for ourselves. By having this servant mindset, we strive to accomplish living a
life like Jesus did and live in line with his principles (1 John 2:6). I like how Lauren M. Young
put it when talking about Christian worldview meaning “ manifesting the qualities or spirit of
Jesus, especially in showing concern for others” (Young, 2022).
The question of morality is a huge part of God’s Word as sin and the Christian lifestyle is
brought up over and over again. Christian morals are mainly expressed through the Ten
Commandments, but the significance between good and evil is addressed many times throughout
the Bible. God wants us to have free will over our lives, but He does provide moral guidance of
goodness and faith. We look to God as our standard for good because God is sovereign and has a
perfect will (Romans 12:2) which is our basis for life’s moral standards. God’s most talked about
and important command is loving other people (Mark 12:29-31). Biblical morality is built upon
and sourced in God’s love.
Destiny is not a question unanswered within the Christian worldview. Christians have a
clear understanding of what happens when we pass away. Having the Christian worldview means
knowing that those who believe in Jesus Christ and have accepted Him won’t die but have
eternal life in Heaven with him (John :16). People who do not believe and choose to live outside
of His purpose are destined for hell (Revelation 21:8). Christians are able to be affirmed in their
destiny and where their soul will go after death.
Biblical worldview affects our everyday choices and lifestyles. It influences us more than
anything. For example, people are going to treat you badly even people who are close to you..
That is unavoidable in this life. Having a Christian worldview would influence you to have
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compassion and actually pray for the people that wrong you or are unkind (Luke 6:28) just as
Christ is gracious to us. He tells us to love everyone and that “Love bears all things” (The Bible,
English Standard Version, 1 Corinthians 13:7). Biblical worldview not only influences how we
act, but how we make decisions. Decisions can be difficult to make when following a Christian
framework, especially when it comes to ethics and being asked to do something unethical. It is so
important to apply the Bible to help decide and do what is ethical. This is why God lays out
principles and virtues that Christians can use so that we aren’t just left with our own
understanding of things (Proverbs 3:5-6).
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Works Cited
Stenmark, Mikael. “Worldview Studies.” Religious Studies, vol. 58, no. 3, 2022, pp. 564–582.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/religious-studies/article/worldview-studies/F34
45C11686C131AA1FC36533944AB45
Young, Lauren M. "Christian Worldview as a Critical Information Literacy Lens: A Synthesis of
the CCCU Commitments and the ACRL Framework." Christian Higher Education
(London, UK), vol. ahead-of-print, no. ahead-of-print, 2022, pp. 1-14.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15363759.2022.2138635
New International Version. The Bible, BibleGateway.com.Accessed 06 Feb. 2023.
https://www.biblegateway.com
English Standard Version. The Bible, BibleGateway.com. Accessed 06 Feb.2023.
https://www.biblegateway.com
