BRIAN NIXON, in an article first published on ASSIST News Service, looks at how Christians can “cultivate” a Biblical worldview…
Think of cultivating a Christian worldview like appreciating a flower. A flower has both metaphysical properties and physical properties. The metaphysical properties of a flower include its being (existence), its beauty, and its becoming (we appreciate it; it is good). In Christian metaphysics these three characteristics are called transcendentals, attributes that transcend any one being. Transcendentals are usually summarised as truth, beauty, and goodness.
Likewise, a flower has physical properties. The physical properties consist of its biology (chemical makeup and morphology), its bouquet (smell), and its branch of plant (angiosperms, part of the Magnoliophyta family).
Think of cultivating a Christian worldview as you would appreciating a flower, says Brian Nixon. PICTURE: Simone Dalmeri/Unsplash
“A Christian worldview is the lens in which one views the world through the glasses of God’s word and world; it is a set of beliefs governed by God’s grace imparted through Christ and His creation. A Christian worldview is how we interpret realty, shape our morals, and support our opinions. Consequently, our worldview influences our actions and thoughts.”
In an analogous sense, a worldview has both metaphysical and physical qualities. Put in Christian terminology, there’s supernatural and natural elements to a worldview. The natural understanding is the framework in which we make sense of our physical environment, the world. The metaphysical aspect of a worldview consists of how we answer the big questions of life: is there meaning and purpose, why is there something rather than nothing, etc., leading to supernatural explanations. Ultimately, both features are rooted in God, particularly understood through his specific revelation (His work through His word) and general revelation (His work in the world).
As an overview of both the metaphysical and physical, the words faith and reason will suffice. The takeaway point in developing a worldview is that you need both faith and reason in order to cultivate a wholistic Christian worldview.
What is faith? According to Winfried Corduan, there are two senses to faith: Faith in: which is saving faith. And faith that: intellectual faith, an assent to truth. Both are needed when nurturing a Christian worldview. We need faith in Jesus Christ, and faith that what God has written in His two books is truth: His word (Bible, salvation) and the world (creation, how things began).
And reason? A working definition of reason can be simplified as: using one’s faculties, particularly the mind and will, in the pursuit of truth. As Winfried Corduan, a US-based professor of philosophy and religion, reminds us: “Whatever is true corresponds to what is the case; and whatever is the case, expressed propositionally, is true. There are not two realms of truth: what is true, and what is really true. Either something is true or it is not”. And reason helps us discover the truth, particularly in the realm of the sciences.
With two basic definitions out of the way, let’s turn back to the larger question at hand: what is a Christian worldview? Biblically speaking, it is faith in Jesus, and a faith that understands that which God has created is true. A Christian worldview is the lens in which one views the world through the glasses of God’s word and world; it is a set of beliefs governed by God’s grace imparted through Christ and His creation. A Christian worldview is how we interpret realty, shape our morals, and support our opinions. Consequently, our worldview influences our actions and thoughts.
Suffice to say; in order to have a Christian worldview, one must be a Christian – faith in. To help unpack this a tad more, I’ll retain the analogy of a flower used above. Helping in our understanding, Romans 10: 9-11 will be employed, honing in on three versus with general principles and practical application.
Faith Like a Flower: Romans 10: 9-11
Believe: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him for the dead, you will be saved.” Cultivating a Christian worldview begins with a confession of Christ. One must believe before you can become. A flower begins with a seed. Faith must be planted in the soil of our soul in order for it to bud into trust, leading to salvation.
• Principle: One must be born again to build on their understanding and cultivate a Christian worldview.
• Practice: Always provide an opportunity for others to receive Christ.
Blossom: “With the heart one believes unto righteousness.” Belief leads to becoming Christ-like, putting on His righteousness, developing His characteristics. After belief we blossom as a child of God, growing into a colorful, beautiful flower for God. What do we put on? The clothing of Christ: Colossians 3.
• Principle: Our faith in Christ produces fruit.
• Practice: Cultivating a Christian worldview begins with the three magisterial virtues: faith, hope, and love—as demonstrated by the example of Christ.
Bible: “For the Scripture says…” In order to cultivate the Christian worldview one must study the Scripture, looking to its truth, discovering the fragrance of Christ within its pages. Think of the process as follows: A flower has been planted, it begins to bud; it then grows, blossoming into a thing of beauty, and when it matures, it puts off a fragrance, a bouquet. Infusing your life with the teaching of the text affords you to be the aroma of Christ to the world (II Corinthians 2:15); because you first know, you then grow, and then you go into the world as Christ’s representative.
• Principle: We must integrate Biblical truths across the spectrum of our life, allowing the text to transform our understanding of God and the world.
• Practice: Bible memorisation, Bible reading, and in-depth Bible study act as an infusion of the Bible in the garden of our soul. The study should follow the process of knowing, growing, and going.
Now that a brief word has been stated concerning faith, let’s now turn towards reason. To do this, a couple of principles will be derived from Psalm 24.
Reason: Psalm 24. A Psalm of David.
In this psalm we can find three principles for developing a Christian worldview, encompassing learning, logic, and language.
Learning: Psalm 24: 1-2: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness”. In the beginning God created everything (Genesis 1). God is the uncaused Cause; He’s the Architect, the Artist, and the Inventor. Because God is the foundation for existence, all things are His in a broad sense; He owns them. Because of this, all things are open for inquiry and learning. When we study, investigate, and discover things about the earth and universe, we are learning about God’s work in the world. This is what Christian education is about: learning about the Foundation (the Lord), the Function (how He created – sciences, etc), and the Forms of creation (the types of concepts, ideas, and structures of though) that arose from God’s creative acts.
• Principle: A Christian worldview involves learning about God’s world in all its facets and functions, from art to science, from politics to the humanities.
• Practice: In developing a Christian worldview, make a connection to God’s work in the world in all subjects through the lens of Biblical understanding, be it a Biblical principle or a theological connection (God created numbers, language, science, etc.).
Logic: Psalm 3-6: Notice the use of questions by David, how he logically deals with statements or premises by the use of critical thinking in the form of question and answers. In the case of Psalm 24, God incorporates spiritual logic: who can come to God’s holy place? Answer: people with clean hands (no involved in sin) and a pure heart.
• Principle: Since God is truth, and any thing that is truly true will not contradict God’s design or person, we must peruse the truth in order to cultivate a Christian worldview. In order to develop a Christian worldview, we must think clearly about the world, both physically (sciences, etc) and metaphysically (Biblical/spiritual).
• Practice: Incorporate techniques in your learning that encourage clear thinking. Subjects like math or basic logic are a good place to start. Norman Geisler’s book Come, Let Us Reason: An Introduction to Logical Thinking is a good premier. For deeper thinking, compare Biblical truth to ethics, looking at the situation with Biblical lenses (war, abortion, etc.). I’d recommend the Geisler’s book on Ethics.
Language: Psalm 24: 7-10: This section may be a little too obvious, but David is using language to make a point. In the case of the text in Psalms 24, statements about the Lord’s glory and strength are stated in clear syntax. Because there are two types of language options: univocity and equivocity, it’s important to stress that that language is meaningful. I have found the best understanding of language’s use is to turn to Thomas Aquinas, whereby one can infer that language has two qualities: an analogy of attribution (makes talk about God possible) and analogy of proportionality (based on a creature/Creator relationship) (I recommend Winfried Corduan’s Handmaid to Theology: An Essay in Philosophical Prolegomena in which some of these ideas derive.). The bottom line is that language is important when developing a Christian worldview.
• Principle: We must learn how to communicate. On a practical level: communication with fellow human beings. On a metaphysical level: communication with God (prayer, Bible study, etc).
• Practice: Take opportunities to talk openly about things of interest to you, ensuring you are clear, concise, and accurate in your descriptions. Learn the basics of good writing and speaking skills. Develop cogent methodologies for defending your faith with clarity and conviction. I’d recommend Veritas Evangelical Seminary‘s apologetics programs as a start.
Here’s the reality: either a Christian will develop a Biblical worldview, or a secular worldview will develop the Christian. Do yourself a favor, one that is pleasing to the Lord: cultivate a Christian worldview and become the flower Christ intends you to be.
Brian Nixon is a writer, musician, artist, and minister. He’s a graduate of California State University, Stanislaus (BA), Veritas Evangelical Seminary (MA), and is a Fellow at Oxford Graduate School (DPhil).
