Recommend the article explaining the worldview of Naturalism and Scientism.
We all have an opinion, conviction or belief about life. Philosophers are fascinated by why things are the way they are, whereas scientists concentrate more on what it is that makes things the way they are. Few of us have a comprehensive philosophical view of life we have thought through, and perhaps even fewer of us have given thorough thought as to what a theistic outlook of life entails. Nevertheless, we all have an opinion or a point of view, even if it is not based on profound philosophy or theology. This is called a ‘worldview’.
What is meant by a ‘worldview’? It is a term that it is almost impossible to define concisely. James W. Sire’s book, The Universe Next Door, discusses the nine most important worldviews. A worldview is a foundation of faith that determines how we think about the world, our mission and our future here. A worldview is more than an outlook on life that revolves basically around religious belief. We all have a worldview, but we may not have a conscious view of reality upon which we have reflected. A worldview is the set of opinions we have about our reality. We could also say that our worldview is the lens, pair of spectacles, through which we see the whole of our reality. It may often be the case that we have not thought through why we think what we think. Religious and philosophical ideas are only part of a worldview. A worldview also encompasses our view of politics, economics, working life, business, family, morality, ethics, science. In short: our total reality.
Nancy Pearcey puts it this way: ‘Each of us has a model of the universe inside our heads that tells us what the world looks like and how we’re going to live in it. We all try to have an opinion with our lives. Some convictions are deliberate, others more unconscious, but together they form a uniform view of reality’ . A worldview is a complex composite set of principles, preconceptions, beliefs, opinions and values person hold, which shapes how they perceive reality, and determines how they will act. It concerns the fundamental convictions a person holds, upon which they base their choices and thus, their life. A worldview is therefore a kind of commitment which influences our heart, mind, and soul. If a person has a true understanding of what a Theistic worldview includes, then they will be very resilient to being influenced by secular thoughts.
A worldview has four important components. The first relates to our view of creation: Where do we come from, does God exist, what constitutes the basis of our values, what forms the basis of authority? The second relates to morality and ethics: What is the basis for assessing whether something is right or wrong, how do I distinguish between good and evil, what is wrong with our world? The third is about knowledge: Can we know what is true? The fourth component is about destiny and purpose: Does life have any meaning, is death the end of it all, can I do something to make the world a better place? A Christian Theistic worldview has God as the basis for all four components.
The usual way to evaluate a worldview is as follows:
- Is it coherent? In other words, is it logical, and does it hold together?
- Does it correspond to reality?
- Does it work in practice? What conclusions does it lead to?
For further reading about worldviews we recommend the following book
James W. Sire
