Introduction to Christian Worldview

In recent times, seeing Christianity as a worldview, rather than a set of isolated doctrines, has been one of the most significant developments in Christian theology. The concept of ‘worldview’ has become a vital framework for not only understanding our own personal belief systems but also broader cultural ideologies.

Simply put a worldview is an unarticulated set of core beliefs through which a person interprets their purpose in life. It’s a lens, deeply embedded and often unconscious that governs a person’s decision making and personal behaviour.

The concept of ‘worldview’ has philosophical roots in the thinking of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and later found theological expression through Scottish theologian James Orr (1844-1913). Orr argued that Christianity should be understood as a comprehensive system for interpreting all reality grounded in the Word of God. Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) reinforced this idea with a strong emphasis on God’s sovereignty over all aspects of life. Kuyper applied worldview thinking to a range of ‘spheres’ including culture, politics, and education. American theologian Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984) would later popularise worldview thinking among evangelicals, presenting Christianity as a system that answers life’s biggest questions, not just personal salvation.

By mastering the Christian worldview, students can then discern and critique other worldview and ideologies. The course proposes a practical method to analyse and contrast worldviews using seven foundational questions:

1. Who/What is God? (Ultimate Reality)

2. What is our authority? (Epistemology)

3. How did we get here? (Creation/Origins)

4. What does it mean to be human? (Ontology)

5. What has gone wrong? (Sin)

6. What is the solution? (Soteriology)

7. What does the future hold? (Eschatology)