...I. Part One: What is a worldview? A worldview is the way in which we structure our thinking about life, death, science, faith, politics, morals and values. A worldview is a person’s core belief and philosophy of life that is used in decision-making. It can also be considered a lens which one looks at the world through. II. Part Two: What is believed by Biblical/Christian Worldview Christianity is not a movement of ethical prescriptions or philosophical beliefs that mark humanity’s search for God. The core essentials that compose a Christian’s faith are marked by clear distinctions that separate us from the rest of the world. Christians believe that all that exists was created by God and Genesis 1:1 supports this belief. David states in Psalms 139:13-16 that God is our Creator. Psalms 8:5 tells us that God created mankind above the animal. Christians also believe that men and women were created in the image of God according to Genesis 2:15. Christians believe that mankind exists and their purpose is to know God. Christianity is not based upon religion but instead a relationship. Mankind’s purpose is clearly stated in John 17:3 which states our purpose is divinely to know God more intimately and to be in a personal relationship with Him. Deuteronomy 11:13 speaks of the importance of loving God with all our heart and soul. No other system except Christianity speaks of an intimate, personal relationship between the Creator and humans. Christians believe in the fall of man, which...
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...Christian Worldview Felice A. Renfro Oklahoma Wesleyan University Abstract A worldview is the way you look at the world, your perception of how the world works, why things happen the way they do and what is your purpose in the world. A worldview is also referred to as a comprehensive conception of the world from a specific standpoint. A “Christian worldview,” is a comprehensive conception of the world from a Christian standpoint. A worldview is there even if people feel they have one or not. A worldview is the crucial starting point for understanding the world of ideas and cultural expressions, as well as responding to these in a particularly Christian way. Individuals acquire a worldview because of their beliefs of how they see the world and why it works the way it does. Every person has a worldview whether they realize it or not. Christian Worldview A worldview is the way you look at the world, your perception of how the world works, why things happen the way they do and what is your purpose in the world. A person’s worldview is their basis for making daily decisions and is extremely important. A worldview can range from seeing the glass half empty to seeing the glass half full. Every person has a worldview even though they may not realize it. Humans live their lives by worldviews. Deciding on what to wear to work or how to wear your hair is a basis of a worldview. Society puts standards out there that...
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...Worldview is a way of viewing the world which affects how someone understands their life and experiences. For Christians, worldview is formed by one’s faith. Even though some people might not recognize it, everyone has a worldview. It is especially imperative for believers to know their worldview so that they can apply it to their everyday lives. It is important for Christians to develop a worldview in order to be a witness for Christ, defend one’s faith, and discern what is good. Being a witness for Christ is one of a Christians primary purposes. Scriptures say that people were created for God’s glory and to proclaim his praises (1 Chronicles 16:23-25); therefore, a worldview is necessary in order to know exactly what to believe and teach it. A worldview is a person’s ultimate beliefs and assumptions about the universe. In order to be a witness for Christ, believers must follow the basic set of beliefs Christianity teaches. For example: there is a God, God is everything, we were created by God in his image, morality is grounded in Gods character, etc. Without these basic principles there is no basis for what is being taught and what the prophet believes. Jeremiah 1:7-8 says, “But the LORD said to me,’ Do not say I am too young, you must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you, Do not be afraid of them for I am with you and will rescue you declares the LORD.” The Bible teaches that Christians are expected to spread the Lord’s message no matter what...
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...Washington Apologetics 104 week 3 June, 4/2012 What is a worldview? : In my opinion a worldview is one's perception of the world, and how it affects the manner in which he/she responds to the world in which they live. Ken Funk (Kenneth H. Funk II, PhD, and Associate Professor at Oregon State University) in his paper “What is a worldview?” cited the German word Weltanschauug which means “worldview” as… “Seems self-evident: an intellectual perspective on the world or universe.” As well as the 1989 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary defines “Weltanschauug” as …”literally, a perception of the world…” as a particular philosophy of life; a concept of the world held by an individual or a group…” Weltanschauug is also cited in “Weider and Gutierrez’s’ text Consider as a widely accepted term and was first coined by the Prussian philosopher, Immanuel Kant in his Critique of Judgment published in 1790.” It appears that many philosophers will agree that “Worldview” is one’s perception of the world. Everyone has a “worldview” but may not be aware of this view. Conscience or not it dictates how they live or act in the world…Worldview does not necessarily have to do with a perception of the world or the planet but instead it deals with a thought process that is developed from several sources. Our culture, our environment, Parents, teachers, beliefs, and our own reasoning affect our worldview. One can have many worldviews; however the worldview that” most” allow to dictate or the view that...
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...Apologetics APOL 104 D27 Liberty University April 5, 2014 Worldview Assignment I. Part One: What is a worldview? A worldview is an individual person’s view of the world from their very own perspective. An individual’s worldview is based on many factors and some of them can include, how the person was raised, their religion, where they live, and the beliefs of their parents. Worldviews throughout the world are as varied as there are different personalities. II. Part Two: 1. When it comes to the Christian worldview, what is believed about the answer to the question of origin, is in the Bible in the book of Genesis. The Christian worldview about the origin of man is that God created man from the dust on the ground and he breathed life into him, this is according to Genesis 2:7. There is one answer to the question of the origin of man in the worldview of the Christian. There is another part of this question that also addresses the question of the origin of the universe in the Christian worldview. In Genesis 1:1 it is stated simply that God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. In the Christian worldview that in fact means that God simply created the universe out of his thought and with his infinite knowledge and power. The fact that God created the universe out of nothing, lends credence to the “Big Bang” theory in the world of science. Every year scientists, astrophysicists and astronomers...
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...Christian Worldview Worldview Essay Many people go about their lives believing and practicing different religions. These beliefs usually develop through how an individual interprets or perceives reality, also known as a worldview. Everyone may not follow a certain religion or believe in the same God or a God at all, but everyone has a set of views and beliefs about the universe and life in general that they live their life by. Whether it is conscious or subconscious, everyone possesses a worldview. A Christian worldview is a more specific belief system that consists of many aspects. It is a view that mediates from our understanding and experiences of the world and I believe that my worldview generally matches up to that of a Christian worldview, but has its differences. Christians generally believe that God is the center and origin of all things, he is self-defining and he created everyone for a specific purpose. For one, I do believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I am also a follower of the Christian faith. However, I am still young and trying to discover different aspects of myself and how I see and interpret the world. Since I am still experiencing the world and seeing different aspects of it daily, my worldview is constantly changing. What I perceive as my worldview has its similarities and differences from a Christian worldview. For example, there are two views to the development of the universe. One is that the universe was an accident and just happened...
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...of the Christian worldview and reflect on implications for your own worldview. Write a 1,250-1,500-word essay using at least two course resources (textbook, lectures, the Bible) and at least two other sources from the GCU Library to support your points. Remember, the Bible counts as one reference regardless of how many times you use it or how many verses you cite. Begin your paper with an appropriate introduction, including a thesis statement to introduce the purpose of the paper. Organize your paper with the following sections using the seven underlined titles for subheadings. The Christian Worldview: Describe the beliefs of the Christian worldview with regard to the following components corresponding to Topics 2-5. Write at least one paragraph for each component using the underlined title for a subheading. God: What is God like? What are God's characteristics? What is his creation? To explain god and what his characteristics mean to a Christian would be to explain what it means to Christian. God is good, an entity that does not present with evil. God is loving, does not represent hate. God is just, has understanding with reason. These are also three of the attributes that humans should have and possess. This make the Christian god relatable and with achievable expectation. The attributes of god allows for a base of morality for people. With this ability to meet the expectations of god people can achieve a moral world view. This in turn gives Christians the ability...
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...including this one, have continuously addressed controversial topics and discussions amongst society throughout time. Divinity School Address is an essay that many Christians have discussed, using its comparing Emerson's contradictory and harsh accusations and statements to their own Christian worldview. My goal of this essay is to discuss the reasons why I disagree with the claims that Emerson makes about his worldview and his view of religion as they starkly contradict with a Christian's worldview, as I contradict them when in comparison with a Christian’s worldview....
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...Christian World View: Gospel Essentials Our worldview allows us to see into the world at such an angle that it coincides with our beliefs, therefore affecting how we think and live. Whether one falls under an atheistic, pantheistic, or theistic worldview, they are guided in their life choices depending on the beliefs of their worldview. Throughout this paper, I will summarize the elements of a Christian Worldview such as God, Humanity, Jesus, and Restoration; I will then analyze questions one might have about the Christian Worldview, and finally I will reflect on my worldview. God God is our creator; He came before us and created the universe as we know it. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1 NIV). “The origin of the universe began with God, and began with great wisdom.” (“Lecture 2”, 2015) This makes true the statement from Lecture 2 God is a sovereign creator. Along with being sovereign, God possesses many other impressive characteristics. Through the Bible, He is described as a loving God (John 3), a faithful God (Psalms 36), a righteous God (Psalms 145), and a merciful God (Ephesians 2). God can also be described as omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. He is everything and everywhere. This is in part because God is a triune being, three persons in one Godhead; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christians believe that God is profoundly Love. The Father’s love for the Son; then Father and Son both have a mutual...
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...My Worldview Name J.S. & G.B. My Worldview "Grappling with uncertainty- not over the existence of God or the divinity of Jesus but over the fundamental issue of whether he could totally trust what his bible was telling him" (Strobel, Pg 9). I start with this quote because I feel it describes how I feel about my worldview. I feel that I’m Christian, but I am always questioning my religion. Whether or not to believe everything that is told to me. I do believe that God is real and that there is a heaven, but I have this feeling that there is more to it. I believe that I am Christian, because I was raised Christian by my parents. It was the right thing to do, follow my parents’ beliefs. I feel that my worldview is what defines a person and where they stand in life and religion. I believe God is our creator and is our spiritual being. He is the man we pray to; he is the one that created us in his image. I also believe that as a human we will all die at some point, and once we die we would go to heaven. The path to heaven is not easy but with the help of your church and your faith with God we can all get there. I believe that everything that was created in our universe is real and materialist, it was done by God. He made everything real so we could live off the land. I also believe that the nature of it all is real and not an illusion or a dream. I believe all of this is true, because everything I have been taught; has also been backed up with legitimate facts to prove it to be...
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...Being a Christian in the workplace is very hard with an ever present changing society. However, having a Christian worldview is important in any field of study and workplace. In this essay I will seek to show how the belief that mankind is created in the image of God is Foundational to the Christian faith, and explain how this belief affects the way I interact with people within my chosen vocation. To begin, a person who has a Christian worldview perceives the world from a biblical standpoint. George Barna wrote in Think Like Jesus, “That having a Christian worldview means that you think like Jesus and practice your faith in every aspect of your life” (Barna, 2003). This is how we make sense of the world, through a Christian worldview and living this life style. We choose to have a Christian worldview. We choose to live a life like...
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...When you give thought to your perspective and what you believe, what you hold dear, and what you consider truth- you are crediting your worldview. When I think of the term worlview, I think of our individual identities, as well as our perception of what goes on around us. It’s the framework to our thought process and decision-making. Our moral compass, ethics and spiritual affiliation make up our worldview as well. So many things can factor into how we interrupt life events or other people. How we are raised, what’s taught to us in school or at home, or belief systems. All of these impact us on a daily basis. Our decision-making skills often rely heavily on our worldview. When one thinks about theology and faith, in regard to Christianity especially--we understand that our worldview can sometimes be shared with others who believe in the same thing. There are 2.2 billion registered Christians worldwide, nearly a third of the world’s total population (6.9 billion). Lets say that half of the registered Christians are practicing Christians, and for the sake of this point lets assume that half of them try to uphold the teachings and practices of the religion. That would leave 1.1 billion people who in one-way or another share a worldview that is consistent with our own. Christians share several worldviews that are specific to our faith such as Heaven and Hell, God/Jesus/Holy Spirit, for some people knowing that others believe what they do or would approach a situation using a...
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...Personal Worldview Inventory Elizabeth Benni Grand Canyon University: HTL310 Spirituality in Nursing November 1, 2015 Spirituality Spirituality can be defined in many ways. Spirituality is a common human experience that affects each and every one of us. It is looking for something more than what can be found in the physical world. It is a personal relationship a person has with God. Spirituality is usually a concept that was considered when people formed their worldviews. Dualism In the modern Western worldview we can look at dualism as an example. Dualism as the word suggests refers to two parts. In this perspective “good and evil are two independent entities locked in eternal conflict” (Shelly and Miller, 2006). It shows us contrasting concepts paired together: sweet-sour, yin-yang etc. Many medieval scholars interpreted this worldview by saying that the “good” would be heaven and the “evil” was earth. They had put more emphasis onto the supernatural side of the matter. Scientism Another worldview would be scientism which practically disregards all spirituality. In this worldview everything can be explained by empirical science (Shelly, 2006). This completely contradicts with the postmodern worldview which many people argue is our current worldview. In this viewpoint there is “an increasing recognition that science cannot give meaning to life”. The world is what we see and how we describe it to be. ...
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...Please note that this essay is missing citations. i. The term “worldview” is used to describe what one might refer to as an individual’s personal point-of-view in life. The word worldview is derived from the German word “Weltanschauung” which means “world” and “view”. A Worldview is involved in a human’s emotions, outlook, ethics, themes and values. This view is created and used on a daily basis by all human beings, whether perceived, or not. Worldview is used to interpret, to discern, and to plan. One’s worldview does not only affect the large decisions in life, such as college, or marriage, but also even the smallest choices of daily life, and word-use. ii. 1. As might be expected, a Christian Worldview differs largely from the worldview, or point-of-view, of the secular trends. A Christian Worldview believes that all questions to do with man, the universe, and creation are found and answered through the inspired Word of God. The Question of Origin is answered in Naturalism through Genesis, which states “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth”. Naturalists even go further to state that all living creatures, animals and organisms, are created by an ultimate Creator (Genesis 1). This view is in complete contrary to an Evolutionistic belief of humans deriving from animals. 2. The next question to which most people relate is The Question of Identity. The question of what man is, yet again, is answered through the Word of God, as stated in Genesis...
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...Chittum APOL 104 June 6, 2016 Understanding Today’s Worldview Worldview is a term referring to how an individual perceives the world, what they believe to be true and what they do not. Every person on this earth, regardless of their religious affiliations or not, should have a “worldview”. Barna Research Group conducted a nationwide survey in which they were able to conclude that only a rough 4 percent of Americans had a “biblical” worldview. This is both startling and unsettling given the fact that 83 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians. When Barna conducted his survey, he also correlated a person’s worldview with their moral beliefs and actions. The Bible is the most owned book in America yet many Americans only understand a very small percentage of what’s inside, nor do they understand how the Bible correlates to their life and the meaning. The author of Understanding the Times, David Noebel, defined what exactly a worldview is when he said, “It’s any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world and man’s relations to God and the world.” Whether knowingly or unknowingly, every person young and old has a worldview. From the young toddler who believes they are the center of the universe, to the Muslim extremist who believes by dying in the name of Allah will earn them many virgins in their afterlife. As a Christian, our worldview should be that our primary existence on this Earth...
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