Lecture 18: Biblical Worldview Thinking

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Lecture 18 Biblical Worldview Thinking

• Introduction to Worldview Systems
• Paul R. Shockley
• Our overall objective for biblical worldview
  class is to be able to think and behave like
  Jesus Christ to such an extent that we will not
  be dishonored in anything or by anyone.

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Review from last classPeople almost
invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the
basis of proof but on the basis of what they find
attractive.--Blaise Pascal (17th century
French philosopher)
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Why do you believe what you believe?
SOCIO-LOGICAL REASONS Parents Friends Society
Culture Geography Community Peer Pressure
PSYCHO-LOGICAL REASONS Comfort Peace of
mind Meaning Purpose Hope Identity Feelings
or Intuition
RELIGI-OUS REASONS Scripture Pastor/Priest Guru
Rabbi Imam Church Tradition Mysticism
PHILO-SOPHICAL REASONS Consistency Coherence Co
mpleteness
BIBLICAL TRUTH Accurate Exegesis Biblical, Theo
logical Systematic Coherence
Adapted from James Sire, Why Should Anyone
Believe Anything At All in Telling the Truth,
D.A. Carson, ed.
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Did you know that there are more than 6,000
distinct religions in our world today? Did you
also know that world religions and even
philosophical worldview tend to break down into 5
major categories of assumptions/thoughts/perspecti
ves/values, etc.
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Consider the following worldview
systems1. Philosophical Naturalistic
Worldview2. Philosophical Postmodern
Worldview.3. Religious Pantheistic
Worldviews.4. Religious Polytheism Spiritism
worldviews.5. Theistic Worldview6. Biblical
Christian Worldview
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What do we mean by system? System (from the
Latin, systema Greek s?st?µa sustema) is an
assemblage of entities/objects real or abstract,
comprising a whole with each every
component/element interacting or related to
another one. Any object which has no
relationship with any other element of the system
is not a component of that system.
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Naturalistic Worldview?
VIEW OF GOD ATHEISM There is no
God. AGNOSTICISM There is not enough
information to determine whether God
exists. SECULAR EXISTENTIALISM God does not
exist so humanity must learn to live without Him
(angst). WITHOUT GOD ??????
VIEW OF MAN CHANCE PRODUCT OF EVOLUTION ENTIRELY
MATERIAL-BIOLOGICAL MACHINE . MAN IS FINITE
AND WILL ON DAY BECOME EXTINCT THERE IS NO
AFTERLIFE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SIN
VIEW OF TRUTH TRUTH IS USUALLY UNDERSTOOD AS
SCIENTIFIC PROOF KNOWLEDGE GAINED BY FIVE
SENSES ONLY THAT WHICH CAN BE OBSERVED WITH THE
FIVE SENSES IS ACCEPTED AS REAL
VIEW OF VALUES NO OBJECTIVE PRESCRIPTIVE
VALUESMORALS ARE INDIVIDUAL PREFRENCES,
SOCIOLOGICALLY USEFUL BEHAVIOR. CONSCIENCE MAY
BE AN EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT USUALLY SITUATIONA
L OR CONTRACT MODEL OF ETHICS
VIEW OF REALITY THE MATERIAL UNIVERSE IS ALL
THAT EXISTS REALITY IS ONE DIMENSIONAL NO
SUPER-NATURALISM. EVERYTHING CAN BE EXPLAINED ON
THE BASIS OF PHYSICAL/ CHEMICAL
LAWS/SOCIO-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE
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POSTMODERN WORLDVIEW
VIEW OF GOD PAGANISM NEW AGE SPIRITUALISM
NON-THEISM?????WHY EVEN ASK THE QUESTION?
VIEW OF MAN HUMANS ARE NODES IN
CULTURAL-REALITY THEY ARE PRODUCES OF THEIR
SUBCULTURAL/SOCIAL SETTING COULD BE A PRODUCT
OF EVOLUTION BIASES, SCRIPTED BY SUBCULTURE
VIEW OF TRUTH TRUTHS ARE MENTAL CONSTRUCTS
MEANINGFUL TO INDIVIDUALS/ SUBCULTURAL
PARADIGMS. TRUTH IS REDEFINED AS A PARTICULAR
CONSTRUCT/ NO UNIVERSAL TRUTHS RESIST ALL FORMS
OF CATEGORIZA-TION
VIEW OF VALUES NO OBJECTIVE MORAL
OBJECTIVESANTI-AUTHORITARIAN. VALUES ARE
MENTAL CONSTRUCTS MEANING TO INDIVIDUALS/SUB-CULTU
RAL PARADIGMS PARTICULAR MORALISM TOLERANCE IS
PRIZED VIRTUE
VIEW OF REALITY REALITY IS SOCIALLY
CONSTRUCTED. THE IDEA THAT THERE IS A REALITY
OUT THERE IS A PRODUCT OF GREEK
PHILOSOPHY/ WESTERN THOUGHT. THE IDEA THAT
PEOPLE ARE AUTONOMOUS AND FREE IS A MYTH.
POSTMODERNISTS RESIST ALL FORMS OF
CATEGORIZATIONS, STRUCTURES, LABELS,
DEFINITIONS.
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THE RELIGIOUS WORLDVIEWS OF PANTHEISM
VIEW OF GOD HINDUISM Polytheism. TAOISM Ultim
ate Reality is Impersonal Ying-Yang
Dualism. BUDDHISM Polytheism NEW AGE
BELIEFS.
VIEW OF MAN MAN IS ONE WITH REALITY, THUS MAN IS
SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL INDIVIDUALISM IS AN
ILLUSION AN PERSON WHO BECOMES AWAKENED FROM THE
SLEEP OF IGNORANCE BY DIRECTLY THE TRUE NATURE
OF REALITY IS A BUDDHA.
VIEW OF TRUTH TRUTH IS AN EXPERIENCE OF UNITY
WITHIN ONENESS OF THE UNIVERSE. TRUTH IS
BEYOND ALL RATIONAL DESCRIPTION AWAKENING IS
THROUGH MEDITATION, VARIOUS RELIGIOUS PRACTICES,
ETC.
VIEW OF VALUES BECAUSE ULTIMATELY REALITY IS
IMPERSONAL, THERE IS NO REAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN
GOOD EVIL.INSTEAD, UNENLIGHTENED BEHAVIOR
IS THAT WHICH FAILS TO UNDERSTAND ESSENTIAL UNITY
(IGNORANCE).
VIEW OF REALITY THE MATERIAL UNIVERSE IS ALL
THAT EXISTS BUDDHIST PRACTICE IS TO PUT AN END
TO THE STRESS OF EXISTENCE ONLY THE SPIRITUAL
DIMENSION EXISTS ALL ELSE IS ILLUSION. SPIRITUAL
REALITY IS ETERNAL IMPERSONAL.
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SPIRITISM POLYTHEISM
VIEW OF GOD ANIMISM Primitive beliefs, the
doctrine of spiritual beings. Spirit beings
inhabit ordinary objects, inorganic or
organic. The world is populated by spirit
beings who govern what goes on. POLYTHEISM The
re are many gods that exist both beyond and in
the universe.
VIEW OF MAN MAN IS A CREATION OF THE GODS LIKE
THE REST OF THE CREATURES ON EARTH. OFTEN,
TRIBES OR COMMUNITIES HAVE A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH SOME GODS WHO PROTECT THEM CAN PUNISH THEM
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VIEW OF TRUTH FOR SPIRITISM, TRUTH ABOUT THE
NATURAL WORLD IS TYPICALLY DISCOVERED THROUGH A
SHAMAN FIGURE WHO HAS VISIONS THAT TELL HIM OR
HER WHAT THE GODS AND DEMONS ARE DOING HOW THEY
FEEL. TRUTH CAN BE ARBITRARY.
VIEW OF VALUES FORM OF TABOOS, WHICH ARE THINGS
WHICH IRRITATE OR ANGER VARIOUS SPIRITS. THESE
TABOOS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE IDEA OF GOOD
EVIL BECAUSE IT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO AVOID
IRRITATING EVIL SPIRITS AS IT IS GOOD ONES.
VIEW OF REALITY WORLD IS POPULATED BY BEINGS WHO
GOVERN REALITY. GOD DEMONS ARE THE REAL REASON
BEHIND NATURAL EVENTS. MATERIAL THINGS ARE REAL,
BUT HAVE SPIRITS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM REALITY
CAN BE INTERPRETED SPIRITUALLY.
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MONOTHEISTIC WORLDVIEW
VIEW OF GOD CHRISTIANITY ISLAM JUDAISM AN
INFINITE-PERSONAL GOD EXISTS BOTH BEYOND IN THE
UNIVERSE GOD IS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE,
WORLD, VALUES, LIFE, INCLUDING MAN.
VIEW OF MAN HUMANITY IS THE UNIQUE CREATION OF
GOD PEOPLE ARE PERSONAL, SPIRITUAL,
BIOLOGICAL.MAN IS ETERNALLY JUDGED BY GOD. MAN
IS TYPICALLY VIEWED AS SINFUL, IN NEED OF
REDEMPTION.
VIEW OF TRUTH TRUTH ABOUT GOD IS KNOWN BOTH BY
GENERAL SPECIAL REVELATION REVELATION, USE OF
FIVE SENSES, RATIONAL THOUGHT
(KNOWLEDGE) TYPICALLY, CORRE-SPONDENT / COHERENT
VIEW OF TRUTH.
VIEW OF VALUES MORAL VALUES ARE THE OBJECTIVE
EXPRESSION OF AN ABSOLUTE MORAL BEING TYPICALLY
BELIEVE IN NATURAL, MORAL LAW SPECIAL
REVELATION, A BODY OF TRUTH REVEALED BY GOD FOR
HONORING HIM. TYPICALLY, SOME ABSOLUTE FORM OF
ETHICS.
VIEW OF REALITY REALITY AS IT IS CREATED BY
GOD REALITY IS BOTH MATERIAL SPIRITUAL
MIRACLES CAN AND DO OCCUR. THE UNIVERSE HAS A
BEGINNING WILL HAVE AN END. OFTEN, CLASSICAL
REALISM.
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BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
VIEW OF GOD DOCTRINE OF THEOLOGY
PROPER DOCTRINE OF CREATOR CREATION
DISTINCTION. DOCTRINE OF TRINITY DOCTRINE OF
CHRISTOLOGY DOCTRINE OF PNEUMATOLOGY
VIEW OF MAN DOCTRINE OF ANTHRO-POLOGY DOCTRINE
OF THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN DOCTRINE OF EVIL
SIN DOCTRINE OF SOTERIOLOGY ECCLESIOLOGY/ ISRAEL
OLOGY BIBLICAL JUDGMENTS
VIEW OF TRUTH DOCTRINE OF TRUTH Typically
correspondence coherent models. DOCTRINE OF
PROLEGOMENA BIBLIOLOGY HERMEN-EUTICS BIBLICAL
APPLICATION OF TRUTH SOLA SCRIPTURA
VIEW OF VALUES MORAL VALUES ARE THE OBJECTIVE
TRUTHS SOURCED IN THE GOD OF THE BIBLE NATURAL,
MORAL LAW SCRIPTURE FOR GODLY LIVING.
ABSOLUTE FORM OF ETHICS Qualified absolutism
conflict absolutism graded absolutism. STEWARDSH
IP
VIEW OF REALITY REALITY CREATED BY GOD OF
BIBLE. FIRST PRINCIPLES OF LOGIC REALITY IS
MATERIAL SPIRITUAL MIRACLES CAN DO
OCCUR. ESCHATOLOGY. ANGELOLOGY- DEMONOLOGY- SAT
ANOLOGY.
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One goal of both Systematic Theology Worldview
Thinking is to (1) expose inadequate
justifications for belief (2) provide a solid
basis for validating or invalidating truth claims
in order that we may have (3) a consistent
God-honoring foundation for godly living and
servant-leadership.