Why Think “Worldviewishly?” (Part 2)

In part 1 I gave these 2 definitions of worldview:

A worldview is a spoken (or unspoken), consistent (or less consistent), often assumed, though rarely articulated, comprehensive vision of life.

and,

A worldview is a network of guiding assumptions regarding the nature of reality (i.e. metaphysics), knowledge and truth (i.e epistemology), what we should value (i.e. value theory) and how we should live our lives (i.e. ethics).

First, please notice that given these definitions, absolutely everybody has a worldview. And, more importantly, Christians should develop their worldview. Since everyone thinks “worldviewishly,” the least we can do as Christians is to do it well. Likewise, Christians should strive to be more self-conscious about their worldview development. Too often- and I’m the first to admit this about myself- we passively soak up bits-and- pieces of the worldview of the surrounding culture. For an American such as myself, this means an impatient, I-want-it-right-now attitude, and a love/hate relationship with the leading idol of the western world, consumerism.

Second, note also that often times our worldview’s aren’t fully known, even to us. Rarely do people think through, or even think in terms of, a self-consciously held worldview. So just because a person may deny that they have a worldview doesn’t mean they don’t. It means they haven’t consciously thought about it. Yet, an interesting aspect of worldview development is that when one spends time trying to develop a consistent outlook on the world eventually they live it out without trying. It’s kind of like playing a piano or riding a bike. At first, it’s similar to flexing a muscle, you can’t concentrate too long because it feels unnatural, since you need to be aware of so many things all at once. Yet, with time, thinking in terms of a worldview (whether it’s Christian or not) becomes natural, and unconscious. Why? Because now, this line of thinking is second nature to us, we inhabit “the system,” indeed it becomes an extension of who we are.

To say that Christians should consciously seek to develop their worldview is merely another way to say that we should aim to think Christianly. And that means becoming increasingly familiar with our Bibles. It’s also a call to spiritual reformation. Thinking in scriptural categories is an aspect of the Holy Spirit’s renewing work, i.e. it’s part of out sanctification (cf. Rom. 12:1-2).