Wednesday, May 30, 2007
How do you View the World?
Understanding the world we live in is central to our spiritual and leadership development. For this reason, David A. Noebel wrote Understanding the Times, discussing the four most prominent worldviews of the western world: secular humanism, Marxism/Leninism, cosmic humanism, and Christianity. Noebel wrote this study of worldview because he believed “too many Christian young people are ill-prepared to lead” (Noebel, 10). Worldviews affect nearly every aspect of our lives and we are surrounded daily by these different views. Through the media and in the classroom, worldviews are implanted into us, and too often we readily accept as fact the views of others.
Noebel defines a worldview as “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” (Noebel, 2). Furthermore, Noebel states that a worldview ought to have a definite perspective on theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history. In Understanding the Times, Noebel studies the ideas of the afore mentioned worldviews on these ten topics.
By definition, a worldview is religious. Even one that has declared to be atheistic has been a theological statement that is central to their view (that there is no God). Christianity is both a worldview and a religion, and is therefore strictly kept away from our schools and public assemblies. Yet why is it that other worldviews, such as secular humanism, daily inhabit and influence our schools?
Noebel explores these ideas in Understanding the Times in hopes of educating better prepared, young, Christian leaders. As he describes the specific perspectives of each worldview, their influence on our world becomes more and more evident. The first step in a making a difference is awareness. As we are more aware of the impact of worldviews around us and in our society, we begin to have a better understanding of our role as Christian witnesses and leaders in the time that we live.
Noebel, David A. Understanding the Times. Colorado: Association of Christian Schools International and Summit Ministries, 1995.