Introduction to Worldviews

1. Topic 1 • Day 1 • Wed, Sep. 10, 2021
CWV-101 • Christian Worldview

2. What’s your name mean?

3. Stan, Jacqui, & Carrie
Tree of Life Messianic Congregation

4. Thomas Linton, AZ Baptist Children’s Services

5. How to reach me
• Private Message in Halo
• stan.meyer1@my.gcu.edu
• www.remind.com/join/cwv-meyer
• Text @INT-Meyer to 80101

6. Best way!

7. Announcements

8. Office Hours
College of Theology Bldg 19
10 am - 12 (pls text) or
Immediately after class

9. How I Teach
(This aint me)

11. Participation Points
10 points for showing up

12. Quiz Review
Post a review before quiz

13. Slideshare
Slides are posted on Slideshare
each week

14. Workshop Fridays
Time to work on papers
and ask prof for help

15. Late -10%/day
Turn it in early

16. Please Ask !!
Any assignment questions

17. How to get an “A”
• Do everything assignment asks
• Turn it in on time

18. Group Exercise: Topic 2

19. Group Discussion
What are 9 things you should hit in this assignment?
1. Describe and reflect on the biblical account of origins including the basic
characteristics of the Creator and his creation according to the Christian worldview.
2. Explain the significance of the claim that God reveals himself through creation
(generally) and through personal engagement (specially).
3. Explain the implications of being created in the image of God as it relates to human
value, dignity, and flourishing.

20. A Quiet Safe Place

21. Course Overview

22. Textbook
The Beginning of Wisdom
https://theologycommons.org/cwv-e-books/

23. Class Schedule
• 2 weeks/topic
• 1 quiz/topic
• 1 assignment/topic
• 1
fi
nal exam

24. Class Schedule
• DQ Introduce Yourself
• Pre-Test 10 Pts
• Post-Test 10 pts

25. Class Schedule
Sep 6-19 Topic 1: Understanding Worldview Worksheet
Sep 19-Oct 3 Topic 2: Creation (origin) CLC Presentation
Oct 4-17 Topic 3: The Fall (sin) CLC Presentation
Oct 18-31 Topic 4: Jesus CLC Paper
Nov 1-21 Topic 5: Salvation Benchmark Paper
Nov 22-Dec 5 Topic 6: Truth & Ethics Worksheet
Dec 6-19 Topic 7: Finding Your Purpose Worksheet
Final Exam

26. Writing Good Papers
APA formatting
• APA 7th Edition required
• Word Template posted in announcements
• Good Introduction
• Good thesis statement
• Good Conclusion

27. Writing Good Papers
Grammar / spelling
• Run the MS Word spell / grammar checker
• Read it aloud to a roommate or friend (ALOUD)
• Download Grammarly (free version)
• LopesWrite report

28. Writing Good Papers
•Plagiarism

29. Writing Good Papers
Tone
• Academic Tone
• NOT conversational
• NOT literary
• 1st person ok
• 3rd person ok
• 2nd person & 1st person plural NOT okay

30. Writing Good Papers
Your Opinion Counts!
• Tell me what the course material says FIRST
• Tell me what you think AFTER that.

31. Good thesis statement
Topic 2 Assignment
In this paper, I will describe the Biblical account of the origin of
the universe, re
fl
ect on how the account describes the basic
characteristics of god, explain the Biblical claim that God
revealed Himself in Creation, and discuss some implications
for human dignity, value, and purpose.

32. BAD thesis statement
Topic 2 Assignment
In this assignment we will explore the story of creation in the
Bible. We want to think about how it describes God’s character
for us. We should be concerned about how conveys human
value and dignity. The creation story motivates us to care for
our world and its limited resources. For we are connected to
the earth. And if we do not recognize its fragility, our children
will inherit our reckless abuse of the earth!

33. BAD thesis statement
Topic 2 Assignment
This paper will consider the Biblical account of creation. You
should think about the claim that God revealed Himself to you
in all of creation. What do you think about that? You should
ponder its beauty and contemplate how it depicts the
characteristics of the divine being.

34. BAD thesis statement
Topic 2 Assignment
Hey y’all! Creation is so sweet. I
fi
gured I’d write a bit about
how it talks about God, you know, and how you in particular
are here for a reasons. What do you think about that? And you
kinda look like God. At least that’s what I think Dr. Meyer said in
class.

35. BAD thesis statement
Topic 2 Assignment
When the sun sets along the golden horizon, the cool Arizona
breeze begins to lift up its voice. It is then, that our minds begin
to ponder the ancient story of how the many colored facets of
our beautiful world came into existence. It was once upon a
time, many eons ago, in a dark and far off universe there
existed a mighty deity. He was a magni
fi
cent deity, loving, but
lonely. Across the vast expanse of his consciousness came into
existence a single thought!

36. Devotion
Daniel 1:1-4

37. [In 586 BC] Nebuchadnezzar the king of
Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into
his hand, with some of the vessels of the house
of God. And he brought them back to Babylon,
to the house of his god, and placed the vessels
in the treasury of his god.
(Dan 1:1–2 ESV)

38. Then Nebuchadnezzar commanded Ashpenaz,
to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the
royal family and of the nobility, youths without
blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all
w i s d o m , e n d o w e d w i t h k n o w l e d g e ,
understanding learning, and competent to stand
in the king’s palace, and to teach them the
literature and language of the Chaldeans.
(Dan 1:3–4 ESV)

39. Qualifications
Daniel 1:1-4
• Presentable (social skills)
• Skillful with knowledge
• Learned
• Soft skills (decorum)
• Teachable
Nebuchadnezzar

40. Education
Daniel 1:1-4
• Language
• Culture
• Religion of Babylonians
Nebuchadnezzar

41. Topic 1 • Day 2 • Wed, Sep. 10, 2021
CWV-101 • Christian Worldview

42. Describe a unique family tradition, custom or celebration
Describe why your family does it
What does it mean to you?

43. Topic 1: Culture, Identity, & Worldview

44. Why do we have biases?

45. January 6 Insurrection
Portland March

46. “Climate Change is a Hoax!” (Fox News, 2018)

47. “Climate Change is a scienti
fi
c fact!” (CNN, Jennifer Gray, 2018)

48. Why do people look at the same
information and draw different
conclusions?

49. Climate Change COVID Vaccine Jan 6 Riot
In DC

50. Why we have biases
• Con
fi
rmation Bias - we grab what a
ffi
rms our view

51. Why we have biases
• Con
fi
rmation Bias - we grab what a
ffi
rms our view
• Dunn-Kruger E
ff
ect - we think we are experts

52. Why we have biases
• Con
fi
rmation Bias - we grab what a
ffi
rms our view
• Dunn-Kruger E
ff
ect - we think we are experts
• Cognitive Disonance - we can’t fathom new stu
f

53. Why we have biases
• Con
fi
rmation Bias - we grab what a
ffi
rms our view
• Dunn-Kruger E
ff
ect - we think we are experts
• Cognitive Disonance - we can’t fathom new stu
f
• Mis-information - we are fed misinformation

54. Why we have biases
• Con
fi
rmation Bias - we grab what a
ffi
rms our view
• Dunn-Kruger E
ff
ect - we think we are experts
• Cognitive Disonance - we can’t fathom new stu
f
• Mis-information - we are fed misinformation
• Prior Experience - our prior experience informs to us

55. We see the world
through a lens

56. Worldview

57. Culture is Visible
Worldview invisible

58. Culture

59. De
fi
nition of Culture
A society's complex integrated coping mechanism
consisting of learned patterned concepts and
behavior plus their underlying perspectives
(worldview) and resulting artifacts (material culture)
Kraft. (1996). Anthopology for a Christian Witness. Orbis Books. p. 38.

61. Behaviors
Traditions
Religious Practices
Values
Political Beliefs
Religious Beliefs
Worldview
Visible
Invisible

62. Identity

63. Worldview shapes Identity

64. Self-Identity
• Name
• Family
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Race
• Religious Identity

65. De
fi
ning
Worldview

66. Behaviors
Traditions
Religious Practices
Values
Political Beliefs
Religious Beliefs
Worldview
Visible
Invisible

67. What is Worldview
Definition
A commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that
can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions
(assumptions which may be true, partially true, or entirely
false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously,
consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution
of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live
and move and have our being
Sire, James. (2004) Naming the Elephant: Worldview. IVP. 122.

68. What is Worldview
Definition
Worldview is a foundational set of assumptions to which
one commits that serves as a framework for understanding
and interpreting reality and deeply shapes one’s behavior.
(Waddel & Jibben, 2021, “What in the World is Worldview?”)

69. Ways to Describe Worldview

70. 1. Set of assumptions
a. Does the God of the Bible exist?
b. Why are we here?
c. What forces are active in the universe?
d. What is a human?
e. How do I decide “right” from “wrong”?
f. Where is my grandmother after she died?
g. What is the purpose of life?
(Waddel & Jibben, 2021, “Set of Assumptions”)

71. 2. Set of commitments
a. What’s my responsibility to my family and my community?
b. What is my responsibility to religious views?
c. What is my priorities at work?
d. What traditions or practices should I maintain? Why?
(Waddel & Jibben, 2021, “Commitments”)

72. 3. Framework for understanding & interpreting
a. Why do good & bad things happen to me?
b. How do I explain inexplicable stuff?
c. Why do people hurt other people?
d. Why does this person love me?
(Waddel & Jibben, 2021, “Framework for Understanding & Interpreting”)

73. 4. Meta-Narrative - the Overarching story
a. How did I get here?
b. What is the prequel to my existence?
c. Where am I located in this story?
(Waddel & Jibben, 2021, “Worldview impacts Behavior”)

74. Worldview is described as a story
Meta-Narrative

75. What is the meta-narrative?
What are the implications of it?

76. “Mother Knows Best”, Tangled, 2014

77. “Your Welcome!”, Moanna, 2016

78. “The Big Bang Theory”, CBS, 2007

79. When worldviews collide!

80. Competing Worldviews

81. Israel’s Story
• God chose Abraham & his descendants
• God gave them the Law and the Land
• Israel broke the law and got scattered everywhere
• Jews were persecuted and died in the Holocaust
• Jews returned to Israel, their promised land.

82. Palestinian Story
• Palestinians lived in Mid East for 2,000 years
• White Europeans persecuted a group called the Jews
• They sent these Jews to Palestine to colonize it
• These white Europeans displaced the Palestinians and
continue to occupy their land.

83. Components of a Worldview

84. Components of a Worldview
1. Nature of Ultimate Reality
2. Nature of the Universe
3. Nature of Humans
4. Nature of Knoweledge (Truth)
5. Nature of Right Behavior (Ethics)
6. Purpose of Life

85. 1. Nature of Ultimate Reality
a. A personal god or gods,
b. Impersonal God who is distant
c. An impersonal force or universal principle
d. Nothing exists beyond the present space-matter-time-energy continuum.

86. 2. Nature of the Universe
a. Closed System: Only the physical universe that is measurable
b. Open System: Physical world and invisible spiritual world

87. 3. Nature of Humans
a. Humans are merely physical beings who cease to exist at death
b. Humans are spiritual beings who live on after death
c. Humans were created by a divine being
d. Humans evolved from lower forms of life

88. 4. Nature of Knowledge
a. What is truth?
b. Which sources of knowledge, if any, are reliable?
c. What roles do the
fi
ve senses, memory, and introspection play
d. What role does reason play in the acquisition of knowledge?
e. Are faith and reason compatible?
f. Can anyone know truth in an absolute and objective way?

89. 5. Nature of Right & Wrong Behavior (Ethics)
a. Right behavior is determined by society
b. Right behavior is determined scienti
fi
cally (preservation of species)
c. Right behavior is determined by harmony with the universe
d. Right behavior is determined by a divine law giver
e. There is no right behavior!

90. 6. Purpose of Life
a. Why are we here on earth?
b. What should we do with our lives?

91. Postwar Judaism & Christianity
a. Survival of Judaism, transmission of culture
b. SChristinaity: Transform society

92. Components of a Worldview
1. Nature of Ultimate Reality
2. Nature of the Universe
3. Nature of Humans
4. Nature of Knoweledge (Truth)
5. Nature of Right Behavior (Ethics)
6. Purpose of Life