Biblical Landmarks

Archive for the ‘Worldview’ Category

If the Roman Empire Collapsed Internally, What Brought About the Demise of Christendom?

The Medieval period in Europe, for all its faults, was a system of low taxes, local self-government, and a period of economic expansion.

This is in contrast to the Roman Empire which it replaced. it is also in stark contrast to those non-European nations that had not embraced Christianity.

We, however, no longer live in the medieval world. Instead, we live at the end of a period that has seen the rise of the nation-state that has effectively replaced localized self-government.

This change to the medieval world could only take place when three steps were completed:

1. The kings/rulers got control of the courts.
2. The kings/rulers got control of taxes (and money)
3. People were willing to abandon loyalty to family and church in favor of the state.

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When you speak of Christian culture, what do you mean? What do you understand by the idea of Christian culture?

There is a tendency by many to think of Christian culture in terms of things: movies, art, music, business, money, economy, property rights, and so forth.

In the past, however, when Christianity did influence the culture, it had an advantage. The key elements of Christianity were constantly a reminder to the people, not just through the implementation of music, art, literature, and law, but through a series of events that spread throughout the calendar year.

I’m referring to the Christian calendar. This created what Robert Webber calls “Christian-year spirituality”. According to Webber,

Through Christian-year spirituality we are enabled to experience the biblical mandate of conforming to Christ. The Christian year orders our formation with Christ incarnate in his ministry, death, burial, resurrection, and coming again through Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost. In Christian-year spirituality we are spiritually formed by recalling and entering into his great saving events (Ancient-Future Time, p. 22).

I know many of you personally on this e-zine list. I know your religious background, and the journey we share to understand our faith.

So when was the last time you had a Christian-year calendar that recalled the major events of God’s saving work through Christ, and participation in that and his future as King of kings, and Lord of lords?

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Ten Commandments and Limited Government

I keep thinking of my time with Buddy and Sandy in Alabama earlier this year. Both attorneys at law, helping people in bankruptcy.

But Alabama is also famous for another lawman, Judge Roy Moore. Now there are not too many people who like getting fired from their job. But Judge Roy Moore of Alabama seems to have accepted his firing with some enthusiasm. And a challenge.

Now the challenge, he says, goes something like this. In his attempts to honor both his Christian convictions and the laws of the state of Alabama, he had placed in the State courthouse the Ten Commandments. Some say he did it sneakily under the cover of darkness, but Judge Moore says the timing was determined by the installers — who were running late. Anyway, that is not a real issue.

One of the real issues is the ability of federal judges to intervene in state affairs. According to some, the whole purpose of a Constitution is to limit the federal government. One only needs to read the wording of the U.S. Constitution and look at the Constitutional debates to see there is strong evidence for this approach to the Constitution and the powers of the federal government.
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What mental image comes to mind when you hear the word “worldview”? It’s a popular word and one that should be used often.

But what does that word “worldview” mean to you?

And what does it mean to your neighbor, especially if that neighbor is not a Christian?

More importantly, how do you even begin to put a worldview together?

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Dreaming the Impossible Dream

There can only be one debate in the construction of a worldview. How do you have a discussion without assuming the implied truths of the Biblical worldview?

Imagine, for a moment – if you can – the idea of evolution. How did language begin? Perhaps it was something like this. The first form of life with vocal chords made a gesture towards an object and grunted something. And his or her mate replied, “Uh?” So the first grunter responded to that by repeating his first grunt, and again received another “Uh?” Oops! Sorry, in order to grunt a reply, there must have been two forms of life with vocal chords. Guess they evolved in pairs. Or, maybe they didn’t evolve. (But that’s another story.)

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Meet the Apostles of Denial

“Everything is just a matter of opinion. You have your opinion. I have my opinion. Truth is whatever you perceive it to be.”

So said a young lady in my home recently. A Christian young lady educated in the best public schools and the best state universities.

And she attends a church that cannot tell her how to tell the difference between truth and error, right and wrong, good and evil.

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The Image of God

A worldview, by definition, is the idea that all areas of life can be viewed from the mountain top of certain principles. In this series, I’ve concentrated on just one of those principles, But I have assumed — or presupposed — another two principles at all times. The reason they are presupposed? They are inescapable concepts; you can not do anything without including them in your assumptions.

Behind our theory of knowledge (epistemology – how do we know things, and how do we know that we know) is an underlying assumption about ourselves, other people, and the world that we comprehend around us.

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How do you destroy speculations and lofty things raised up against God?

Have I made it clear enough? There is only ONE worldview. That is the worldview based on the . . .

I was about to write “Bible” but I stopped myself. Here’s why.

This is the fifth (final?) article in this series “The Making of a Worldview.” And I’ve only quoted one verse of Scripture, and referred to one section of the Bible. Almost everything you need for a worldview is wrapped up in the first three chapters of Genesis. Now there are some important things that come later, but they are not the foundation.

So it is a worldview based on the Old Testament — the Hebrew Bible — that is the only worldview. It is the principles in the Old Testament that allow us to make comments about worldviews, even if we pretend that we have somehow decided our worldview without the Old Testament.

Thus the Old Testament is not true because you or I or someone else says it is. The Old Testament is true because without it we cannot even begin the process. Without it our minds and mouths are locked tight.

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The Signs of a Successful Worldview

Limitations. This is how you can tell a fake worldview.

A worldview has answers to questions. Not vague answers, but very specific answers. Those answers are intimately tied into and connected to the questions and answers that establish the worldview. By that, I mean that the answers flow straight out of your idea about who you are, how you know things, and the moral standards you inherently aspire to. And the answers to these things are directly related to your idea about God. Not just god in general, but specifically the Triune God of the Bible.

Consider this question: How much of its citizens’ money is the government morally entitled to? There are possible answers:

a. As much as it likes
b. No more than 50% (or it might be even no more than 10%)
c. Nothing

Whatever the answer, you need to ask these questions:
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