What Are the Components of a Christian Worldview?
Why Our Nation Desperately Needs Biblical Answers
Let’s start with a sobering fact: Only 4% of American adults have a biblical worldview (Barna Research).[1] That’s a tiny fraction of our population, which means the chances are high that you might be the only exposure to the Bible that someone has in their life. That’s a big responsibility, isn’t it?
How confident are you in explaining the Bible’s answers to life’s most important questions? Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10. For many, the number isn’t as high as it could be, and there’s a reason for that: The Bible is complex and takes time and effort to understand.
Too often, Christians leave biblical understanding to the “experts”—the pastors and elders. While it’s true that our leaders equip us, they aren’t following us around throughout the week. You’re the one in conversations at work, at family gatherings, or even at the grocery store, interacting with people who need the hope of Jesus Christ.
If you want to be ready to share that hope, you need to understand the Bible—what it teaches, what makes it unique, and how it answers life’s biggest questions. This isn’t optional; it’s a ministry that God has given you to carry out with His help.
What Is a Worldview?
A worldview is like a pair of sunglasses: it colors everything you see. It’s also like a well: whenever you have a question about life, you go to your worldview and draw out an answer. You can only draw out what’s already in the well. This is why it’s vital to have a healthy, true worldview.
In his book The Universe Next Door, James W. Sire defines a worldview as:
“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 make-up of the world.”[2]
Jefferey Ventrella offers another helpful definition:
“A network of presuppositions… through which one interprets all human experience.” [3]
In other words, your worldview shapes everything you believe, value, and decide.
Why Does Worldview Matter? The Bible Has a Lot to Say
Romans 12:1–2 tells us to conform our minds to God’s will, not the world’s. We are called to have a thoroughly biblical view of the world. Jesus says in John 17:15–18 that we are to be in the world but not of it, and we are to be set apart by the truth of God’s Word. Matthew 28:19 emphasizes that discipleship means learning to obey everything Jesus commanded. To do this, we need to know what the Bible teaches and how it applies to every area of life.
The Bible Has the Answers, But What Are the Questions?
If we want to faithfully teach what Jesus commands, we need to articulate the biblical worldview clearly. Here’s a comprehensive list of the 11 key questions we need to tackle—and which we will tackle in subsequent articles:
What is really real? (Metaphysics)
What is good? (Ethics/Morality)
What can we know? (Epistemology)
Where do we come from? (Origins)
What is the nature of the unseen realm? (Ontology/Angelology)
What is wrong with the world? (Hamartiology/Problem of Evil)
Where is everything headed? (Eschatology)
What does it mean to be human? (Anthropology)
What is the meaning of male and female? (Sexuality and Gender)
What is the purpose of life? (Teleology)
Who is Jesus? (Christology)
Every Christian should be able to give at least a modest response to each of these questions based on the Bible’s teachings. This series will help you uncover those answers.
How Do We Know the Biblical Worldview Is Correct?
The Bible stands out from all other worldviews because it is:
Reasonable
Accurate
Satisfying
1. The Bible Is Reasonable
The Bible accounts for the preconditions of intelligibility—the things that must be true for us to make sense of the world. Consider the laws of logic (which make contradictions false), the principles of mathematics and uniformity in nature (which make science possible), and the moral laws we all inherently know.
No other worldview explains these conditions as the Bible does. The biblical worldview alone provides a coherent foundation for the laws of logic, science, and morality.
2. The Bible Is Accurate
The Bible accurately describes the world and life like no other sacred text. It:
Diagnoses the human condition with precision—explaining who we are and why we hope for a better life.
Records historical events that are continually corroborated by archaeology.
Contains hundreds of prophecies fulfilled with perfect accuracy.
No other religious or philosophical work has the level of accuracy the Bible does.
3. The Bible Is Satisfying
The story of the Bible is the greatest story ever told. It spans from creation, to fall, to redemption, to the coming consummation of all things. It is a library of 66 books, written by 40 authors over 1,500 years, on three continents, in three languages—yet it contains one unified message: the Gospel.
Most religions say, “Do this and maybe you will live.” The Gospel says, “You cannot do it; God will do it for you because He loves you.” This message has transformed countless lives for thousands of years.
The Bible’s message of redemption is uniquely satisfying, bringing hope and meaning like no other worldview can.
Conclusion: Understanding and Sharing the Bible’s Answers
The Bible has the answers to life’s biggest questions, and those answers are desperately needed today. It’s not enough to rely on pastors and elders to do the heavy lifting. You are called to understand, share, and defend the biblical worldview. This series will help you do just that, equipping you to give answers that are reasonable, accurate, and satisfying, rooted in the truth of God’s Word.
[1] George Barna, Cultural Research Center, Arizona Christian University, “American Worldview Inventory 2023: Release #1: Incidence of Biblical Worldview Shows Significant Change Since the Start of the Pandemic,” accessed 14 September, 2023, at https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CRC_AWVI2023_Release1.pdf.
[2] James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door: A Basic World View Catalog (Intervarsity,1988) 15–16.
[3] Jeffrey Ventrella, “An Introduction to Worldview,” Ezra Institute, 2 November 2018, accessed 14 September, 2023, at https://www.ezrainstitute.com/resource-library/lectures/an-introduction-to-worldview.
Disclaimer:
This article was generated by AI and is based on lessons written by Joel Settecase for a forthcoming Biblical Worldview curriculum. While the content has been adapted for clarity and accessibility, the original teachings and insights reflect the author's intent to provide a biblical perspective on key issues related to faith and worldview.