Theological Term of the Week

worldview
A network of presuppostions … in terms of which all experience is related and interpreted;1 a set of presuppositions (or assumptions) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously) about the basic makeup of our world,”2 and through which we make sense of reality.

• From scripture:
  

  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV)
  

• From Developing a Biblical Worldview by Mark D. Roberts:

  If you are seeking a biblical worldview, begin at the beginning in Genesis, in the first words of the Bible. From Genesis 1-3 we learn the following, all crucial components of a biblical worldview:

  1. There is one transcendent, sovereign, all-powerful God who created all things.

  2. Matter matters, because God created heaven and earth and saw that all things he created are very good.

  3. The image of God as male and female shows us that God is personal (not a thing or an it) and yet transcendent (not exclusively male or exclusively female).

  4. The image of God as male and female shows us that we human beings are: uniquely valuable; essentially male or female; meant to share life together in a complementary relationship as men and women; created for life in community.

  5. What’s really wrong with us is sin, our rejection of God’s rightful rule over our lives, seen in actions that disobey God.

  6. Sin explains what’s wrong in the world. Sin leads to brokenness between humans, between humans and God, and in creation itself.

  7. A biblical worldview does not minimize or deny the reality of pain and evil, but even the bad news of Genesis 3 offers glimmers of hope. God has not abandoned his creation or his people, but seeks us out. Jesus will ultimately crush the head of serpent, eradicating both sin and its consequences.

  Of course everything I’ve just said assumes the truthfulness of the Bible. A biblical worldview, reasonably enough, rests upon the Bible, and is adopted by people who accept the Bible’s authority and spend time learning its truth. Perhaps one of the most distinctive aspects of a biblical worldview in today’s world is the whole idea of absolute truth.

Learn more:

1. Kenneth Samples: What in the World is a Worldview?
2. Ligon Duncan: What in the World is a Worldview?
3. Mark D. Roberts: Developing a Biblical Worldview
4. Matt Slick: What Are Some Elements of a Christian Worldview?
5. Michael Horton: How Your Theology Shapes Your Worldview
6. New Links! Al Mohler: The Christian Worldview As Master Narrative: Creation; Sin and its Consequences; Redemption Accomplished; The End That Is a Beginning.
7. Greg Bahnsen: Introduction to Worldviews (series of 7 YouTube videos): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7.

Related terms:

• apologetics

1 From Introduction to Worldviews, Part 1 by Greg Bahnsen.
2 From The Universe Next Door by James Sire.

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.

Round the Sphere Again: Scripture

Four Things from 2 Peter
Two verses that teach us some important things about scripture (Kevin DeYoung).

Not a She
Have you heard someone say that the Holy Spirit is feminine because the gender of the Hebrew word for spirit is feminine? I have. Bill Mounce (Koinonia) has the explanation for why that’s not a legitimate conclusion. The short version? As a general rule, in both Hebrew and Greek, “gender and meaning of a word are unrelated.”

A Few Ins
Mike Ovey (Oak Hill College) interviews Carl Trueman on inerrancy, the use of the incarnational analogy of the inspiration of scripture, and the importance of  correct interpretation of the Bible.

November of Thanksgiving 30

You can get this button from Lisa of Lisa NotesIt’s the last day of November and the last day of the official daily thanksgiving exercise. I’m thankful for every one of you who participated with me. The full impact of the month of thanksgiving comes from reading what you all are thankful for each day—from a community of thanksgiving, women (and a few men) of all ages and many different life circumstances, coming together to thank the one true God for his many gifts to us.  As I gathered the links together, I would be reminded with each of your posts of something else I needed to thank God for.

I am thankful for your thanksgiving for small things—things that are often overlooked, things that we tend to feel entitled to, but are graciously provided to us by our good God. I am thankful for your thanksgiving for spiritual blessings, which are, of course, the greatest gifts we have. I am especially thankful for the examples of those who maintained daily thanksgiving in trying circumstances. I thank God for each one of you and for each one of your posts.

We have so many good gifts from our gracious God, don’t we?

Others thanking God today:

• Diane is thankful for our month of thanksgiving, too.
• Becky is thankful for undeserving grace.
• Kim (The Upward Call) is thankful for a month of thanksgiving.
• Lisa is thankful for fellowship.
• Victoria is thankful for the benefits of this month of thanksgiving.
• Rosemary is thankful that the Word became flesh.
• Trisha writes, “How kind God is to us to daily load us with endless blessings, too many to ever fully name.”
• Dorothy is thankful for snow flurries.
• Julana is thankful that she’s not a teenager. (Me, too.)

Update 8pm PST:

• Persis is thankful that she is going to see her family.
• Joan is thankful for the Christmas season.
• Lindsay lists some of the things she’s been most thankful for during the month.
• Staci is thankful for quiet days at home.
• Kim (Hiraeth) is thankful for this past month.
• Aadel is thankful for recipes and healthy food for her family.
• Elle is thankful for a long walk outside.
• Jen is thankful for fellowship of the saints.
• Becky is thankful for “God’s patience with me and His superintendence of my sanctification.”

What are you thankful for today?

I’ll be back one more time late this evening to add links to additional posts.

Do you want to participate, too? You’ll find instructions here for the ways both bloggers and nonbloggers can join in the thanksgiving.

If I’ve missed your post or messed up a link, please tell me. If you miss a day or more, you’ll need to send me the link to your next thanksgiving post.