Christian Worldview (Non-Honors) Final Review
Define Worldview
"A worldview is 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 foundations on which we live and more and have our being."
What word or sound represents ultimate reality, the One, or the Void?
"Ohm"
Define, compare, and contrast Atheistic Existentialism
Atheistic Existentialism: Emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in an indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts. Atheistic Existentialism develops in the mid-20 th century as an answer to Nihilism. That is, thinkers, such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Martin Heidegger, found that a life of Nihilism is not tenable and sought to transcend the emptiness.
According to the Deist what is knowledge of God mediated through?
Creation
In your own words explain the movement of western worldviews from Christian Theism to Existentialism.
Deism rejects revelation and God's action in the world, Naturalism rejects God, Nihilism rejects meaning, and Existentialism tries to manufacture meaning in the subjective.
Who is generally seen as the primary proponent of Nihilism?
Friedrich Nietzche
Define Creation ex nihilo
God created the world out of nothing
Why might an Eastern Pantheistic Monist claim there is ultimately no good or evil?
Good and evil are one
According to the Eastern Pantheistic Monist, what must one do to achieve enlightenment about the nature of reality?
Meditation
Define, compare, and contrast Popular Deism
Popular Deism i. Ranges from a vague abstract force that accounts for the universe to moralistic therapeutic deism. ii. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Teenagers, Smith and Denton) 1. A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life. This is a "warm" version of deism. 2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other. 3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. 4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem. 5. Good people go to heaven when they die. 6. N.B., This God seems to make no demands on his creation. God is "one big smiley face".
Define, compare, and contrast Philosophical Deism
Sophisticated Philosophical Deism i. There is a cause of being, reason, and morality. These flow from philosophical arguments for the existence of God, such as, cosmological, teleological, axiological, and aesthetic arguments. ii. This may be a "cold deism", but typically is of a warmer variety. iii. Proponents: Anthony Flew and Vaclav Havel
Define, compare, and contrast Scientific Deism
Sophisticated Scientific Deism i. There is a higher power at work in or behind the universe. ii. This higher power accounts for how reason can be maintained in a created world. iii. This is typically a type of "cold" deism. iv. Possible proponents: Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein
Why might it be difficult to rationally affirm the existence of free will according to a Naturalist?
The mind is reducible to the chemical reactions of the brain. There is no category for a mind that is not reducible to matter.
Define, compare, and contrast Theistic Existentialism
Theistic Existentialism: Emphasizes the subjective, personal human experience with God and offers meaning to a life full of contradictions (paradox is something that theistic existentialist lives with and often embraces). Soren Kierkegaard develops Theistic Existentialism in the mid-19 th century as a response to the "dead orthodoxy" of Danish Lutheranism. Later German theologians, such as Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, and Reinhold Niebuhr, advocated a view that incorporated Theistic Existentialism called Neo-Orthodoxy.
Why is it self-defeating to say that "one should only believe something if science shows it to be true"?
This statement is and cannot be proved by science
Name one proponent for each of the following: Atheistic Existentialism and Theistic Existentialism.
a. AE: Albert Camus or Jean-Paul Sartre b. TE: Soren Kierkegaard
What personal commitments are consistent with the nine major worldviews?
a. Christian Theism: Christian theists live to seek first the kingdom of God, that is, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever b. Deism: Cold deists use their own autonomous reason to determine their goal in life; warm deists may reflect on the commitment to a somewhat personal God and determine their goal in accordance with what they believe their God would be pleased with. Since there is no set orthodoxy each deist would be free to determine their own personal commitments. c. Naturalism: Naturalism itself implies no particular core commitment on the part of any given naturalist. Rather core commitments are adopted unwittingly or chosen by individuals. Each person is free to choose what they will commit their life to. There is no calling or requirement for anyone; hence, one may dedicate themselves to what they choose or what they simply desire. d. Nihilism: One is at the mercy of the universe. Personal commitments are without any real significance. e. Existentialism: None f. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: Core commitments among individual Eastern pantheistic monists may vary widely, but one consistent commitment is, by the elimination of desire, to achieve salvation, that is, to realize one's union with the One (Hinduism) or the Void, pure consciousness (Buddhism). g. New Age: New Agers are committed to realizing their own individual unity with the cosmos, creating and recreating it in their own image. h. Postmodernism: Postmodernists, in short are committed to an endless stream of shifting. i. Islam: Basic beliefs and practices are the same. Worship Allah. Any person that memorizes the entire Qur'an is given the title hafiz.
How does man know right from wrong according to the nine major worldviews?
a. Christian Theism: Ethics is transcendent and is based on the character of God as good (holy and loving). b. Deism: Right and wrong is built into human nature. c. Naturalism: Ethics is only related to human reason d. Nihilism: Cannot be known or Naturalism's answer e. Existentialism: See Naturalism or Nihilism f. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: To realize one's oneness with the cosmos is to pass beyond good and evil; the cosmos is perfect at every moment g. New Age: The core experience of the New Age is cosmic consciousness, in which ordinary categories of space, time, and morality tend to disappear. Reality is knowable because you are primarily it's author. h. Postmodernism: Ethics, like knowledge, is a linguistic construct. Social good is whatever society makes it to be. i. Islam: I can't find this one
What is the nature of external reality according to nine major worldviews?
a. Christian Theism: External reality is the cosmos God created ex nihilo to operate with a uniformity of cause and effect in an open system b. Deism: The universe is ordered because of the ordered mind of the creator. Closed system. c. Naturalism: The cosmos exists as a uniformity of cause and effect in a closed system. d. Nihilism: Cannot be known or Naturalism's answer e. Existentialism: The cosmos is composed solely of matter, but to humans beings reality appears in two forms - subjective and objective. f. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: To realize one's oneness with the cosmos is to pass beyond good and evil; the cosmos is perfect at every moment. Some things are more than other. g. New Age: The cosmos, while unified in the self, is manifested in two more dimensions: the visible universe, accessible through ordinary consciousness, and the invisible universe (or Mind at Large), accessible through altered states of consciousness. h. Postmodernism: Postmodernism abandons the quest for reality or how we know reality for a language game by which we construct meaning and reality (the philosophical study of language). i. Islam: Muslims believe that the Torah and the Bible, like the Qur'an, are the word of God
According to nine major worldviews what happens to a person at death?
a. Christian Theism: For each person death is either the gate to life with God and his people or the gate to eternal separation from the only thing that will ultimately fulfill human aspirations b. Deism: Human beings may or may not have life beyond their physical existence. c. Naturalism: Death is extinction of personality and individuality. d. Nihilism: Cannot be known or Naturalism's answer e. Existentialism: See Naturalism or Nihilism f. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: Death is the end of individual, personal existence, but it changes nothing essential in an individual nature g. New Age: Physical death is not the end of self; under the experience of cosmic consciousness, the fear of death is removed h. Postmodernism: I can't find this one, so if anyone knows it let me know :) They probably believe similar to what New Age believes. i. Islam: I can't find this one either
What is the purpose of History according to the nine major worldviews?
a. Christian Theism: History is linear, a meaningful sequence of events leading to the fulfillment of God's purposes for humanity b. Deism: The universe, being a grand designed machine, has been created with a purpose by God. This is, the universe is going somewhere. However, this purpose or end does not center on humanity. Individuals, or even whole people groups, are unimportant to God. c. Naturalism: History is a linear stream of events linked by cause and effect but without an overarching purpose. d. Nihilism: None e. Existentialism: See Naturalism or Nihilism f. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: To realize one's oneness with the One is to pass beyond time. Time is unreal. History is cyclical. g. New Age: History as a record of events that actually occurred in the past is of little interest, but cosmic history which ends with the edification of humanity, especially the individual human self, is seen as a great vision and a great hope. h. Postmodernism: "Postmodernism is in flux, as is postmodernism's take o the significance of human history. This means that the core commitments of many postmodernists are in flux as well. i. Islam: I can't find this one
What is a human being according to the nine major worldviews?
a. Christian Theism: Human beings are created in the image of God and thus possess personality, self-transcendence, intelligence, morality, gregariousness, and creativity. b. Deism: Humans are personal, but have no relation to God. Therefore, they have no way to transcend the grand machine. Free will may be illusory. c. Naturalism: Human beings are complex "machines"; personality is an interrelation of chemical and physical properties we do not yet fully understand. d. Nihilism: Cannot be known or Naturalism's answer e. Existentialism: Human beings are complex "machines"; personality is an interrelation of chemical and physical properties we do not yet fully understand. For human beings alone existence precedes essence; people make themselves who they are. f. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: To realize one's oneness with the cosmos is to pass beyond personality. You are one and impersonal. g. New Age: The self is elevated over the whole of the universe. It is a reversal of the Eastern Pantheistic Monist worldview to the point that Brahman can be said to be Atman. Man becomes God. h. Postmodernism: There is no substantial self. Human beings make themselves who they are by the languages they construct about themselves. i. Islam: Humans are made to enjoy the world.
How does one know anything about reality according to the nine major worldviews? (Why is it possible to know anything at all?)
a. Christian Theism: Human beings can know both the world around them and God himself because God has built into them the capacity to do so and because he takes an active role in communicating with them b. Deism: Human reason is autonomous in the sense that it is sufficient to arrive at the truth of the external world and of prime reality. That is, one can know and understand the world around them and, perhaps to a lesser extent, the nature of God. c. Naturalism: Through our innate and autonomous human reason, including the methods of science, we can know the universe. The cosmos, including this world, is understood to be in its normal state. d. Nihilism: It is not possible or Naturalism's answer e. Existentialism: See Naturalism or Nihilism f. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: To realize one's oneness with the cosmos is to pass beyond knowledge. The principle of noncontradiction does not apply where ultimate reality is concerned. g. New Age: Human beings can be understand reality because in a state of God-consciousness they directly perceive it. Nonetheless, when New Age teachers present this view to others, the often cite the authority of ancient scriptures and other religious teachers. h. Postmodernism: All narratives mask a play for power. Anyone narrative used as a metanarrative is oppressive. i. Islam: I can't find this one
What is prime reality according to the nine major worldviews?
a. Christian Theism: Prime reality is the infinite, personal God revealed in the Holy Scriptures. This God is triune transcendent and immanent, omniscient, sovereign, and good b. Deism: Many of the attributes of the deist God are identical or similar to the Christian theist view of God. For example, both would affirm that God is supremely powerful and intelligent. However, they will differ in that the deistic God is intimately concerned with the life of any individual. c. Naturalism: Prime reality is matter. Matter exists eternally and is all there is. God does not exist. d. Nihilism: Cannot be known or Naturalism's answer e. Existentialism: See Naturalism or Nihilism f. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: Atman is Brahman; that is, the soul of each and every human being is the Soul of the cosmos (ultimate reality) g. New Age: Whatever the nature of being (idea or matter, energy or particle), the self is the kingpin, the prime reality. As human beings grow in their awareness and grasp of this fact, the human race is on the verge of a radical change in human nature; even now we see harbingers of transformed humanity and prototypes of the New Age. h. Postmodernism: The first question postmodernism addresses is not what is there or how we know what is there but how language functions to construct meaning. In other words, there has been a shift in "first things" from being to knowing to constructing meaning. i. Islam: One God ("Allah"). He is great and merciful. Not to be worshipped or represented as idols.
List and define the nine worldviews covered in this class
a. Christian Theism: The triune personal God of the Bible exists; He has revealed Himself to man and He can be known; the universe is His creation; humans are His special creation and are made in His image. b.Deism: There is a God who exists, but this God is not concerned with the world. It should be noted that Deism is not a formalized school of thought, but a loose collection of related views in relation to God and the world. c. Naturalism: Reality is exhausted by nature, containing nothing "supernatural". The scientific method should be used to investigate all areas of reality, including the "human spirit" d. Nihilism: The position that because of the lack of anything other than the material universe, there is no real meaning of any sort. As a whole it is a denial of meaning, knowledge, or anything being of real value. e. Existentialism: Emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in an indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts. f. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: All reality is impersonal, divine, and one; there is no real difference between the cosmos and each person. g. New Age: an eclectic worldview that mixes elements from many different worldviews. In particular, it emphasizes elements of Eastern Pantheism, ancient animism, and naturalism, but centers around the awakening the new consciousness of each person and of humanity in general. h. Postmodernism: A movement or group of movements that takes place after or as a result of modernism. It is generally characterized as relativistic, anti-ideological, and a distrust of anything approaching a metanarrative. i. Islam: The Islamic worldview is grounded in Allah (God). Muslims are strictly monotheistic. They believe in the God of Abraham. They also believe that God is one, and not triune like the Christian faith believes. Muslims believe in all of the prophets and their stories. However, they believe that the Torah and Bible have been corrupted by Jews and Christians. Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times before through prophets including Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. As for the Qur'an, Muslims consider it to be the unaltered and final revolution of God.
In what art movements might one see Nihilistic ideas displayed?
a. Dada b. Neo-Dada c. Absurdism
Compare and contrast the Eastern Pantheistic Monist worldview with the New Age worldview.
a. Eastern Pantheistic Monism: All reality is impersonal, divine, and one; there is no real difference between the cosmos and each person. b. New Age: An eclectic worldview that mixes elements from many different worldviews. In particular, it emphasizes elements of Eastern Pantheism, ancient animism, and naturalism, but centers around the awakening the new consciousness of each person and of humanity in general.
Which religions did the Eastern Pantheistic Worldview primarily arise from?
a. Hinduism b. Buddhism
Define Secular Humanism and Marxism. Which worldview do they express?
a. Secular Humanism: A form of humanism (the belief that human beings - as a whole and as individuals - and their aspirations are of great importance) that is framed within a purely naturalistic framework. i. Secular Humanism is clearly expressed in the Humanist Manifesto II. b. Marxism: A set of belief systems that flow out of the thought of Karl Marx. These belief systems hold to the supremacy of humanity, the general denial of anything spiritual, and focuses on economic factors that will benefit the working class. i. Marxism is opposed to capitalism and views economic disparity as a root of all human conflict. ii. As the old systems are dialectically broke down, the new socialist systems will give rise to a united humanity. c. Naturalism
Who introduced Eastern Pantheistic Worldview to the West at the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893?
a. Swami Vivekananda
Briefly give the history of the Christian Worldview
a. The Christian worldview is rooted in Judaism. b. It arose with the rise of Christianity and spans various denominations and theological groups. c. It is based on the Bible and the teachings of the Church. d. It grew in prominence to become the primary worldview of Europe and the Americas. e. It is declining throughout the west.
Explain the statement that comes from the Hindu Upanishads "Atman is Brahman".
i. "Atman is Brahman" is a phrase from the Hindu Upinishads. Unlike the view that there is a firm line between God and His creation, the Patheistic monist believes that a the universe, and each individual, is God.
In your own words explain how C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton explain the existence of hell.
i. As G. K. Chesterton once remarked, "Hell is a monument to human freedom." In other words, if someone doesn't want God, they will not be forced to be in His presence. ii. "I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain iii. "All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened. And yourself, in a dark hour, may will [a grumbling] mood, embrace it. Ye can repent and come out of it again. But there may come a day when you can do that no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood... " - C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
Explain the progression of creation, fall, redemption, and glorification.
i. Creation: God created man as good and innocent (Gen. 1:31). ii. Fall: Being made in God's image, which entails self-determination, man was able to use freedom to disobey God. Adam and Eve decided to attempt life in autonomy from God. As a result, man has been separated from God, the source of their being. 1. This separation moved us away from our ability to understand and govern ourselves and reality correctly. Our freedom was marred because we can no longer assess the world, ourselves, and God as they are. 2. Self-transcendence, intelligence, morality, society, and creativity have all be marred by the fall. iii. Redemption: While men have gone astray, God has provided a way for redemption (Isa. 53:6). 1. This redemption can happen due to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. 2. Redemption begins and works out the healing of the defacement of the image of God in mankind. 3. However, because of self-transcendence, everyone is able to refuse this redemption. iv. Glorification: Humanity will be totally healed from the Fall and in the presence of God. 1. This happens for each individual on the other side of death or at the physical return of Jesus Christ. 2. Man is not only is man healed from sin, but made children of God (Jn. 1:12).
Explain the Existentialist phrase "existence precedes essence".
i. Existence precedes Essence 1. Man is the one thing in the universe that is able to define itself. The individual human being is able to make of themselves whatever they choose. Everything else is what it is, but each man is what it wants to be. 2. "If God does not exist, there is at least one being in whom existence precedes essence, a being who exists before he can be defined by any concept, and...this being is man" - Jean-Paul Sartre 3. This entails that in the subjective world "each person is totally free in regards to their nature and destiny." - James Sire, UND
How has God revealed Himself to man?
i. General Revelation: Creation ii. Special Revelation: The Bible
How does God's character relate to knowing external reality?
i. God is a knowing thing. Humans are created in His image and are like God. Therefore, humans are knowing things. ii. God's knowing faculties include logicality, intelligence, rationality, and meaning. Man mirrors God, albeit limitedly, in these same ways. iii. From God's mind comes the world. His knowledge is integral to creation. Man, being in God's image, is able to understand reality because our minds are patterned in the way of the creators mind. iv. "the true light (The Word)...gives light to every man" (Jn. 1:9).
Define the divine attributes of infinitude, personality, transcendence, omniscience, goodness, and sovereignty.
i. God is infinite: God is not finite. He is without limit. God is He Who Is; unlimited being. 1. God is unlimited being. He is existence itself (Ex. 3:14). 2. All else is secondary to God. ii. God is personal: God is not a mere force or existence, but he is self-determined and self-reflective. 1. God is actually tri-personal (Trinity), subsisting as three distinct persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2. The personality of humans is grounded in the fact that our creator, in who's image man is made, has personality. 3. This implies that humans can have a meaningful personal relationship with God. iii. God is transcendent: God is beyond us and this world. He is other. 1. God is not anything else, but is distinct and above all. 2. However, God is also immanent. He is in the world and present to us as the sustainer of all (Heb. 1:3) and because of His omnipresence (Ps. 95:3-5). 3. "God is beyond all, yet in all and sustaining all" (UND 30). iv. God is omniscient: God knows everything; past, present, and future. He knows actual things and all possible things. 1. God not only knows everything, but He is the source of all knowledge. 2. God is He Who Knows. v. God is sovereign: Nothing is beyond God's interest, control, or authority. 1. This is an extension of God's infinitude. 2. One may infer that God cares about His world since He chooses to be sovereign over it. vi. God is good: God is holy (Ex. 15:11) and He is love (1 Jn. 4:8). 1. This is the primary statement about God's character. 2. God's holiness is seen in His righteousness and justice. 3. God's love is seen in His grace and mercy.
What is the deistic argument for being unable to reorder the machine of creation?
i. God is not interested in particular human affairs, so will not intervene on the behalf of anyone. He has brought the world about (with perhaps a grand plan), but is not concerned with intervening. If God were to intervene in the grand machine, then it would mean he made a mistake in the beginning but this is unthinkable for God. ii. Humans, being part of the grand machine, are unable to reorder the system. 1. If a person were to manipulate the machine, they would have to exist outside of the machine. 2. Humans are in the machine. 3. Therefore, humans are unable to manipulate the machine.
Explain what it means for history to be linear.
i. History is moving forward, either towards something or not. Events, while sometimes similar are not repeated.
Explain what it means for history to be cyclical.
i. History is moving in a circular manner. There is no end or final goal, but only a repetition of cycles.
Explain Martin Buber's distinctions of "I-Thou" and "I-It", and how they relate to morality.
i. Martin Buber, a Jewish Existentialist, understood the world to consist of "I-Thou" and "I-It". 1. I-It is understanding things in the world as objects to be observed. 2. I-Thou is understanding other persons as other subjects, not to be studied and understood, but to be in a relationship with. ii. Persons are what is valuable. Right and wrong centers around the value of persons.
How would a Christian use the character of God to argue for absolute morality?
i. Morality is absolute. Since God's character is unchanging (Mal. 3:6), so right and wrong do not change.
What argument can be given by the Eastern Pantheistic Monist to show that there are no persons?
i. P1: Brahman is one and impersonal. ii. P2: Atman is Brahman. iii. C: Therefore, you are one and impersonal.
What is the difference between the Christian God and the God of Deism?
i. The God of Christianity is cares about and is involved in the world. ii. The God of Deism is not involved in the world.
What is the imago dei? What does the imago dei entail? Define each characteristic.
i. The Imago Dei (The Image of God) 1. Biblical support: Gen. 1:26-27; 5:3; 9:6 2. We are like God. N.B., the emphasis on our likeness to God, not His likeness to man. 3. This likeness includes: personality, self-transcendence, intelligence, morality, gregariousness, and creativity 4. Man is made "a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor" (Ps. 8:5). ii. Personality 1. We are personal because God is personal. God is three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2. Personality includes, but is not limited to, being self-conscious (knowing ourselves) and self-determined (capable of acting on our own). This is the nature of all humans, even if not all humans are able to exhibit these qualities. 3. Personality entails uniqueness in that no two persons will be the same based off of heredity, environment, thought, and choices. The vastness of God is seen in the vastness of personality among humans. iii. Intelligence 1. God is omniscient. 2. Man, being in God's image, is driven towards knowledge. As Aristotle understood, "man by nature desires to know". iv. Morality 1. God is not only the source of all that is good, but is goodness itself. The moral law flows from His very nature. 2. Man, being in God's image, is directed toward that same goodness. v. Creativity 1. God as creator of the Universe has reflected himself (albeit limitedly) in His creation. 2. Man, being in God's image, is capable of creating; making something new. Reflecting ourselves, which is a further reflection of God. Man's ability to create aesthetic or practical art is firmly rooted in the Imago Dei. vi. Self-transcendence 1. God is transcendent over His creation. He is not reducible to creation nor is He constrained by it. 2. Each individual human self is transcendent over their environment. That is, one is not determined by nor are they a simply an effect of what is around them, but is able to exercise dominion over one's surroundings. vii. Gregariousness 1. God exists eternally in a triune community. That is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirity have existed in perfect love co-eternally. 2. Being in God's image man is made to be in community; with humans and, more importantly, with God. 3. All of man's characteristics, which are like God, are to direct us into communion with Him.
Compare and contrast the subjective and objective worlds of existentialism.
i. The Objective World: 1. Whether chaotic or structured, determined or left to chance, the objective world merely is. 2. This is the world of cause and effect, science, and reason. This is the world where the cold and uncaring universe dominates. ii. The Subjective World 1. Humans came to be in the world and are able to distinguish self from the rest of the cosmos. This the subjective world. 2. This is the world of awareness, freedom, and mind. It is in this world where meaning resides. This is the world that is emphasized by the existentialist.
What is "immortality through progeny"?
i. The only immortality is to "continue to exist in our progeny and in the way that out lives have influenced others in our culture." Humanist Manifesto II
List three ways that Islamic Theism differ from Christian Theism?
i. Triune God vs. Allah being only one person ii. Deity of Jesus vs. Jesus being only a prophet iii. Muhammed is a false prophet vs. Muhammed is the most important prophet. iv. Etc.
