Biblical worldview midterm study guide

Types of Pantheism

-Absolute -Emanational -Developmental -Modal -Multilevel -Permeational

Positive values of tribalism

-Can help us develop empathy -Can help us recognize dependence on alien definitions of power -Tribalism can help Christians recognize the systemic aspect of sin. -Culture provides a way of ordering life

Option examples: Responses

-God allows suffering to exist because... -Denial response: God is everything, which is good, so suffering is just an illusion. -Atheist response: He can't help it because he doesn't exist. -Buddhist response: life is in essence suffering. -Mean judge response: cosmic killjoy, he is a mean judge -Historical Christian response: He's more than just all-good and all-powerful

Humanness views

-Humans are merely animals:No qualitative difference from all other animals. Behaviorism. -Humans are merely machines: What is able to do. They are things -Humans are merely sexual beings: You are your gender. you are your sexual urges. -Humans are merely pawns of the universe. Existentialism and fatalism. -Humans are merely free beings

4 elements of biblical elements of humanness

-Male and female: Gender & Sex -Dual substances: Body & soul/spirit. Heart, Mind, Will, Conscience -Personhood ("Self"): Consciousness, moral responsibility, enduring existence -Purpose: Work, Relationships, Reproduction

Possible reasons why scientists believe in evolution

-Never studies biology, don't understand evolutionary claims. They take others' word for it. -Evolutionary convictions are often based on educational indoctrination, not independent reflection. -Theories of origins are deeply embedded as a foundation of a person's worldview. -Evolution is the only naturalistic and materialistic explanation for origins. -Many believe that to doubt evolution means you must become religious. -Many scientists have an entire lifetime of work and ego invested in their belief in evolution. -Many scientists are not independent thinkers and fear rejection and reprisals. -Fallen human nature wants to deny God and thus is blinded by its own depravity and this world's evil spiritual forces.

Atheism

-No God -The world is uncreated, eternal (material) -God & world relation- World only -Miracles are impossible -History/Goal- Linear or cyclical purposeless, endless -Held by...Secular, Humanism, Communism -Key figures- F. Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Richard Dawkins -Elements in culture- Totalitarian, Communism, New Atheism, Evolution

Potential problems of tribalism

-Often assumes cultural determinism -An individual can never attach the same meanings to language by another individual who is outside their group. -Postmodern tribalism degenerates into just another power play. -Postmodern tribalism creates a culture (and cult) of victimhood. -Postmodern tribalism is culturally reductionistic.

Pantheism

-One infinite, impersonal God -World created ex deo eternal (immaterial) -God is the world -Miracles are impossible -History/goal-Circular, illusory, endless -Held by...Zen Buddhism, Vedanta Hinduism, Hare Krishna -Key Figures-Albert Einstein, D.T. Suzuki, Shirley McClain -Elements in culture- New Age, TM, Star Wars, Avatar, The Lion King

Theism

-One, infinite, personal God -The world was created ex nihilo finite, temporal -Relation between God and world-God beyond and in the world (balance) -History and goals-Linear, purposeful, God appointed end -Held by...Christianity, Orthodox Judaism, Islam -Key figures-Jesus, Paul, Moses, Muhammed C.S Lewis -Elements in culture- The Church, Synagogues, Mosques, Exclusivism

Deism

-One, infinite, personal God -World created ex nihilo finite, temporal -God beyond the world and not in it miraculously -Miracles may be possible but not actual -History/Goal- Linear, purposeful, endless -Held by...Some American Founding Fathers -Key figures-David Hume, T. Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine -Elements in culture- Jefferson Bible

Core principles of Economics and poverty

-The importance of work -The importance of giving -Who am I personally responsible for? -Closeness/proximity -Who is best equipped to meet the need

Polytheism

-Two or more finite, personal Gods -Wold created ex materia eternal -God in the world -Miracles are not possible, supernormal events only -History/Goal-Circular, purposeful, endless -Held by...Hinduism, Shintoism, Animism, Mormonism -Key figures- Joseph Smith, David L. Miller -Elements in culture- Superheros, extraterrestrials, UFOs

Moral relativism and authority "You have no right....

...to make moral judgments about individuals or society."

4 ways to counter moral relativism

1) Admit that we are not God 2) Get the real issues straight 3)Be a little more humble about ethical issues 4) Think of absolutes in terms of character rather than actions

3 Arguments for God's existence

1) Cosmological Argument (cosmos=world/ordly arrangement) -The universe is an observable effect which requires either an infinite regress or causes tracing back to it origin which is impossible or else a sufficient uncaused cause for its existence. Thus God exists. 2)Teleological Argument (telos=end or goal) -The highly complex universe not only implies a cause or maker but also an intelligent designer 3) Moral Argument (moral=not immoral) -Since all men have a sense of moral obligation governed by conscience, an ultimate lawgiver and judge must exist.

Redemption concepts

1) To glorify God-To reflect and honor Him. God's plan to glorify himself> Creation> Fall> Redemption initiated>Jesus' mission>Redemption accomplished>Redemption Realized.

Appropriate action

1. Acknowledge the evil in our own hearts 2. Forgive 3. Take courage to do something

What are the three elements that we researched that make up what god deserves and wants?

1. Giving God glory 2. Knowing and doing God's will 3. Being wise vs. foolish/living by God's wisdom

Trilemma

1. God is completely loving/good 2. God is all-powerful 3. suffering exists

Positive values of the new age movement

1. New Age recognizes and gives priority to the spiritual dimension. 2. The New Age reminds us of common problems within organized religion. 3. The New Age correctly questions Enlightenment rationality as truth's gatekeeper.

Potential problems of scientific naturalism

1. Scientific naturalism diminished the status of human beings. 2. Can mater be moral? 3. Scientific naturalism undercuts rationality. 4. Scientific naturalism cannot define progress or explain purpose.

Positive values of scientific naturalism

1. Scientific naturalism recognizes the value of science. 2. Scientific naturalism acknowledges the importance of reason 3. Scientific naturalism is correct in its quest for unity and its desire to solve earthly problems.

Maslow's hiearchy of needs

1. Self actualization 2.Esteem 3.Love/Belonging 4.Safety 5.Physiological

Components of the transformational model diagram, explain

1. Story: the central narrative of our life 2. Identity: How we see ourselves and present ourselves to others 3. Convictions: Those beliefs that make up how reality works for us 4. Values/Ethics: What we believe we should do and what we take to be our highest priorities 5. Morals/Actions: The realm of doing that includes all of our activities

Potential problems of the new age movement

1. The New Age simply replaces the one-sidedness of materialism with one-sidedness spiritualism. 2. The New Age movement envisions self-salvation. 3. The New Age cannot justify its own social agenda. 4. New Age spirals toward irrationality.

Cosmology

A theory of reality based on design.

Teleology

A theory of why the universe exists and to what end or purpose it exists, if any.

Key elements that provide historical validity of Christianity

Accurate recording by the gospel writers -Method: Literary Criticism -Claim: Transformation of the events/message Faithful copies of the gospel manuscripts -Method: Textual Criticism -Claim: Corruption of the copies Right documents inspired by God -Method: Canonicity -Claim: Conspiracy of the church amidst competition

Purpose of life

Arises from high-level abstractions comprising a meaningful whole. This meaningful whole is an interpretation of teleology.

Meaning of life

Arises out of a combination of symbolic abstractions. These abstractions comprise a meaningful "whole" that is greater than the sum of its parts. The "whole" could be a spiritual, a material, or a spiritual-material gestalt. Meaning births a cosmology.

Four pillars of worldview

Authority/Truth Creation Fall Redemption

Christian ethics is...

Based on God's creation, Will, Revelation vs. Man's Will. -Results in what is best/good/works Absolute vs. Only subjective Prescriptive vs. Only descriptive

Happiness

Be happy

convictional beliefs

Beliefs reflected in our actions

Nietzshe's belief about truth claims

Believes that truth claims are based solely on each individual's perspective and interpretation. Truth is simply a means by which we pursue power. Whatever supports our individual biases and helps us accumulate power is labeled truth.

Tribalism shows us that...

Culture provides a way of ordering life

Morality

Description of what individuals/cultures hold to be right/wrong

Ethics

Determination of right/wrong, good/bad, praise/blame

Aesthetics

Determination/Description of Value and Beauty

Purpose

Direction of journey of life; our life potential; self-actualization, "what is the goal/end of life?" WHY

Pleasure

Eat, Drink, and be merry Obey your thirst

Eat, pray , love

Eat: Pleasure Pray: Transcendence Love: Relationship Pray and Love: Great commandments: Love God with Our whole being Love: Great commission: Make disciples our of Love for Neighbor Pray, Love, Eat: Great Mandate: Take pleasure to use and enjoy God's stuff.

Suffering

Endure suffering with dignity Let go of your desires that cause suffering Follow the path of self-denial and charity Pursue the transcendent

Secular ethics is...

Evolutionism: Whatever benefits the evolution process is right, whatever doesn't isn't. -PROBLEM: who decides what the evolutionary goal is or what means to use for it? Situationism: Love. "All you need is love." -PROBLEM: What is the loving thing and who determines it. Utilitarianism: Works. "The ends justify the means" Steal from the rich and give to the poor. -PROBLEM: What/Who determines the goal for what should work? just because something works doesn't mean it is right or true.

Applications for ethics

Examine: Examine what you really believe to be your purpose in life. Ask: Ask others what they really believe to be their purpose in life. Change: As a Christian, if it is not centered in God then it must be changed immediately. Adopt: Have you adopted elements of secular ethics? Seek: Do you know those who have? What can you say to them?

Experience

Experience life in its fullness Experience beauty

Postmodern tribalism grows into a healthy view of power and authority.

False

Plato

Form Eternal reason ----------------- matter Eternal formless Fluz

Kant

Freedom Autonomous self ------------------- Nature Newtonian World machine

Key principles of God, King, and country

God is truth/authority Justice ruling leads to stable nations God is ruler of all and is dominion is over all Loyalty (to God) and truth preserve the king Righteous upholds the throne

The new age movement is also known as

God-Consciousness Higher self

What is the Christian worldview concept of authority? Concentric circles

Gods authority: orders of a benevolent supreme commander The Bibles authority: laws; examples/stories of authority, obedience, reward, rebellion Delegated authority: government; elders (parents); the church; employers

Aquinas

Grace A supernatural Add-on ----------------- Nature A built-in Ideal or goal

Historic Christian response

He is Holy. He is wise. He cares.

Positive elements of moral relativism pg 89-91

Helps us recognize moral selectivity Illuminates the inadequacy of legalism Forces us to be more reflective about ethical positions and methods.

If God made it....

If He made it, He owns it; and if He owns it, He rules over it.

Christian worldview concept of authority

Innermost circle: God's authority. -Orders of a Benevolent Supreme Commander Middle circle: The Bible's authority. -Legislation of the BSC/Ruler -Examples/Stories of authority, obedience, reward, rebellion, ect. Outer circle: Delegated authority. -Government -Elders (parents, grandparents) -The Church -Employers

Metanarrative

Is a story that transcends any individual or cultural narrative. Makes sense of our origins, explains what is right and good and defines our purpose for existence.

Wisdom/Understanding

Learn as much as possible in this life Follow the clues and walk out the exit Seek wisdom/knowledge to avoid the suffering caused by ignorance Face our fears and learn life's lessons

Rightness/Goodness

Leave the world a better place Give more than you take Create equality Be generous and help others

Meaningless

Life or human existence has no real meaning because human existence is a result of random chance in nature.

Relationship

Love those who mean the most to you Love more

Views on the meaning/purpose of life

Meaningless Suffering Relationship Realization Wisdom/understanding Rightness/Goodness Experience Power Pleasure Happiness

Incommensurability

Means that things appear on the surface to be equal assume completely different meanings in different contexts. What it means depends on the social context in which it is read, regardless of what it means to the original author.

Descartes

Mind Spirit Thought Emotion Will ----------- Matter A mechanical, deterministic machine

Absolutism: Sociological, and more importantly, a religious problem for westerners

Moral absolutism is a "sociological option, rather than a philosophical one"

Key views of morality

Objective: If we don't live out our purpose, it is immoral Subjective: If there is no purpose, we can live any way we want. Reality:Meaning of life views contradict

Potential problems of moral relativism

One can't really make an intellectual case for moral relativism No one can live as a relativist-its complicated to live within this worldview It undercuts the principles of fairness and justice It results in the lowest common moral denominator

The Fact/Value split

Plato, Aquinas, Enlightment, Descartes, Kant, Today's common terms, Secular leap of faith

Secular leap of faith

Postmodern "Mysticism" Moral/humane ideals=no truth basis as defined by scientific naturalism But we affirm them anyway ------------------- Scientific naturalism Humans are machines

Key biblical passage for humanness

Psalm 8. "O Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth..." (god>people>everything else)

Realization

Pursue your potential/destiny. Chase or live your dreams Become the person you've always wanted to be

Power

Reach for power and superiority Rule the world Master nature

Epistemological problem

Reminds us of the difference between something's reality and our knowledge of that reality.

Privatization

Removing government oversight or ownership and placing it in private hands. Under secularism, transcendent absolutes such as absolute truth, eternity, immorality, God, etc. are placed in the private sphere and are not allowed to have oversight in the public sphere.

Basis of ethics: Result-based ethics

Result determines rule Result is the basis of the act Rule is good because of result Result is sometimes used to break rules

Key scripture passage warnging against conforming to the stories of our age but transformed to God's story

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Enlightenment

Romanticism Religion and the humanities ------------------------------- Enlightenment Science and reason

Basis of ethics: Rule-based ethics

Rule determines result Rule is the basis of the act Rule is good regardless of result Result is always calculated within the rules

Secularism

Separating the physical and temporal realm from any spiritual/religious and eternal realm. Freedom from religion within a state. The human belief that human activities and decisions should be based on evidence or facts and not religious or superstitious beliefs. The public sphere should be governed by empirical facts and not by suppose transcendent values.

Meaning

Significance of life; a philosophical, spiritual, psychological concept; a concept "What is life all about?" WHAT

Strong secularism view

Some secularists go further; they want religion to be regarded as a private matter for the home and place of worship -and that the state should be blind to religion They also seek to separate those bits our present-day culture that orginated in religion from the religions that inspired them.

Three main challenges to Moral Relativism: Its logical conclusion, its unlivable world, its changing...

Source

What do we mean by the authority of scripture

The Bible's authority -God's Word -God's Will/Desire -Power to influence -Our purpose It is authoritative, unique, transforming, trustworthy, and all inspired.

Defining "worldview" as heart

The heart is, "the central defining element of the human person." Equating heart with the entire person helps us identify one important factor that contributes to real-life worldview messiness. Worldviews are not just cognitive constructs in which the relative amounts of truth and error included in them determine the relative success or failure of our lives. Real human beings, beings with "heart," are multidimensional; our lives possess physical, economic, psychological, political, spiritual, social and intellectual facets.

4 strange groups united against the Bible

The removers -Ignorant Christians -Militant atheists The adders -fundamental legalists -Hyper-Charismatic prophets

Epistemology

The study of knowledge and justified true belief

How does C.S Lewis argue that relativism "Will certainly damn our souls and end our species"?

The teaching that in order to be saved, to go to heaven, you need to repent. But you can't repent if you don't believe in real moral law, because sin means disobeying that. Moral relativism eliminates that law, thus sin, thus repentance, thus salvation.

Five major worldviews

Theism Atheism Deism Pantheism Polytheism

Postmodern tribalism relativizes "tribes" while absolutizing "my tribe"

True

Today's common terms

Value Socially constructed meanings ---------------------------------- Fact Publically vertifiable truth

Postmodern tribalism creates a culture of...

Victimization

confessional beliefs

What you say you believe

Real questions to listen for

Why me? Where is God? Can I bear it?

Worldview

a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world.

Determinism

human beings have no free will and cannot be held morally responsible for their actions.

Three elements the authors call for in developing a Christian worldview in the context of a community

mentoring, reflective fellowship, and worldview formation

Reasons why the authors prefer the concept of worldview as "story"

metaphor for worldview is more true-to-life than recital of propositions that one believes to be true, for two reasons. 1. our knowledge of God is revealed in stories 2. our worldviews unfold in a storylike manner.

Those who champion the existence of moral, religious, social or political truth face a barrage of...

objections about imposing standards on others, intolerance and charges of oppression.

streams meet.....east/west

stream of eastern monism meets western individualism

Theodicy

the justification of God. Is he right in this? Is there a morally and logically sufficient reason for God's allowing suffering?

A worldview's Achilles heal term, examples

the strength of each worldview we examine also turns out to be its "Achilles' heel" when that insight is absolutized. Consumerism, for example, correctly reminds us that we are finite beings who perish unless we consume at least some of our environment's resources. Consumerism's big mistake, however, is that it defines us solely as physical, consuming beings. Stated otherwise, consumerism is a reductionistic worldview because it absolutizes our physical and economic dimensions and fives insufficient attention to remaining aspects of human existence.

The new age movement is known as

wide-ranging, amorphous movement