That’s Not a Biblical Worldview? Really?
September 26, 2023
Katherine Schultz
Have you ever had a conversation with someone about their beliefs, and been surprised by something they thought was a biblical worldview, but really wasn’t? I’m not talking about doctrinal disagreements within the church, I’m talking about the influences of opposing worldview on the church – particularly the American church, since that’s where I spend my time, but it can happen with any culture that creeps in quietly if the believers are not deliberately steeping themselves in the truth of God’s word to protect against it.
And more often than not, the person with the syncretistic (blended) beliefs is unaware that they are.
In the book Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives, by Wilkens and Sanford, the authors explore how various worldviews have been blended into the worldviews of believers. I’d like to give a brief overview of 3 of the hidden worldviews they address, and commend the book to you in its entirety if you are intrigued.
As Wilkens and Sanford say, “Too often, we assume that on-Christian worldviews stay safely on the other side of the church door…. It is not the worldviews that begin as theories or intellectual systems that mold the lives and beliefs of most people. Instead, the most powerful influences come from worldviews that emerge from culture. They are all around us, but are so deeply embedded in culture that we don’t see them” (2009, 11-12).
Individualism: I Am the Center of the Universe
Individualism is “the belief that the individual is the primary reality and that our understanding of the universe and lifestyle should be centered in oneself” (Wilkens and Sanford 27). It places the individual as the final arbiter of what is the purpose of life, as well as the determiner of what is right and wrong. It elevates personal freedom and fulfillment.
It contains a kernel of truth: individuals do have freedom (within limits) and responsibility. It inspires a person’s desire to make a difference. And it explains why beliefs we choose may have a stronger influence on us than those we don’t remember choosing.
But individualism has problems as well. It doesn’t recognize true reality: afterall, there are billions of individuals. And individuals are not the source of everything that is – we can’t add a day to our lifespan, or create the sunlight. We rely on others every day. Individualism also fails to recognize the fallen nature of humanity. And its emphasis on freedom and achievement results in crushing expectations of perfect performance from ourselves and others.
So that’s not a biblical worldview! Really!
Consumerism: I Am What I Own
“Consumerism is a worldview that starts with something that is a relative good – consumption – and makes it an absolute good. Consumerism absolutizes consumption by believing that we can find fulfillment by accumulating wealth and everything that comes with it” (Wilkens and Sanford 45). It convinces us that stuff brings fulfillment, that money is power, that all we need is just a little bit more to be happy. And it objectifies people, turning them into objects to consume. And it teaches us to throw away anything that doesn’t meet my desires.
It, too, contains a kernel of truth. We were made to consume, and God said everything he created in the garden from the very beginning was good. If we don’t have our most basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter (Matthew 6:25-34), it will be difficult to think of anything else. And consumerism properly teaches us that we determine how to use what we have, and to do our best.
And it, too, has problems. It tends to reduce everything to our needs, including much more complicated things like human relationships. It can even encourage us to place our trust in wealth instead of God. If there is some possession we fear losing more than we fear losing God, we have put our trust in the wrong place.
So that’s not a biblical worldview! Really!
Nationalism: My Nation, Under God
“Nationalism is the imbalance and distorted form of something that is good – patriotism” (Wilkens and Sanford 62). Nationalism becomes a temptation when a nation has sufficient strength or goodness to inspire deep loyalties (65). And our attitude toward national rituals can help reveal our alignment with biblical loyalties.
Nationalism does contain a kernel of truth. Nationalism can help us overcome individualism or tribalism. And nations were established by God as a means of caring for groups of people, as well as understanding ourselves.
But it, too, has problems. Most particularly is the conversion of a relative good into an absolute good. And it encourages division into we/they, us/them thinking. And it often overlooks the failures of nations.
So that’s not a biblical worldview! Really!
The Other Hidden Worldviews
These are some other hidden worldviews from Wilkins and Sanford.
Moral Relativism
Scientific Naturalism
The New Age
Postmodern Tribalism
Salvation by Therapy
Understanding our false worldviews better helps us to align with a biblical worldview as we filter those worldviews through the Bible.
Now What?
Instead of individualism, God created us to be in community, with him and others.
Instead of consumerism, remember that consumption is part of God’s design for us, but only part of it.
Instead of nationalism, embrace the transnational nature of Christianity, appreciating one’s nation, without elevating it by giving our loyalty to our nation more than to God.
- What Is the 3-D Worldview Survey?
- Take the 3-D Worldview for yourself
And if you haven’t yet used the 3-D Worldview Survey with your class, check out the pdf below for some questions to get you started.
Work Cited
Wilkens, Steve, and Mark L. Sanford. Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives. InterVarsity Press, 2009.
#3dworldview #biblicalworldview #hiddenworldviews
