Biblical Worldview

The Biblical Worldview

Dr. Heinz Lycklama

NOTE: A three-week version of this course (with ten pages of notes provided here) was given in a Sunday School class in December 2013. The full course can take from 12 to 16 weeks.

This set of lectures is suitable for use in a Sunday School class setting, for teaching students in Bible Schools, and for others interested in learning about the Biblical Worldview. We discuss the foundations and important elements of the Biblical Worldview and compare this with competing worldviews that are prevalent in our postmodern world – Islam, Secular Humanism, Marxism, New Age, and Post Modernism. Our Biblical Worldview affects not just our theology and ethics, but also the way we think about science, philosophy, economics and many other areas of contemporary thought. This collection of convictions comprises a worldview. The battle for our hearts and minds is being waged in the area of worldviews. Thus it is important for us to understand the various worldviews so that we can be more effective witnesses for Christ.

God is the Creator of this world and His Word must guide our thoughts and our lives. The Christian view of the world affirms the existence of a personal God, the creation of the world by God, the fall of man into sin, the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the redemption of the world through Christ’s atoning death, and the founding of God’s Kingdom on earth.

We study the key foundations of a Biblical Worldview such as:

1. The Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture
2. Cultivating a Biblical Mindset
3. Understanding Creation
4. Coming to Grips with Sin
5. Viewing the Nations from God’s Perspective

as well as issues such as:

1. A Scriptural View of Science
2. A Biblical View of Church and State
3. A Biblical Approach to Economics
4. Law According to the Bible.

Research has shown that very few Christians understand what it means to have a Biblical Worldview. This is a good time to learn how to have and live this worldview. 1 Chron. 12:32; Prov. 3:5-6.

Definition: A worldview is a philosophy, ideology or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and man’s relationship to both.  A complete worldview contains a perspective regarding each of the ten disciplines: theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and interpretation of history.

A Biblical Worldview defines each of these ten disciplines by investigating what the Bible has to say about them.  A biblical worldview contains these perspectives:

1. Theology – the existence of a personal, ethical, self-revealing God
2. Philosophy – supernaturalism, as opposed to naturalism and materialism in philosophy
3. Ethics – the ethical absolutes understood from the Bible (not situational ethics)
4. Biology – special creation of life and all its supports
5. Psychology – dualism (body and mind) psychology
6. Sociology – priorities organized as home, church, state in sociology
7. Law – laws based on biblical and natural law
8. Politics – politics based on justice, freedom, and order
9. Economics – economics as stewardship of God’s gifts and property
10. History – history is God-directed and includes resurrection, judgment and the dividing of the righteous and wicked to their respective eternal existences with God or separated from Him.

An earlier version of this course was given in 2004 and can be found here.

The Biblical Worldview can be compared with the philosophies and ideologies of five competing worldviews as shown in the chart “Comparing Competing Worldviews” constructed by Summit Ministries in Colorado Springs, CO.

Supporting Fact Sheets can be found at http://www.summit.org/resources/fact-sheets/.

• Apologetics
  Included Topics: Apologetics (General), Evidence for God, Problem of Evil/Pain
• Art & Culture
  Included Topics: Art, Culture, Education, Entertainment
• Cults
  Included Topics: Cults (General), Mormons, Jehovah’s Witness
• Biology & Science
  Included Topics: Science (General), Creationism vs. Darwinism, Intelligent Design, Naturalism
• Economics
  Included Topics: Economics (General), Capitalism vs. Socialism, Stewardship
• Ethics & Bioethics
  Included Topics: Ethics (general), Bio-ethics (general), Abortion, Euthanasia, Homosexuality, Moral Absolutes vs. Relativism, Social Involvement
• Logic & Philosophy
  Included Topics: Logic (General), Philosophy (General), Christian Mind
• Law & Politics
  Included Topics: Law (general), Politics (general), Abortion, Church and State, Homosexuality
• Psychology
  Included Topics: Dualism, Homosexuality, Secular Psychology
• Radical Environmentalism
  Included Topics: Animal rights, Ecology, Population control
• Sociology
  Included Topics: Family, Church, Radical Feminism, State
• Theology
  Included Topics: Atheism, Bible Doctrine, Hermeneutics, Pantheism, Religious Pluralism
• Worldview
  Included Topics: Christianity, New Age, Islam, Marxism, Postmodernism, Secular Humanism
• Worldview – Christianity
• Worldview – Islam
• Worldview – Postmodernism
• Worldview – Marxism
• Worldview – New Age
• Worldview – Secular Humanism

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Links to Lycklama Lectures and Reports:

1. Messages and Presentations by Dr. Heinz Lycklama – heinzlycklama.com/messages
2. Lectures by Dr. Lycklama on Creation vs. Evolution Controversy – heinzlycklama.com/creation
3. Lectures by Dr. Lycklama on Christian Apologetics – heinzlycklama.com/apologetics
4. Lectures by Dr. Lycklama on Biblical Worldview – heinzlycklama.com/worldview
5. Debate on “Does The God of The Bible Exist?” – Debate Recordings
6. Apologetics Forum of Snohomish County (AFSC) – ApologeticsForum.org
7. Independent Analysis of Global Warming – GW Report

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For more information contact:

Dr. Heinz Lycklama  [Bio]
Cell:         425-501-5075
Email:          heinz@osta.com
Web site:     www.heinzlycklama.com