World Views

Understanding Worldviews.
Introduction to Worldviews
1. Welcome to Understanding Worldviews!

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to worldviews. It helps them analyze the claims of different worldviews, and
emphasizes the importance and means of forming a Christian worldview which integrates faith and
living. Students will consider the meaning, truth claims, relevance of creation and evolution, the origin of life,
sin and evil, different offers of salvation, and various beliefs about how to live one’s life in the contemporary
world. Students are encouraged to relate the different world views to their particular setting as well as the
world today.
This course is designed both to help you understand and appreciate the wide variety of worldviews in evidence
today, and to help you personally form a Christian worldview which encompasses the whole of life. In order to
truly comprehend Christianity as a holistic worldview rather than a mere religion, it is important to understand
the nature and characteristics of other worldviews, and to be able to analyze the Christian worldview in light of
these competing worldviews. Our task should be a search for Truth, and your task as an inquirer of Truth will
be to determine whether Christianity truly holds up under the scrutiny of criticism Whether it remains
consistent and capable of answering the most difficult questions of life, and whether it provides meaning and
purpose in life sufficient enough to act as the primary moral guide and standard for all the decisions you make
– not just for church on Sundays. Indeed, you may be challenged by the more fundamental question, “is there
really a Truth?” (as opposed to many truths, an idea known as relativism). At the same time, you will also be
analyzing alternative worldviews, subjecting them to the same critical standard enforced upon
Christianity. Learning how to analyze and critique worldviews will form an important part of this course; but
once this has been mastered, forming a Christian worldview as the fundamental foundation of your own life
may be the most important practical application of anything you learn at UCU!
This Study Guide is designed primarily to complement the lectures, texts and tutorials by giving you additional
readings and ideas, which will aid your overall comprehension of worldviews and assist you in completing
your weekly assignments. It includes additional articles, key terms, important course notes, and topics for
discussion in your tutorial groups. It does not replace the lectures, texts and tutorials! Each of these three
teaching methods is an important component of the course, and each is equally important: First are the main
lectures, where you will be introduced to the key topics and subject matter of the course. Second are the
reading assignments. The readings will delve into greater depth and breadth of topics than can be covered by
the lectures alone. While the readings are manageable, they are also challenging. You should not neglect to
keep up on your reading assignments every week. It will be to your benefit to read the material before the
main lecture, as this will enable you to understand the references made to the readings in each lecture. Third
are the tutorial sessions. These sessions are mandatory (attendance will be taken) and potentially the most
interesting aspect of the course, because they depend on your contributions and interaction! This is where you
will discuss the issues and questions relevant to the topic for that week. Come prepared to share your ideas
and interact with others.
You will find that each of these three learning methods will cover different (but related) material, and any of it
may be found used for the final exam. More importantly, this combination will provide the best foundation for
understanding, analyzing and applying the Christian worldview to your life.
2. Required Readings:
How Now Shall We Live? C. Colson & N. Pearcey, Wheaton: Tyndale, 1999.
Clash of Worlds David Burnett, Crowborough: MARC, 1990.
Understanding Worldviews Foundation Course Study Guide UCU Publication; Sept 2014 version
3. Aims
By the end of this course unit, learners should have:
 a basic understanding of the concepts of “worldview” and “competing worldviews”.
 an overview and basic insights into most of the major worldviews adhered to in the world today.
 thorough working knowledge of the Christian worldview and its relevance to all aspects of faith and life.
 knowledge of the Christian worldview to contemporary issues, and discover its relevance to their profession
or academic discipline.
 an understanding of the Christian worldview to the contemporary African context.
 The ability to formulate and articulate their own understanding of the integrated relationship between God,
oneself, and the world.
4. Teaching Method
The course will consist of a lecture each week, followed by tutorials. The Tutorials will be guided by
discussion questions based on the lecture, workbook and reading assignments for a specified week. Emphasis
will be on analyzing aspects of traditional and contemporary culture in terms of the worldview they portray.
5. Evaluation and Assessment

Attendance Requirement: UCU academic policy requires a minimum attendance of 75%, or 9 weeks of the 12
teaching weeks of the semester. Students dropping below the minimum will not be allowed to sit the exam
without special permission from their head of department, regardless of whether the coursework requirement
has been met.
Coursework Requirement: UCU adheres to a continuous assessment policy, which emphasizes an equivalent
value of coursework and exams. Students failing to submit their coursework, or to achieve a minimum of 17.5
points out of 50 (=35%), will not be allowed to sit the exam, regardless of whether the attendance requirement
has been met.
Assessment:
Learners will be assessed at seven different levels:
A written assignment testing the learner’s interaction with the reading materials; 10 points.
Group presentations during the tutorials; 10 points.
A test during the main lecture; 10 points.
A civil society assignment based on a recent learner’s experience in the community; 10 points.
Attendance of both the main lecture and tutorials; 5 points.
Active participation during the tutorial discussions; 5 points.
A written exam at the end of the semester; 50 points.
6. Course Content Schedule

CHAPTER TOPIC READING ASSIGNMENT
Distribution of materials (Reading 1

should be
Assignment of tutorial
done before
groups
lecture)
Chapter 1 (How do we understand the Burnett, ch. 1-

world?) 2
Introduction Colson, Intro,

ch.1-2
What is a Worldview?
Chapter 2 (How do others understand Burnett, ch. Give out

the world?) 4,9,14 assignment
question 1
Nature of Worldviews Colson, ch. 3-4
Chapter 3 (Who are we and where do Burnett, ch. Classroom

we come from?) 3,12,13 Presentation
questions
Competing Worldviews Colson, ch. 6-7
Chapter 4 How to Examine Colson,

Worldviews 9,10,13,14
(Who are we and where do Burnett, ch.

we come from?) 10,11
Chapter 5 Problems and Solutions in Colson, Civil society

the World ch.15,18-21 assignment
explained
Burnett, ch. 14
(What is wrong with the
world? And What can we do
to fix it? And What can we
do to correct it?)
Chapter 6 African and Oriental Burnett, ch.

Worldviews: Problems and 5,6,7,8
Solutions
(Hindu, Budhist, Chinese,

Islam and African)
Chapter 7 Secular and New Age Colson, ch.

Worldviews: Problem and 23,24,26
Solution.
Chapter 8 The Truth in a Forest of Burnett, ch. Main Lecture

Worldviews 15,16 Test
(The problem with the world Colson, ch. 29-

and the solution.) 32
Chapter 9 (What is the relevance of the Colson, ch.

Christian WV?) 39,44
The CWV and Marriage
Week 10 The CWV and Civil society Colson, ch. 33
Week 11 The CWV and Work Colson, ch.

35,38
Week 12 Revision of Readings and Revise for

Lecture Notes exam
7. Bibliography
** Multiple copies are available in the UCU library
Adeyemo, Tokunbeh Salvation in African Tradition (Nairobi: Evangel, 1979).
Burnett, David** Clash of Worlds (Crowborough: MARC, 1990).
Unearthly Powers (London: MARC, 1988).

Colson, Charles, & N. Pearcey** How Now Shall We Live? (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1999).
Cook, David Blind Alley Beliefs (Leicester: IVP, 1979).
Dockery & Thornbury (eds.)** Shaping a Christian World View (Nashville: BroadmanHolman, 2002).
Huntington, Samuel “The Clash of Civilizations” Journal of Foreign Affairs (Summer 1993).
Kapolyo, Joe The Human Condition (Leicester: IVP / Langham, 2005).
Kapuscinski, Ryszard The Shadow of the Sun: My African Life (London: Penguin, 2001).
Mathew, C.V. Integral Mission: The Way Forward (Thiruvalla: CSS, 2006).
Moreland, JP & WL Craig Philosophical Foundations for a CWV (Downers Grove: IVP, 2003).
Naugle, David K Worldview: History of a Concept (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002).
Neill, Stephen Christian Faith and Other Faiths (Oxford, 1970).
Noebel, David Battle for Truth: Defending the CWV (Eugene: Harvest Hs, 2001).
Understanding the Times (Manitou Springs: Summit Press, 1991).
O’Donovan, Wilbur** Biblical Christianity from an African Perspective (Paternoster, 1996).
Olasky, M. & Joel Belz Whirled Views (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1997).
Schaeffer, Francis How Then Should We Live? (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1983).
Sire, James The Universe Next Door (Downers Grove: IVP, 1989).
Chapter One - What is a Worldview?
1. Objectives
By the end of this chapter students should be able to:
a. Define and identify some world view
b. Explain some key terms in the study of world views and how world views are
formed.
c. Analyze some key perspectives, truths and reality in world views
d. Develop skills of analyzing any world view
Key Question: How do we understand the world?
Key Terms: Worldview, culture, paradigm, enculturation, cosmos,

universe
2. Introduction
Bible Passage:
Phillipians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus - The object of this reference
to the example of the Jesus Christ is particularly to enforce the duty of humility. This
was the highest example which could be furnished, and it would illustrate and
confirm all the apostle had said of this virtue. The principle in the case is that we are
to make the Lord Jesus our model, and are in all respects to frame our lives, as far
as possible, in accordance with this great example. The point here is that He left a
state of inexpressible glory, and took upon him the most humble form of humanity,
and performed the most lowly offices, that He might benefit us.
Main Points:
Defining a Worldview
- What is meant by the term “worldview”?
- What is meant by “the world”?
Perspectives, Truth & Reality

- Differing perspectives on the same reality
- Conflicting truth claims
- Discerning between perspectives and conflict
Worldview Analysis
Knowledge & Observation (Objective) Vs. Personal Experience (Subjective)
It is always good to explore the stuff you don’t agree with, to try and understand a
different lifestyle or foreign worldview. I like to be challenged in that way, and
always end up learning something I didn’t know. -----Laura Linney
2.1. Definition: World View
Very simply, a worldview is the way we perceive the world; our understanding of
the world. It is a grid through which we allow information about the world to enter,
be sifted, sorted and interpreted, or blocked. A worldview is a philosophical system;
a network of beliefs that helps us interpret ourselves and the world.
Other Definitions
“A worldview is a conceptual scheme by which we consciously or unconsciously
place or fit everything we believe and by which we interpret and judge reality.”
- Ronald Nash (philosopher) Faith & Reason
“It [the Worldview] is the view which a person has of his world. It is the way he
understands and interprets the things which happen to him and to other people. It is
a person’s way of understanding life and the world in which he lives. It is a person’s
belief about what is real and what is not real.”
- Wilbur O’Donovan Jr. Biblical Christianity in African Perspective
“You are your Worldview or your Worldview is you. In other words, what and who
you are, what you do and why you do what you do and the way you do it... Your
very life is the articulation or demonstration of your WV and your WV gives the
rationale for your beliefs and practices”
- C.V. Matthew (missionary from India, former UCU lecturer)
“It can be argued on the basis of facts concerning the nature of man and the
conditions of human life that human beings have a deep-seated need to form some
general picture of the total universe in which they live, in order to be able to relate
their own fragmentary activities to the universe as a whole in a way meaningful to
them; and that a life in which this is not carried through is a life impoverished in a
most significant respect.”
- W.P. Alston
“A people’s way of looking at reality. It consists of basic assumptions and images
that provide a more or less coherent, though not necessarily accurate, way of thinking
about the world. A worldview comprises itself of Self and of all that is recognized
as not Self, plus ideas about relationships between them, as well as other ideas.”
- Michael Kearney (anthropologist)
2.2. How Do We Make Sense of it All?
A SAMPLE OF WORLDVIEWS
Islam Naturalism Capitalism & Consumerism
Multi-Culturalism HINDUISM MARXISM / Communism
Materialism Baha’i ANIMISM Gnostic Philosophies
Pluralism and Natural Humanism Wicca /
Paganism Christianity TAOISM Buddhism
JAINISM Confucianism African Traditional Religion
JUDAISM Polytheism Zoroastrianism Ancestor Religions
2. Introduction
2.3. Factors that Influence Worldviews
Worldviews are comprised of many factors, but most worldviews tend to be
dominated or controlled by one factor more than others. Among the most common
factors are the following:
1. Religion
Examples: Islamic, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Traditional Religious
worldviews
One’s primary loyalty and identity is found in one’s religious affiliation
2. Culture, Nationality, Ethnic Group, Tribe
Examples: African, Japanese, Palestinian, Maasai, British In many cases, one’s
primary identity and worldview outlook stems from one’s culture or ethnicity.
3. Ideology or Philosophy
Examples: Naturalistic, Utilitarian, Natural humanist, Pluralist, Utopian
The worldviews here are based primarily on shared ideologies or philosophical
systems.
4. Economic and/or Political System
Examples: Marxist, Communist, Capitalist, Liberation based, Democratic
The important considerations here are shared histories, beliefs, and experiences
of opportunity or oppression, wealth or poverty, freedom or tyranny, as well as
beliefs about the best forms of economic, social and political expression.
Any and all of the above factors may combine in a given worldview, so these should
not be considered as independent; but it is important to note that most worldviews
will have a dominating factor which defines them and gives their uniqueness.
2.4. Tutorial
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORLDVIEW AND CULTURE
It is important to note that a worldview and culture are not the same thing. Whereas
a worldview is the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world
or a collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group,
a culture is the totality of life of a particular society, group, place, or time.
The following analogies may help to explain the relationship between a worldview
and culture:
TREES: When we look at trees, we mainly see leaves. In fact, we tend to

differentiate trees by their leaves; the type, color, structure, volume, size, etc. But
we also notice that the leaves are attached to branches which hold them in
place. These branches, which give the whole tree its structure, are in turn held up
by a larger order of branches coming out from the trunk,. What we cannot see is that
all of this is held in place by the underlying root system of the tree. Culture can be
likened to the visible leaves and small branches. The worldview is like the large
branches and trunk which order the culture and give it a structure. And the roots are
like the deep worldview assumptions which the individual may not even be aware
he/she has.
FOOTBALL: Sometimes a game (like football), develops a “culture” of its

own. We know the league, the players, the strengths and weaknesses of our favorite
team. We go to a match and see thousands of fans interacting; we eat the food, yell
at the referees, and understand all the different aspects of the match. Yet the one
thing we never see, but which holds it all together, gives it meaning, and acts as the
underlying assumption of the teams, fans and players alike, is the rules governing
the game. Most people never see the written rules of football, yet we are all aware
of them – and aware that the entire game depends on these unseen rules. Culture is
like the whole of the visible aspects of the football match, whereas a worldview is
like the unseen rules which underpin the game itself.
SOIL & PLANTS: Everyone knows that certain crops and plants grow better in
certain soils, yet there are numerous differences in the types of plants that may
happen to grow in one area or another, even if the soil is the same. If we equate
culture to a set of plants, and worldview to the soil, we can easily see the
relationship. In the African traditional worldview i.e. “the soil” there are many
different cultures which thrive: Bantu, Ashanti, Luo, etc. Yet if the “soil” changes
to become Islamic, or Christian, these cultures will also undergo changes. Some of
the cultural “plants” may die, others will take their place; some will grow larger,
others diminish. There are many different cultures which grow and thrive in a
Christian worldview, yet in every case the transition from one worldview to another
causes changes in the culture, just as changing the composition of the soil will result
in changes in the plants which grow in it.
If a worldview is like a “grid” made up of many different “facts” or beliefs about the
world, then the way we connect these beliefs gives us different interpretations of the
world. Only when we see different ways of connecting do we begin to compare and
appreciate alternative worldview interpretations.
Challenge: Connect all 9 dots using only 4 unbroken straight lines
* * *
* * *
* * *
In order to meet this challenge, you may have had to think about the problem in a
new way! In the same way, making new connections with real beliefs changes your
cultural paradigm, which in turn changes your worldview.
2.5. How is a worldview formed?
Sources of a worldview
Personal experience Beliefs and Values, Worldviews
Schools & Education Understanding of self, Parents
Languages etc Community, God, world
Once the worldview is formed, it in turn shapes and influences the Beliefs, Values,
and Culture of the person.
For most people, the real world ends on the threshold of their house, at the edge of
their village, or, at the very most, on the border of their valley. That which is beyond
is unreal, unimportant, and even useless, whereas that which we have at our
fingertips, in our field of vision, expands until it seems like an entire universe
overshadowing all else. Often, the native and the newcomer have difficulty finding
a common language, because each looks at the same place through a different
lens. The newcomer has a wide-angle lens, which gives him a distant, diminished
view, although one with a long horizon line, while the local always employs a
telescopic lens that magnifies the slightest detail.
—Ryszard Kapuscinski The Shadow of the Sun: My African Life, p.171
3. Questions for reflection and discussion

1. What do you think is the importance of a worldview?
2. How are your daily practices a demonstration of your perspective of the world?
3. Share your cultural practices and their importance in society. What role does
culture play in your community?)
4. Can you identify issues in your traditional and contemporary culture that you think
need to be addressed?
Chapter Two - Nature of Worldviews

1. Objectives
a. Identify the major Worldviews and explain their major elements
b. Identify the major worldviews/power blocks (as identified by Huntington
and Burnett) and explain the competition that exist among them
c. Explain some key terms and biblical passages in the chapter related to the
study of world view
Key Question: How do others understand the world?

Key Terms: saving grace, common grace, great commission, cultural commission,
apologetics, metaphysics, epistemology, theology, anthropology, ethics.
2. Bible Passage:
2 Corinthians 4:2b-6,
Main Points:
Multitude of Worldviews
- Understanding the first century milieu of religions & beliefs
- Main Elements of every worldview
Worldviews in Competition
- Major worldview “power blocks”
- The Western Worldview (Christianity vs Naturalism)
- The Western WV vs. the African Traditional WV
The Cultural Commission and Common Grace
2. Bible Passage:
2.1. Competing Worldviews in Acient Times
Animistic worldview
The term animism is derived from the Latin word anima meaning breath or soul.
It is probably one of man’s oldest beliefs. The ‘primitive ‘people believed that the
soul existed in every object, even if the object was inanimate. This spirit was
believed to be universal and in a future state this soul or spirit would exist as part of
an immaterial soul.
It is believed that the spirits or souls are the ones that caused life in the humans. The
souls were imaged as vapors or shadows that moved from one body to another. The
souls passed between the humans, into plants, animals and also inanimate objects.
Occultism
Occultism is based on the belief that initiates access to a special type of knowledge
that saves. So those who are outside cannot be saved. Some are personality cults
(Nimrod, Maddock, Tammuz) and others are special knowledge cults
e.g. Illuminati
Syncretism
This is a heathen background of worshiping many gods
Other worldviews include:

Ancient Greek worldview, ancient Egyptian worldview, etc. (During your personal
reading, read about more of these)
3. Scripture
2 Cor 4:2b-6
On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves
to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is
veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has
blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not
preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants
for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”
made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Christ!
Paul in his ministry also faced a number of worldviews and these viewed themselves
as better than all others and it is of no wonder that they referred to other cultures as
barbaric and even kept them as slaves. The Roman expansion into alien lands was
believed to be a gift to the people they conquered.
3. Scripture
3.1. Three cultures – three worldviews
Found in the above scripture were competing for dominance in the 1st Century
region where Paul was evangelizing.
I. Jewish – the primary Hebrew virtue: Righteousness = Light
light = righteousness, goodness
darkness = sin/ignorance/wickedness
God is Light; walk in the light, walk in the ways of the Lord
The Jew emulates the Patriarchs, conscious that God evaluates
even their righteousness in relative terms. Judaism holds in
contempt those who assume a pretense of piety and
righteousness: "Be not righteous overmuch neither make thyself
overwise" (Eccles. 7:16; cf. Eccles. 7:5), while, on the other
hand, it exalts the unseen righteousness of each generation.
Righteousness is not an inherent human characteristic, but rather
a learned trait resulting from sustained performance of
obligations. Though man can never attain the peak of righteous
perfection("For there is not a righteous man upon earth that doeth
good and sinneth not" Eccles. 7:20), it does not prevent the
constant striving towards righteousness.
II. Greek – the primary Greek virtue: Knowledge
philosophy, wisdom, gnosticism
To the Greeks, knowledge was man’s defining factor so, they
explored it. The ideas and achievements of the ancient Greeks
changed their world and still affect us today.
Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle formulated
ideas about how the world worked. The study of history was
created by Herodotus and Thucydides. Artists tried to find more
natural and realistic ways of representing the world. Doctors,
like Hippocrates, started to look for rational reasons for the
causes of disease.
III. Roman – the primary Roman virtue: Glory power, honor, military
might, achievement; “All for the glory of Rome!”
The Glory of Rome rose to glory primarily through military
aggression. The common military victories made the citizens
bask in the glory of their armies. The ancient Romans admired
the characteristics like power, honor, military might e.t.c that
they believed allowed them to establish hegemony over their
rivals. Consequently, the hyper-masculine qualities of the
Roman soldier became the hyper-masculine standard by which
many Roman men measured their own manliness.
Throughout the history of Rome, her expansion and survival
entirely depended on her men’s ability to dominate the
neighbors and even faraway lands. Aeneid, a poet, said
“Remember Rome, these are your skills: to rule over peoples, to
impose morality, to spare your subjects and to war against the
proud.”
Q. What is the significance of “every man’s conscience”? Every man has a

conscience and is thus capable of analyzing the message and forming a
judgment as to this truth. Every man has to make a choice.
Q. What is the meaning of “the god of this age”? Who/what is ‘the god of this
age’ today?
Q. Can you note how Christ, the perfect image of God, is the answer to the
quest of each different worldview? How does each virtue find its
completeness in Christ? Is there a way in each group than gives one an
option to see Christ as the solution to their specific need?
Also, more worldviews in scripture include Docetism, Arianism, Ibunits, Gnotcism

4. Major elements of every Worldview
ELEMENTS OF A DESCRIPTION BURNETT’S WV

WORLDVIEW THEMES
(ANALYSIS TOOL)
Meta-physics The nature of the Cosmos; Time

universe, and the
relationship between God,
self, and the world
The nature, character, and Burnett views God as a

essence of God. Issues of component of each theme,
Theology life, death, and afterlife therefore redundant to
have a separate category
The nature of mankind,
self, family, community,
Anthropology social / ethnic group, Self; Community
etc; Culture
Epistemology What can we Knowing

know? What kinds of
knowledge are
trustworthy? How do we
know what we
know? Truth
Ethics Values, morals, the nature Value

of right and wrong; social
mores and behaviour;
What is good?
4.1. Major Worldview Groupings or "Power Blocks"
Samuel Huntington is a sociologist interested in the clash of civilizations. David
Burnett is an anthropologist interested in conflicting worldviews and
cultures. Interestingly, both identify 7 major groups within the world today, yet
there are some distinct differences. While Huntington is looking at socio-political
groupings, which he refers to as civilizations or “power blocks”, Burnett’s emphasis
is on belief systems and worldviews. Huntington’s list is more political /
geographical while Burnett’s is more religious in its focus.
Therefore, where Huntington denotes the “Western” Civilization, Burnett

emphasizes its Natural character and belief system. Burnett identifies the Buddhist
and Traditional worldviews, while Huntington looks at the Japanese civilization and
African “Regions” rather than African traditional “religion”. Burnett includes the
Christian worldview while Huntington does not. This is because the Christian
worldview no longer has a geographical center nor boundaries. Two thirds of the
world adheres to some form of Christianity, yet there is no Christian “civilization”
except perhaps for the remnant of the Eastern Orthodox Church (denoted by
Huntington as “Orthodox”) as a once mighty political and geographical entity in
Russia and Eastern Europe.
Samuel Huntington David Burnett

Major Civilizations or Power Major Worldview Groupings
Blocks
Western Natural
Islamic Islamic
Chinese Chinese
Japanese Buddhist
Hindu Hindu
African Regions Traditional
Orthodox Christian
“Clashes of civilizations are the greatest threat to world peace, and an
international order based on civilizations is the surest safeguard against
world war.” —Samuel P. Huntington
In Huntington’s view the most likely future global clash of civilizations will
occur between three power blocks: the Western world, the Islamic world, and
the Confucian East.

4.2. Worldviews' Encounter
Worldviews are often encountering each other either through conflict or competition
for dominance within the same geographical area. What happens when worldviews
meet?
Outcome of Worldview encounters

Violence: outward manifestation of difference in the form of conflict. Such as
Somalia, Northern Uganda, or many modern wars.
Mutual separation Impasse: the differing ideas come to a place where no further
understanding or compromise is possible, and they agree to go their separate ways.
Co-existence: believing that neither side is right or wrong and all are equally valid
in their own understanding even if conflicting. (i.e. Relativism). What you think is
right for you, is right for you and what I think is right for me, is right for me even if
what we think is different.
Conversion: one side changes, being persuaded by the other that the other is more
truthful. This can be large-scale, embracing a whole new worldview, for example
converting from Islam to Christianity. Or it can be a smaller-scale change in
perspective, for example being persuaded that it is ok for men to cook and share
domestic responsibilities.
Mutual Exchange and Understanding: sharing ideas and being open to learning
from the ways the other is different from oneself. Learning and understanding can
take place even without conversion; in explaining and defending your own
worldview your position is often clarified or strengthened. Strengths you admire in
competing worldviews may be applied to your own.
5. Analysing Worldviews
Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey propose a framework by which any WV can be
analyzed and evaluated. The question of Truth is important; we need to live in step
with the Truth. This proposed framework has three basic questions and the answers
to these questions are very important.
1. The question of origin: Who are we and where did we come from?
This question is an old age question. People have always wondered where
everything comes from and many communities have come up with theories, or
stories or myths to satisfy this curiosity. In Uganda we have common stories like
that of Nkya,Kintu and Nambi, Labongo and Gipir etc
This question is looking to address not only who man is and where s/he came from
but also includes what the world is and how it came to be
2. The question of problem or malady: What has gone wrong with the world?
3. The question of solution or remedy: What can we do to fix it?
Every worldview must be able to offer an answer to these questions or it will quickly
be seen as deficient.
NOTE. David Burnett in his book Clash of Worlds uses a different tool to critique
worldviews. He uses the themes of cosmos, time, self, community, knowing and
value.
6. A look at the seven Major Worldviews

The Christian Worldview in the bible
This worldview is rooted in scripture.
John 3:16 - 17
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his
Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not
believe stands condemned already…
God so loved the world (God exists)
God so loved the world (God is personal, he desires relationship)
God so loved the world (The world is real and significant)
He sent his son into the world (God is separate from the world.
The world is not God)
Whoever believes will not perish (We exist as individuals. I matter to God!)
Whoever believes will not perish (We have choice and free will.
Not fate or fatalism)
Whoever believes will not perish (A possibility of perishing. A

hope of continuation of life)
But have eternal life (There is another life beyond this temporal
one)
Whoever does not believe stands condemned (Something is
wrong. We are condemned. Broken relationship)
God sent his Son to save the world (God has a Son. He is not a singular God)
God sent his Son to save the world (We are in need of salvation.
The Son is the means of salvation)
Romans 1:18-20
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and
wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may
be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to
them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal
power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what
has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God,
they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking
became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
God’s wrath is revealed against men (Something is wrong. We are

out of relationship)
Since the creation of the world… (God created the world,
therefore makes the rules)
His invisible qualities have been seen (God is knowable and has
revealed himself to us)
They neither glorified nor gave thanks (Man rejected God)
Their foolish hearts were darkened… (Man is living in sin,
suppressing truth, living a lie)
Conclusion: In order to have life, man is in need of salvation

“God so loved the world (Relationship). He sent his Son into the world. (God
separate from creation). Humanity stands condemned and in need of
salvation. (God can save and wants to save). We must believe. (Man has a
choice). Whoever lives by the truth (There is a Truth). Man has suppressed
the truth by his wickedness. (We deserve God’s wrath). But God is knowable
(We can know God personally). His divine character seen in nature. (Natural
revelation).
7. African Traditional Worldview

I am, because we are
— African Proverb
DOES A TRADITIONAL AFRICAN WORLDVIEW EXIST?

Wilbur O’Donovan in Biblical Christianity from an African Perspective suggests
that there are general components that characterize a traditional African worldview.
He lists 7 common elements:
1. There is emphasis on life in community; identity and meaning is found in the
community.
2. There is a relationship between the living and the ‘living dead.’
3. The spirit world exists it is related to the physical world.
4. People live a relationship oriented life: people and relationships have a greater
priority than technology and material things.
5. The memory of colonial rule and its suffering, and now the experience of
independence are both relevant.
6. Life is viewed holistically. No watertight compartmentalization but an integrated
view of life is encouraged.
7. Greater emphasis is placed on the events of life than on time and schedules.
Other scholars have emphasized the variety and diversity of African cultures and
beliefs, concluding that it is a mistake to try to lump together common elements as
though there were a uniform African Worldview, which in reality does not exist.
What do you think?
8. Readings
Understanding Culture
Ethnocentrism is to view other people’s ways of life in terms of our own. Being
exposed to other cultures, and gaining an understanding of them, is to acquire a
cross-cultural perspective. The chief medium of culture is speech or language; that
is why culture is always a form of communication.
Cultures are essentially equal and valid because of:
1) their adequacy to those immersed in them
2) the pervasiveness of human sin manifested through them
3) their potential usefulness as vehicles by which God reaches the people living
by them
No culture is perfect because all are operated by sinful people and no culture is
invalid, inadequate, or unusable by God or human beings.
Cultural change arises from 3 possible sources.
1) from within the culture. (when the traditional explanation no longer
satisfies the experience)
2) from exposure to another culture
3) from super-natural sources
The three sources result in innovation by insiders to change. That is why culture is
a continuously a changing phenomenon. Each society has innovators, people of
status, prophets, wise men and seers who are also a stabilizing force in
society. Every member innovates daily but others cause faster changes in society.
8. Readings
8.1. African Culture(s)
It is difficult to define African culture because of the pluralities in African-ness. But
there is an African worldview that sees the universe as a unified cosmic, and
essentially spiritual system. It has an organic view of the world, without
dichotomies between the sacred and Natural.
Life is a gift from God – the Creator. It is passed on physically by adult members
of society. Life is also communicated socially by contact. Each member is
initiated to become a useful member of society through the teachings, traditions,
stories, myths, legends, words, peer groups, songs etc. of the community.
Ancestors – People live and die. They need certain rituals to pass through life from
conception to the life beyond the grave. The society is not just composed of the
living; it includes the “living dead” who are part and parcel of the community. The
“living dead” become channels to the living God, the source of life. Ancestors are
men and women of status who distinguished themselves in life as progenitors,
protectors and providers of the community, a function they carry into the next
world. They are remembered for their benevolence in life which continues into
death. Ancestors are people who have significantly contributed to and progress
through the history of their communities.
African Communities – Life is about sharing. It is organized in family units led by
parents, and several families form a sub-clan, several sub-clans form a clan, several
clans form a tribe, and recently several tribes form nations. Kingdoms were more
known in Africa than in nations. Most African communities were or are led by a
council of elders who arrive at decisions by consensus. Kings are supported by
elders. Elders and Kings are also religious exports; they collaborate with the
Ancestors – and thus with God. Meanings are arrived at through debate and
dialogue, than through monolithic consent or unanimous collective opinion. It is an
oral spirituality.
Religion permeates the entire community and an individual’s life. Life is ritually
managed and very experiential. Celebrations are very common and joy is the
common response to the presence of God. The effect of good relations between God,
ancestors and the living community is well being, prosperity, health and life. The
effect of bad relations is sickness, destruction, death and poverty. Every misfortune
has a cause – moral, spiritual or human. Religion escorts every being from
conception to the afterlife. Healing is a central aspect of religion and is effected
spiritually, sacrificially and ‘herbally’. No Satan!
8. Readings
8.2. Christianity and African Culture
The contrast between Christianity and African culture is characterized by a clash
between African culture and European / Judeo-Christian culture. Mutesa expected
Mackay to grow up to do things like the Baganda! Much as Mackay expected to
“civilize” Mutesa and the Baganda. Christianity, according to Andrew Walls and
Lamin Sanneh, is a translatable religion, that is, it is capable of being expressed in
cultural forms of all peoples in the world. Translatability signifies Christianity’s
fundamental relevance and accessibility to persons of any / every culture where the
faith is transmitted and assimilated. Translatability is Christianity’s universality.
Enculturation – is the proclaiming of the gospel within the perspective of a
particular culture – using their cultural resources to express the Christian faith.
Incarnation – is allowing the Word – Jesus – to become flesh in a particular culture
to approve, challenge and animate the culture from within, using
insiders. Incarnation is the fullest divine communication that reaches beyond words
into a human form.
The missionary to Africa was taught to appreciate and retain indigenous social and
moral values of Africa. But with regard to African religion they were taught to be
ruthless and to eliminate traces of pre-Christian African religions. For an African to
receive the new, meant taking away the old. But to Africans the social and moral
values are the essence of religion. Throwing away the old meant throwing away
everything including the people. If the old is taken away, to whom is the new given?
If missionary success is the elimination of the old, then the 19th-20th C. missionary
project failed. Lamin Sanneh, John Mbiti and others have shown that the growth of
Christianity in Africa is directly related to the concentration of the “old” traditional
religions. The greatest growth of Christianity and Christian movements is in areas
where there is a meeting of African Traditional Religion ATR and Christianity.
Africa’s apprehension of the Christian faith has substantial roots in the continent’s
primal religions. Without ATR as a foundation, the fate of Christianity would be
remarkably different in Africa. The Bible replaced the missionary as the source of
authority. ATR became a partner in the reception of the gospel; it became
“preparation evangelica”. That is why African Christianity is experiential,
celebrative, warm, and communal.
8.3. Two Principles at Work
The “indigenizing” and the “pilgrim” principles work in tension in assimilation of
the Christian faith.
Indigenizing principle – Christ invites us to himself as we are. You don’t need to
clean or make your life straight before coming, you come with your culture and
Christ makes you and your culture “feel at home” in him. (Acts 15, 1 Cor
7:14ff). The new creation of 2 Cor 5:17 is not a new life in a vacuum but a new life
with lots of continuity in culture, history and lifestyles. All churches are “culture
churches” – Ankole, Toro, Buganda, Bukedi, Acholi, Lugbara etc. Each one comes
to God as himself – no need to change identity. Change is only as yourself, not as
another.
Pilgrim principle – God does not accept people into Christ as themselves; he also
takes them to transform them for himself into Christ – what he wants them to
be. This principle whispers to the convert that he/she has no “abiding city” in the
world. Christianity may not necessarily be an adoption of a new culture, but at least
a transformation of the old towards God’s will. The Christian is a dual citizen of his
culture and Christ’s culture together with people accepted like him which he has to
unconditionally accept as his own.
.4. Can the African Ancestor and Culture be Redeemed?
The answer to this critical question is YES. Nobody became an ancestor if he was
a nobody, a witch or a sorcerer. Only upright, wise and benevolent people become
ancestors: those who have positively affected culture. When God was revealing
himself to Israel as the gracious and merciful one, what was he doing in
Africa? (Rom 3:29-31). The challenge to every believer is to incorporate the history
of Israel as one’s own, make Jesus supreme and the ultimate sacrifice. African
Ancestors / Culture can be seen as “grafted” into the roots of the Old Testament tree
of history together with the Jewish Patriarchs and European ancestors – all of which
were incomplete expressions of religion until Jesus of Nazareth arrived. We are now
grafted or adopted into the new Israel, with a clear root. (Rev 5:9). Christianity is
now an African mother tongue religion. Africans will soon set the pace for its
agenda in the world.
8.5. “A Journalist’s Perspective on African Traditional Culture &
Worldview”
- Ryszard Kapuscinski
Excerpted from The Shadow of the Sun: My African Life (pp. 30-33;186-189)
After completing the raucous and cheerful ritual, Kwesi and I started to talk about
the Ashanti kingdom. The Ashanti resisted the British until the end of the nineteenth
century, and really never fully capitulated to them. Even now, after independence,
they hold themselves at a distance from Nkrumah and his supporters from the coast,
whose culture they don’t value highly. They are closely attached to their extremely
rich history, their traditions, beliefs, and laws.
In all of Africa, each larger social group has its own distinct culture, an original
system of beliefs and customs, its own language and taboos, and all of this is
immensely complicated, intricate, and mysterious. That is why anthropologists
never spoke of “African culture,” or “African religion,” knowing that no such thing
exists, and that the essence of Africa is its endless variety. They saw the culture of
each people as a discrete world, unique, unrepeated. And they wrote accordingly: E.
E. Evans-Pritchard published a monograph on the Nuer, M. Gluckman on the Zulu,
G. T Basden on the Ibo, and so on. Meantime, the unschooled European mind,
inclined to rational reduction, to pigeonholing and simplification, readily pushes
everything African into a single bag and is content with facile stereotypes.
“We believe,” Kwesi told me, “that man is composed of two elements. Blood, which
he inherits from his mother, and spirit, donated by his father. The stronger of these
components is blood, which is why the child belongs to the mother and her clan—
not to the father. If the wife’s clan orders her to leave her husband and return to her
native village, she takes all the children with her, for although the wife lives in her
husband’s village and house, she is there really only as a guest. This possibility of
returning to her clan gives the woman a place to go should her husband abandon her.
She can also move out herself, should he prove to be a despot. But these are extreme
situations; usually, the family is a strong and vibrant unit in which everyone has a
traditionally assigned role and everyone understands his or her duties.
The family is always large—several dozen people. The husband, the wife (or wives),
the children, the cousins. The family gathers as frequently as possible and spends
time together. Time spent communally is highly valued and accorded much respect.
It is important to live together, or near one another: there are many tasks which can
be accomplished only collectively—otherwise, there is no chance of surviving.
The child is raised familiarly, but as he grows, he sees that the borders of his social
world extend further, that other families live nearby, and that these families together
constitute the clan. A clan comprises all those who believe that they have a common
ancestor. If I believe that you and I have an ancestor in common, then we belong to
the same clan. Such a belief carries enormous consequences. For example, a man
and a woman from the same clan are forbidden to have sexual relations. This is
subject to the strongest possible taboo. In the past, parties violating it were both
condemned to death. But even today it is a serious transgression, one that can anger
the spirits of the ancestors and bring great misfortune down upon the clan.
At the head of the clan stands the chief. He is chosen by a clan assembly, which is
led by a council of elders. The elders are village chiefs, heads of individual clans,
functionaries of all kinds. There can be several candidates and many rounds of
voting, for the choice matters deeply: the position of chief is hugely important. From
the moment of his selection, the chief becomes a holy person. Henceforth, he is not
permitted to walk barefoot. Or to sit directly on the ground. One is not allowed to
touch him or speak a bad word about him. One can tell from afar that a chief is
coming—because of the open umbrella. A great chief has an enormous, decorative
umbrella, held by a special servant; a lesser chief walks about with an ordinary
umbrella purchased from an Arab in the marketplace.
The clan chief has a function of the utmost significance. The central element of the
Ashanti faith is the cult of ancestors. The clan comprises a great number of
individuals, but we can see and meet only a small percentage of them—those that
live on earth. The others—the majority—are ancestors who have partially departed,
though in reality they still participate in our lives. They look at us, observe our
behavior. They are everywhere, they see everything. They can help us, but they can
also punish us. Bestow happiness upon us, or bring about our ruination. They decide
everything. That is why maintaining good relations with the ancestors is a
precondition for the welfare of the whole clan and of each and every one of us. And
it is the chief who is responsible for the quality and closeness of these relations. He
is the mediator and link between two integral parts of the clan: the world of the
ancestors and the world of the living. It is he who communicates to the living the
ancestors’ will and decision regarding any given matter, and it is he who pleads with
them for forgiveness if the living have violated custom or law.
One can obtain this forgiveness by making offerings to the ancestors: sprinkling the
earth with water or palm wine, laying food aside for them, or slaughtering a sheep.
But it all might not suffice—the ancestors might continue to be angry, which for the
living means endless misfortunes and illnesses. The greatest anger is caused by
incest, murder, suicide, assault, insulting the chief, witchcraft.”
“Suicide?” I was surprised. “How can you punish someone who has committed
suicide?”
“Our law commanded us to cut off his head. Suicide was the violation of a taboo,
and the principle tenet of the clan legal code is that each offense must be punished. If
an offense goes unpunished, the clan will meet with catastrophe, or will face ruin.”
We were sitting on the porch of one of the numerous local bars, drinking Fanta,
which clearly holds a monopoly here. A young barmaid was napping behind the
counter, leaning her head on her hands. She was hot and sleepy.
“The chief,” Kwesi continued, “has many other duties. He decides disputes and
resolves conflicts, and is therefore also a judge. An important fact, especially
important in the villages, is that the chief allocates land to families. He cannot give
them this land, or sell it, for land belongs to the ancestors. They dwell in it, inside
it. The chief can only allot it for cultivation. If a field grows barren, he will assign
the family another piece of ground, and the former one will lie fallow, gaining
strength for the future. The land is sacred. The land gives people life, and that which
gives life is sacred.
“While the chief enjoys the greatest respect, he is surrounded by a council of elders
and cannot decide anything without seeking their opinion and gaining their
consent. That is how we understand democracy. In the morning, each member of
the council visits the chief’s house, to greet him. That is how the chief knows that
he is governing well and enjoying support. Should these morning visits cease, it
means that he has lost the council’s confidence and must go. This will happen if he
commits any one of five offenses: drunkenness, gluttony, collusion with sorcerers,
bad rapport with people, and governing without seeking the opinion of the council
of elders. He must also step down if he is blinded, infected with leprosy, or becomes
mentally unsound.
“Several clans together form what Europeans call a tribe. The Ashanti is a union of
eight clans. At their head stands a king, the Ashantehene, also surrounded by a
council of elders.
People like the Amba and their kinsmen believe profoundly that the world is ruled
by supernatural forces. These forces are particular—spirits that have names, spells
that can be defined. It is they that inform the course of events and imbue them with
meaning, decide our fate, determine everything. For this reason nothing happens by
chance; chance simply does not exist. Let us consider this example: Sebuya is
driving his car, has an accident, and dies. Why exactly did Sebuya have an accident?
That very same day, all over the world, millions of cars reached their destinations
safely—but Sebuya had an accident and died. White people will search for various
causes. For instance, his brakes malfunctioned. But this kind of thinking leads
nowhere, explains nothing. Because why wasit precisely Sebuya’s brakes that
malfunctioned? That very same day: all over the world, millions of cars were on the
road and their brakes were working just fine—but Sebuya’s were not. Why? White
people, whose way of thinking is the height of naivete, will say that Sebuya’s brakes
malfunctioned because he failed to have them inspected and repaired in good time.
But why was it precisely Sebuya who failed to do this? Why, that very same day, a
million ... etc., etc.
We have now established that the white man’s way of reasoning is quite unhelpful.
But it gets worse! The white man, having determined that the cause of Sebuya’s
accident and death was bad brakes, prepares a report and closes the case. Closes it!?
But it is precisely now that the case should begin! Sebuya died because someone
cast a spell on him. This is simple and self-evident. What we do not know, however,
is the identity of the perpetrator, and that is what we must now ascertain.
Speaking in the most general terms, a wizard did it. A wizard is a bad man, always
acting with evil intent. There are two types of wizards (although our Western
languages do not differentiate adequately between them). The first is more
dangerous, for he is the devil in human form. The English call him witch. The witch
is a dangerous person. Neither his appearance nor his behavior betray his satanic
nature. He does not wear special clothing, he does not have magical instruments. He
does not boil potions, does not prepare poisons, does not fall into a trance, and does
not perform incantations. He acts by means of the psychic power with which he was
born. Malefaction is a congenital trait of his personality. The fact that he does evil
and brings misfortune owes nothing to his predilections; it brings him no special
pleasure. He simply is that way.
If you are near him, he need only look at you. Sometimes, you will catch someone
watching you carefully, piercingly, and at length. It might be a witch, just then
casting a spell on you. Still, distance is no obstacle for him. He can cast a spell from
one side of Africa to the other, or even farther.
The second type of wizard is gentler, weaker, less demonic. Whereas the witch was
born as evil incarnate, the sorcerer (for that is what this weaker sort is called in
English) is a career wizard, for whom the casting of spells is a learned profession, a
craft, and a source of livelihood.
To condemn you to illness or bring some other misfortune down on you, or even to
kill you, the witch has no need of props or aids. All he need do is direct his infernal,
devastating will to wound and annihilate you. Before long, illness will fell you, and
death will not be far behind. The sorcerer does not have such destructive powers
within himself. To destroy you, he must resort to various magical procedures,
mysterious rites, ritual gestures. For example, if you are walking at night through
thick bush and lose an eye, it is not because you accidentally impaled yourself on a
protruding yet invisible branch. Nothing, after all, happens by accident! It is simply
that an enemy of yours wanted to exact vengeance and went to see a sorcerer. The
sorcerer fashioned a little clay figure – your likeness – and, with the tip of a juniper
branch dipped in hen’s blood, gouged out its eye. In this way he issued a verdict on
your eye—cast a spell on it. If one night you are wending your way through dense
bush and a branch pokes out your eye, it will be proof positive that an enemy of
yours wanted to avenge himself, went to see a sorcerer, etc. Now it is up to you to
uncover who this enemy is, go visit a sorcerer, and in turn order your own revenge.
If Sebuya dies in a car crash, then the most important thing for his family now is to
ascertain not whether his brakes were bad, for that is of no consequence, but whether
the spells that caused this death were cast by a wizard-devil (witch) or an ordinary
wizard-craftsman (sorcerer). It is a critical question, entailing a long and intricate
investigation, into which will be pressed various fortune-tellers, elders, medicine
men, and so forth. The outcome of this detective work is of utmost significance! If
Sebuya died as a result of spells cast by a wizard-devil, then tragedy has befallen the
entire family and clan, because a curse like that affects the whole community, and
Sebuya’s death is merely a foretoken, the tip of the iceberg: there is nothing to do
but await more illnesses and deaths. But if Sebuya perished because a wizard
craftsman wanted it thus, then the situation is far less dire. The craftsman can strike
and destroy only individuals, isolated targets: the family and the clan can sleep in
peace!
Evil is the curse of the world, and that is why I must keep wizards, who are its agents,
carriers, and propagators, as far away from myself and my clan as possible; their
presence poisons the air, spreads disease, and makes life impossible, turning it into
its opposite – death. The wizard by definition, lives and practices among others, in
another village, in another clan or tribe. Our contemporary suspicion of and
antipathy for the Other, the Stranger, goes back to the fear our tribal ancestors felt
toward the Outsider, seeing him as the carrier of evil, the source of misfortune. Pain,
fire, disease, drought, and hunger did not come from nowhere. Someone must have
brought them, inflicted them, disseminated them. But who? Not my people, not those
closest to me—they are good. Life is possible only among good people, and I am
alive, after all. The guilty are therefore the Others, the Strangers. That is why,
seeking retribution for our injuries and setbacks, we quarrel with them, enter into
conflicts, conduct wars. In a word, if unhappiness has befallen us, its source is not
within us, but elsewhere, outside, beyond us and our community.
8.6. The Church and Culture
What has been going wrong with the church in Africa? Did the gospel have no
effect? Was it rendered powerless? No! The gospel is the power of God for
salvation (Rom 1:16). But the seed of the gospel failed to take root and grow because
the soil was not well prepared. The methods and approaches used by the
missionaries failed.
One of the problems isolated by historian Gerard Prunier, was that the conversion of
the people, in the main, took place for social and political reasons. Once it became
clear that the colonialists were interested in educating and giving jobs to those who
became Christians, many turned to the Catholic Church. But, according to Prunier,
Christian values did not penetrate deeply. Christianity was all things to all men, but
it did not have a deep healing power which could bring about reconciliation between
warring parties e.g. the Hutu and Tutsi. Most especially, it could not change the
heart by bringing about reconciliation between man and God.
The seed which failed to take root and grow in Rwanda and Africa as a whole was a
failure to develop a true understanding of the role of culture in mission. Charles H.
Kraft speaks of four possible approaches to culture:
1. God against culture
2. God in culture
3. God above culture
4. God above but through culture
The first view sees all culture as evil and the role of the church to help Christians to
escape from the world into their own Christian subculture. The second view sees all
culture as good as God is contained within culture. The third group maintains that
God is unconcerned with culture. The fourth position, which Kraft himself holds, is
that God is above culture and yet works through culture. God is transcendent, above
culture, yet He uses culture as the means of interacting with people. God speaks to
people, whether Adam or Abraham or Moses, using human language and human
culture.
Part of the colonial baggage that the early missionaries brought with them was a
preconception that God was against the culture of the peoples to whom they were
bringing the gospel. In Rwanda this meant that the ‘Christian’ culture of the sending
countries was imported into the church without much interaction with the culture of
the people. Paul Hiebert has shown that this practice has serious
consequences. When the old culture is denied, the gospel is seen as something that
is foreign to the people and it is rejected. Or, if the people decide to accept the
gospel, they do so without dealing with the sinful aspects of their original
culture. Traditional religion remains hidden, practiced alongside Christianity and
this can lead to syncretism.
When the gospel enters a culture for the first time, the old ways have to be dealt
with. Beliefs, rituals, stories, songs, customs, thought patterns and societal
structures must be examined in the light of the Bible. No culture is perfect. All
culture is tainted by human sin. But all culture can be redeemed as humanity is
redeemed through the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What was needed in
Africa was a process of critical contextualization of culture in the light of the Bible,
rather than an outright rejection of the old. When a culture is put under the scrutiny
of the Word of God, that which is good can remain and that which is tainted by sin
can be transformed.
In Africa we could have retained what was good in our culture and transformed that
which was tainted by sin. For example, the church should have examined how
traditional religion can be related to the sacraments and how worship of the saints in
the Catholic Church was seen by the people as ancestor worship. We (specify)
should have understood who God really is so that the people knew who it is they
were worshipping. In failing to contextualize the gospel into the African culture, the
church became an agent of physical civilization rather than inner
transformation. The parish became a centre of development rather than a centre of
evangelism and essential heart issues were left untouched.
9. Nature of Worldview
How do we transform worldviews? Before we answer this question, we must
examine more deeply the nature of worldviews. Behind the behavior and beliefs of
human cultures seem to lie certain “givens” about the way the world is put together.
These include the categories and logic people use, as well as the assumptions they
make, about the nature of reality. Three sets of assumptions come into play.
9. Nature of Worldview
9.1. Existential assumptions
These assumptions provide a culture with the fundamental cognitive structures
people use to explain reality. In the West they include such things as atoms, viruses
and gravity. In South India they include rakshasas, apsaras, bhutams, and other
spirit beings. In the West they assume that time runs like a straight line from a
beginning to an end, that it can be divided into uniform intervals such as years, days,
minutes and seconds, and that it never repeats itself. Other cultures see time as
cyclical: a never-ending repetition of summer and winter; day and night, and birth,
death and rebirth.
9.2. Affective Assumptions
Affective assumptions underlie notions of beauty and style, and influence people’s
tastes in music, art, dress, food and architecture as well as the ways they feel about
themselves and life in general. For example, in cultures influenced by Theravada
Buddhism, life is equated with suffering. By contrast, in the U.S. after World War
II, many people were optimistic and believed that by work and planning they could
achieve a happy, comfortable life.
9.3. Evaluative assumptions
These provide the standards people use to make judgments about right and wrong.
For instance, North Americans assume that honesty means telling people the way
things are, even if doing so hurts their feelings. In other countries, it means telling
people what they want to hear, for it is more important that they be encouraged than
for them to know the facts.
Taken together, the cognitive, affective, and evaluative assumptions provide people
with a way of looking at the world that makes sense out of it, that gives them a
feeling of being at home, and that reassures them that they are right. Martin Marty
calls a worldview the “mental furnished apartment in which one lives.” Thus
worldview serves as the foundation on which people construct their explicit belief
and value systems, and the social institutions in which they live their daily lives.
Most people take their worldview for granted and those who challenge it are seen
not as wrong but as crazy! Worldviews are largely implicit. People in a society are
often unaware of the way their categories, logic and assumptions shape the way they
see their world. Their worldview is what they think with, not what they think about,
or, to shift metaphors, worldviews are the glasses through which people look, and
not what the people look at. Often we become aware of our own worldview only
when we live deeply in another culture, and then return to view our own culture
through outside eyes, with a different belief and value system.
9.4. Worldview Comparisons
One way to see worldviews is to compare one with another. An examination of
Papayya’s worldview, the Western worldview and the Biblical worldview helps us
understand the need for the transformation of both Papayya’s and the modern
worldviews in planting mature, faithful churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. (See chart
at the end of the article) This comparison makes it clear that worldviews need to be
transformed if the Church as a community of believers is to understand and preserve
the truth of God over time. Papayya can be converted in his old worldview, but if
his worldview and that of other new converts is not transformed through the
processes of discipling and teaching, the Church will soon lose the Gospel and
become a form of Christo-paganism in which the Gospel message is distorted by the
categories and assumptions in which it is expressed.
We are part of the worldview we have, but we must continually examine that
worldview in the light of Scripture, and consciously work to change its
understanding of reality. In this light, the Church must act as a hermeneutical
community. It needs Biblical scholars, theologians, pastors, and laity to help
understand the message of the Gospel in its historical and cultural context. The
process of doing theology in a particular setting must be that of critical
contextualization in which the culture is studied, then Scripture, and finally Biblical
truth and morality are used to judge and correct the culture and its worldview. These
truths must be taught to new believers so that they grow in knowledge of God’s truth
as they begin to walk in righteousness. In the case of Papayya, discipling must begin
with teaching him what the Bible teaches about the nature of God, the nature of
reality, the meaning and purpose of history, our righteousness in Christ and how we
can live in Him from day to day.
9.5. Tutorial
Q Questions from main lecture.
Did you succeed in the “connect the dots” challenge?
Did your thinking change from your first attempts? How?
Tutors get case studies/ articles to be discussed in class to bring out
characteristic of Worldviews. (Case Use examples from your community
to explain how worldviews interact.
Competing Worldviews
1. Objectives
a. Identify and explain the major tenets of some Worldviews
b. Explain how people use the teachings in these Worldviews as a basis of
causing chaos in the society.
Key Terms: Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, Biology, Geology, Dharma,

Samsara, Tao, Confucianism, Yin and Yang, Monotheism
Bible Passage: Proverbs 1:5, Colosians 2:8
Main Points:
Explanation of tenets of the following Worldviews:
Naturalistic Worldview
Hindu Worldview
Buddhuist Worldview
Chinese Worldview
Islamic Worldview
2. Naturalistic Worldview
Statement on Naturalism
Naturalism is the understanding that there is a single, natural world as shown by
science, and that we are completely included in it. Naturalism holds that everything
we are and do is connected to the rest of the world and derived from conditions that
precede us and surround us.
Each of us is an unfolding natural process, and every aspect of that process is caused,
and is a cause itself. So we are fully caused creatures, and seeing just how we are
caused gives us power and control, while encouraging compassion and humility
By understanding consciousness, choice, and even our highest capacities as
materially based, naturalism re-enchants the physical world, allowing us to be at
home in the universe. Naturalism shows our full connection to the world and others,
it leads to an ethics of compassion, and it gives us far greater control over our
circumstances.
Major Shifts in the History of Naturalism & Science
The Ancient Greeks
The Middle Ages
Pre-enlightenment:
Enlightenment
Modernism
Post-Modernism
What Shaped the Naturalistic Worldview

Scientific Method
Rationalistic Philosophy
Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy
Biology and Geology
2. Naturalistic Worldview
2.1. Characteristics of Naturalistic Worldview
a. Everything that can be known or explained in the universe can be known or
explained through nature.
b. Reliance on the supernatural (anything outside the natural world) is at best
epistemologically unknowable, and at worst, based on ignorance,
superstition, or an unscientific ‘faith’ without evidence. (a.k.a. Materialism)
c. Matter exists and is the only thing we can empirically know to exist
d. Empiricism: The natural world is directly experienced through the senses.
(No divine ‘revelation)
e. Distinction between physical reality & non-reality or the “unknown”
(supernatural, faith, imagination, dream, illusion, psychosis, etc.)
f. The universe is a ‘closed system’. Not open to interference or control from
outside forces. (There are none – at least they cannot figure into the cosmos)
g. Scepticism about the supernatural. If God exists, he is a part of the system /
cosmos, not separate from it.
h. Scientific principles form our epistemological framework for understanding
the world.
i. The scientific method; cause and effect; the universe as an orderly,
predictable mechanical system; laws of motion, gravity (see Pg 51)
(Therefore, miracles cannot occur. Nor can witchcraft, nor any other ‘evil
force’, demonic, angelic, etc.)
NB. This is a very limiting philosophical principle, which presupposes naturalistic

answers to all questions of the universe.
3. Hindu Worldview
There is only one reality –Brahman: non-material, principle, spirit, beyond
description except being, conscious and bliss. Its all that exists. The material world
is simply Maya; illusion. This world of Maya is in an evolution to merge with
Brahman through Samsara. The soul is also real but it has been held prisoner by the
body. Karma(the law of cause and effect; every action has consequences) decides
your life.
4. Buddhist World view

Buddhist worldview is based on the teachings and practices of Siddharth Gutama
(624-544BC). It is deeply concerned with pain and suffering and their alleviation or
removal. Man has no soul and nothing is permanent. The Atman – which to the
Hindu is the soul- is not eternal, it is just different dharmas evolving from one state
to another.
The notion of self (identity, personality) is an illusion, which causes suffering. I or
ego is an illusion formed by contact with the outside world. This illusion leads to
desire, which in turn leads to suffering. Life continues as long as there is desire. One
continues in the cycle of birth, life, death and then birth again - Samsara
It is more of a philosophy than a religion: Buddhism attempts to deal with suffering
not by escape but by denial of the self and of desire.
5. Chinese worldview
This is one of the longest surviving civilizations of the world. The teachings of Kung
Fu-tzu, Lao-tzu and Mahayan Buddhism form the basis of this view. It synthesized
beliefs of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism into a system that incorporated
beliefs of all three traditions: Buddhism, adjusted itself to the Chinese context, taking
account of Confucian moral and social values, and made use of Taoist ideas and
terminology. Later in the 16th century, these teachings synthesized into one body that
one can identify themselves as Confucianist, Taoist and Buddhist at the same time
without any confusion.
Confucianism offers a standard of behavior
Buddhism addresses the human psyche
Taoism deals with the mystical and meta-physical
The universe is interconnected, it follows a path called Tao. Man and nature are
interconnected. The origin of all is an interaction of the Yin and Yang. Chinese
believe that the balance of Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine) are the basis of
well-being; that events in the heavens reflected events on earth; and that men were
better than women. Like all Yin-Yang opposites, Heaven (masculine) and Earth
(feminine) reflected each other. If there was a disturbance in the Heavens, the cause
was likely on Earth. Likewise, if any of the Heavenly bodies somehow strayed from
where they belonged, the resulting imbalance of forces would cause problems on
Earth.
6. Islamic worldview
Based on; the revelation of Allah to prophet Mohamed, the Qur’an and Suuna. There
is Strict monotheism (No God but Allah – All powerful); where every Muslim must
submit to the will of Allah which is supreme and predestinated.
There is a Distinction between created and creator, seen and unseen and all existence
depends on him. There is a Slave - master relationship between man and God but
still a hope lies in the future; death is not the end.
7. A Table of the Seven Major Worldviews

8. Tutorial
Which worldviews are competing for prevalence in Uganda? In Africa?
Which are becoming the most dominant in the world today, and which provide
the greatest challenge to the Christian worldview?
How should Christianity respond to differing worldviews?
Which worldview have you encountered for the first time in this class? Has any
of the worldviews studied fascinated you?
Do this activity before the tutorial
Find a newspaper article about 2 worldviews “interacting” in one of the 5 ways
listed in the section on “Conflicting Worldviews” (make sure you come with
this article to the tutorial).
Explain the nature of the problem and describe the interaction. Why do you think
they are interacting the way they are?
What are the main characteristics of each of the worldviews involved (especially
those characteristics responsible for the conflict)?
How to Examine Worldviews
1. Objectives
1. Explain how different worldviews answer the question of origin using the
worldview analysis question to show.
2. Discuss how the Christian response to the way different worldviews answers
the question of origin.
3. Discuss Christian answer to the question of origin.
Key Questions: Who are we, and, Where do we come from?

Where did everything come from?
How did everything come to be?
Key Terms: Pre-Enlightenment, Enlightenment, Modernism, Postmodernism;

Cosmos, The Big Bang, Anthropic Principle; Evolution,
Emergence Imago Dei – The Image of God Abortion,
Euthanasia, Sanctity of Life, Human Dignity, Naturalism and
related terms, Materialism, Empiricism, Naturalism, Scientific
Method, Rationalism, Darwinism, Natural Humanism, Deism
1. Objectives
1.1. Bible Passage
Psalm 8:3-9; Genesis 1:26-28, Psalms 19
Key Question: Who are we?

What does it mean to be human?
Of what value am I? To whom?
Main Points:
 Revelation – Both God’s Word and God’s World
 The Worldview of Naturalism
Historical background of naturalism
 Understanding the origins and beginnings: the time frame of cosmic history
 The evolution, “big bang” theory and the Christian response
 The anthropic principle: a challenge to naturalistic worldview?
 Origins Science and Faith as two perspectives on Reality
 Responses given by the seven major worldviews on the origins.
Our task in this chapter is to look at how we can analyze a worldview. By this we
mean a way through which we can understand any a worldview. Any worldview can
be understood when we use an analysis tool. We will use the tool proposed by
Charles Colson. According to him, any worldview can be understood in terms of the
three key questions.
a. Who are we and where do we come from?
b. What has gone wrong with the world?
c. What can we do to fix it?
By answering these questions, we will be able to appreciate aspects of their
worldview.
2. Who Are We And Where Do We Come From?

Worldviews answer this question differently.
Here we look at the way this question is answered different
according to five different worldviews:
Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, Traditional African, Naturalistic and Christian.

2.1. HINDU
The human “soul” or “self,” the Atman, is a manifestation of the Brahman; it is,
therefore, eternal! The Hindu believe there is only one true reality; this ultimate
reality is the Brahman, the infinite, impersonal existence. The material world is just
a reflection of the Ultimate Reality (Brahman). This means that the material world
and humanity, is an illusion (maya); it does not have a real existence. They believe
that the only reality about man is the soul and it is imprisoned in the body. They also
believe that man’s life is lived through the cycle of life (Samsara) which is
determined by Karma. (Karma – means action or deed, it is also means the law where
actions or intent of a person influence their future. Actions have consequences;
positive or negative) and one’s present state life is not permanent.
Despite the general understanding among the Hindu that all material world is a
reflection of the Ultimate Reality, there are existing speculations about the origin of
the Universe. For instance, some Hindu believe that while Brahman was sleeping
the Universe came out of him.

2.2. BUDDHIST
Founded by Sidhata Gautama in the 6th century BC in S E Asia, Buddhism was
founded in response to the humanitarian crisis of suffering in India at the
time. Gautama himself was from an aristocratic background. However, he sought
to find the solution to suffering. He abandoned everything and, for 9 years, lived a
life of self-denial. This process that led him to enlightenment, (the Buddha means
the enlightened one).
Buddhists do not put much emphasis on speculative thinking about the beginning of
the universe. Rather, a lot of emphasis is put on the reality of suffering in the world.
The Buddha discouraged followers from speculating about the origin of the universe.
Man can be divine through enlightenment (eliminating ignorance and desire).

2.3. CONFUCIANISM
Confucianism is a religion that was established by the teachings of Confucius. The
name “Confucius” is the Latinized form of the original name K’ung Fu-Tzu
(sometimes transcribed as K’ung Tzu), the great teacher of Confucianism. These
teachings have continued to be modified by views of other Neo-Confucianists. It is
the central philosophic background for understanding some of the culture in East
Asia (China, Japan Korea). It is based on family and social context, and it is a code
of ethics that prescribe patterns of behavior in society.
There is debate as to whether Confucianism is indeed a religion. Unlike most

religions whose emphasis is based on some form of metaphysical reality,
Confucianism is concerned more with behaviour in this present world. However, its
teaching assume a religious nature that is founded on the idea of filial
piety/religiosity. This is a recognition of relationships found in the family, based
upon which human community is formed. This is the foundational teaching that
gives meaning and direction to Chinese life.
While Confucianism is based on human relationship, from some of its basic

teachings we can understand how it answers the first worldview question. Confucius
taught that Shang Ti or Heaven, was the Supreme Ruler. It was Heaven that is the
power on which all things depends, and that all things. According to this
Confucianist Worldview teaching, life and death, wealth and honour, are all in
Heaven’s hands.

2.4. Taoism
Taoism, along with Confucianism, is one of the religions that have origins in China. As
a religion, Taoism is founded on the principle of Yin and Yang. This is the idea that
opposites belong to each other, that is to say, “things that are opposite actually
belong to each other and make a complete whole” (Brown, p. 89). This principle can
be illustrated by looking at examples of opposites: good-evil, light-dark, hot-cold,
male-female, heaven-earth. All that exist is an expression of the underlying
opposite—Yin and Yang. These opposites are believed to ‘complement and balance
each other’, and together, they make a perfect whole.
But how does Taoism answer the first worldview question?

Taoism believes in the creative principle called Tao. It is believed to
be invisible, inaudible
and intangible, and existed before the beginning of the world. It is the ground of all
that
exists, and it produces and nourishes all. It is the origin of heaven and earth, is the
principle
that gives birth to he state of being of all things in opposites—Yin and Yang.

2.5. Islamic
According to the teachings of the Qur’an received by the Prophet Mohammed, Allah
created the universe. Everything in the universe is created by Allah and his supposed
to be submissive to Him. The whole world is Islam (Dar’ al Islam—the world of
peace), and everyone is born Muslim. Everyone is, therefore, required to submit to
him. All who fail to submit belong to are Kafir (part of dar’ al harb—the world of
war), hence considered rebellious. The duty of the Muslim therefore is to help those
in the world of war to move to the world of peace by submitting to Allah, the
prophet’s teaching and the Haddith.

2.6. Traditional African
...for African peoples, this is a religious universe. Nature in the broadest sense of
the word is not an empty impersonal object or phenomenon: it is filled with religious
significance ... God is seen in and behind these [natural] objects and phenomena:
they are His creation, they manifest Him, they symbolize His being and presence...
The invisible world presses hard upon the visible: one speaks to the other, and
Africans "see" that invisible universe when they look at, hear or feel the visible and
tangible world (Mbiti 1969, 56-57).
African people generally believe that the supreme God created the universe and man.
Everything in the universe depends on the supreme God. Though far from the
material world and not actively involved in the daily activities of the society, this
supreme God has sent ‘gods’ to be present and help when needed. However, when
there is a crisis, the supreme God comes down. It is important to understand that in
traditional Africa there is no distinction between the physical and the spiritual. Man
and nature depend on each other. Man has a body but also a soul. Your soul can be
taken/stolen and you can also be possessed by another soul.
A balance of nature brings harmony in a community and thus highly considered in

African communities.

2.7. Naturalistic Worldview
Everything that can be known or explained in the universe can be known or
explained through nature.
Reliance on the supernatural (anything outside the natural world) is at best

unknowable, and at worst, based on ignorance, superstition, or an unscientific ‘faith’
without evidence (materialism). In conclusion, therefore, God does not exist.
If God does not exist, then where did the universe come from? How did this present
world come to exist? Who are we and where do we come from?
There are several naturalistic explanations to the origin of the universe. There are
expressed in scientific theories.
3. The Origin of the Universe:

The Big Bang Theory
The universe, it was determined, begun as a tiny point, no larger than the full stop at
the end of this sentence. The tiny point grew larger and when it was fully expanded
it exploded. The ‘something’ which caused it to expand is not known and the
phenomenally powerful explosion, is known popularly as the Big Bang. [But of
course, that still leaves the question….. what caused the explosion itself?]
With this theory came certain challenges overtime. Scientists came to realize that
the universe had an order; a design.

3.1. The Anthropic Principle: A Challenge to Naturalism?
“Anthropos” is a Greek word meaning “man” or “human being”. The anthropic
principle states that the entire universe (and most particularly the planet earth)
appears to be precisely fine-tuned in such a way as to allow for and even promote
the emergence of intelligent human life.

3.2. A sample of factors necessary for the formation of the UNIVERSE:
There are many examples of the anthropic principle, most of which are difficult to
understand without a scientific background. Here are just a few:
1) The relative strengths of nature’s four fundamental forces: gravity,
electromagnetism, strong & weak nuclear forces. If any one of them had a
slightly different value, we would have a universe with no atoms, or have atoms
but no stars or planets.
2) The ratio of proton to electron mass: Protons are 1,836 times heavier than
electrons. Science knows of no reason why this should be so, but if it were only
slightly different, molecules would not form.
3) Protein formation: The probability that all the functional proteins necessary for
life might form in one place by random events was calculated by Dr. Fred Hoyle
et.al. as 1 in 10 to the forty thousandth. There are only 10 to the 80th subatomic
particles in the universe.
4) The universe began in an unnatural state of low entropy: in other words, it
began with high potential for order rather than disorder. The probability in such
an explosion that the opposite should be true is overwhelming.
5) Rate of expansion of the universe: if the rate of expansion were less by one part
in a million, the universe would have begun collapsing after 30,000 years. If
the rate were greater, matter could not have clumped together and galaxies
would never have formed.

3.3. Factors necessary for the formation of a life-supporting PLANET
(earth):
1) The star system must be devoid of large planets with elliptical orbits which
would eject or destroy smaller planets. (The large elliptical-orbit types are the
only type of extra-solar planets thus far discovered)
2) The planet must inhabit the “Goldilocks zone”, the habitable zone around a star
where temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold for the existence of liquid
water.
3) The planet must have a mass between 0.85 and 1.33 times that of Earth, or
temperature variations would make the planet uninhabitable within 2 billion
years.
4) A habitable planet must have a mechanism – such as tectonic plate activity - to
keep carbon dioxide from disappearing entirely. (Part of the earth’s surface
continually sinks to depths where carbonate decomposes to create carbon
dioxide, recycled to the surface through volcanic activity).
5) A habitable planet must somehow become inhabited!!
4. Origin of Man: Evolution and Evidence

We have so far focused on the question of how the universe came into
existence. There is also the more specific question of how human beings came to
exist. The naturalistic answer to this is evolution, and also the idea of Emergence.

4.1. Evolution
Evolution is a theory which states that through gradual changes over millions and
millions of years, simple organisms (forms of life) change or evolve into more and
more complex organisms. These changes, starting from the simplest microscopic
life forms, have gradually evolved into the latest and most complex form of life:
homo sapiens, or modern human beings.
Evolution developed from the theories of Charles Darwin in his work, The Origin of
Species, which proposed the mechanism by which changes might occur from one
species to another. This mechanism was known as natural selection. In nature, the
strong survive, and the weakest are killed by predators or disease. If any tiny
difference in composition gives one member of a species an advantage over another,
it will pass on this advantageous trait to its offspring, and these changes, over long
periods of time, will result in evolution into a new species.
4.2. Emergence
A more recent idea which attempts to cover over some of the more difficult gaps in
the evolutionary process is emergence. Even if one accepts the idea of macro-
evolution (one species evolving into another – which has significant evidential
challenges of its own), there are several giant leaps which cannot be accounted for
even by macro-evolutionary changes. Emergence states that when enough small
evolutionary changes take place in an organism, a certain critical juncture is reached
at which point a new characteristic “emerges” which cannot be explained merely as
a combination or addition of the small changes. In other words, the whole is greater
than the sum of its parts. The new characteristic is not only greater than, but
uniquely different from, the small and gradual changes which comprised it. Enough
small changes in degree will ultimately produce an ontological change, and a new
quality emerges.
For example:
The human mind is vastly superior to even the most intelligent animals,
because it has the capacity to reason and to think abstractly. Evolution is not
sufficient to explain this development, because evolution involves only small,
gradual changes, yet abstract thought is qualitatively different from mere
intelligence. Emergence theory suggests that when the level of animal
intelligence evolved to a critical juncture, a new quality or characteristic of
abstract thought emerged.
Emergence takes the physics concept of quantum mechanics into the sphere of
evolution to theorize that these transitions represent not gradual changes but
emergent qualities within the organism itself which, when the conditions are right,
suddenly come into existence. A quantum leap occurs, and life emerges from
inorganic material, consciousness emerges within living matter, etc. While
emergence is gaining acceptance within the naturalist worldview, it has little
scientific evidence to uphold it. No experiment can reproduce emergence. Yet,
without room for God, it seems the best solution for the naturalist to grasp.
4.3. Major “Leaps” in Human Evolution
1) The leap from nothing to something
Even the ‘big bang’ does not account for where the universe came from, or
why; it only explains “how”. But how does something come from
nothing?
2) The leap from non-life to life

How did inorganic material suddenly become ‘alive’?
3) The leap from non-conscious life to consciousness

How did plant life become animal life? And how did animal life gradually
gain consciousness to become self-aware?
4) The leap from conscious life to intelligent life How did animal awareness
change to human intelligence?
5) The leap from self-consciousness to God-consciousness (a spirit and spiritual

awareness) Even non-Christian social scientists recognize a spiritual
element in human beings, unique among all other animals. Where did this
come from?
6) The leap from ???? to morality, human conscience, ethical behaviour, love,
etc.
These qualities of human nature are recognized by everyone, including
naturalists, yet without a God-consciousness (or a God!), it is very
difficult to explain how or why these characteristics emerged.

4.4. Factors in Evolutionary Theory
1) Time
The universe is said to be 13.7 billion years old
The earth was formed 4.5 billion years ago
Life on earth began about 3.5 billion years ago
Dinosaurs existed between 250-65 million years ago
Hominids (human like creatures)
walked the earth from 6 million to 100 thousand
years ago.
Homo sapiens (modern humans)
have lived from about 150,000 years ago.
Abraham lived merely 4,000 years ago.
Yet many Christians interpret the biblical view as suggesting that Abraham lived
only 4,000 years ago, and Adam (as well as the whole initial creation) was created
only about 2,000 years prior to that, according to the Genesis genealogies. This
means that the age of all of creation is just over 6,000 years. If the scientific facts
are correct, there is need for an alternative view of the origin of life, and the Bible
would seem to be wrong. Alternatively, if the Biblical timeline is correct, the
discoveries of science would seem to be wrong.
4.5. The Christian Response
Question. How have Christians responded to this challenge?
Relationships between all living things
Biologists and zoologists have shown that all living things are
related to one another. We are not only made out of the same
elements, but we share many biological systems.
There are commonalities between the plant and animal

kingdoms, far more between all living creatures, and far more
between closely related species, which lived in the same
geological periods. In fact, the very concept of “relatedness”
and the apparent gradual changes and variations from one
one species to the next, indicates that each living thing did
not come into existence independently, but as part of a whole
process.
Question. How does one explain the enormous lengths of time and the
relatedness of all living things?
As science discovered these things in the early 20th century, the Christian worldview
seemed at a loss. If ‘creation’ was a 7 day event a few thousand years ago, how
could bones and fossils be discovered which gave evidence of being millions of years
old and of gradually giving way to successively more and more complex forms of
life? The factors above seem to support the naturalistic view of evolution, and
conflict with Christian view of creation. This division caused a massive upheaval
and worldview conflict in the West, which is still raging today.
5. The Christian Worldview

i. The Biblical Explanation: Creation and the Image of God
What does the Bible say about our origin as humans? It is important to note that the
response you get from any worldview about this question will determine the value
you put to life and more specifically human life. The Bible tells us that the whole
universe was created by God and we were created by Him, created in his image.
Martin Luther said, “God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees,
and in the flowers and clouds and stars.”
God therefore gives us a revelation of who we are and what the world is.
6. What is Revelation?
Revelation is both God’s WORD and God’s WORLD!
1) God’s word spoken All creation is the result of God’s spoken
Word “And God said, Let there be… and
there was..”
2) God’s word written The Bible, God’s message of life to man
3) God’s word living Jesus: Col 1:15 “He is the image of the
invisible God, firstborn over all
creation”
John 14:9 “Anyone who has seen me has
seen the Father”
John 5:39 “You diligently study the
Scriptures because you think that by them
you possess eternal life. These are the
Scriptures that testify of me.”
4) God’s world: Creation Col 1:16 “For by him all
things were created: things in heaven
and on earth, visible and invisible.”
Both the WORD and the WORLD are revealed in and through Christ.
7. The Christian Worldview about the Universe: The

Heavens Declare the Glory of God
Psalm 19
What does it mean to glorify God?
Everything glorifies God by being exactly what God
created it to be.
Art reflects the artist.
Creation reflects the Creator.
All creation glorifies God. It reflects order, design, beauty,
utility, love, care, rationalism, simplicity and complexity…
8. How does creation glorify him? How do human beings

glorify him?
Creation glorifies God simply by being what God intended it to be;
like a work of art “glorifies” the artist except human beings.
We are the only ones given a choice whether to glorify God or not.
When we choose not to glorify God we no longer reflect the image of God. Sin enters
the picture and the ‘masterpiece’ is marred. Does this mean we are in ignorance?
NO! Because we see the whole of creation declaring who God is. We deliberately
choose not to listen.
Paul writes, “they suppress the truth by their own wickedness,

since what may be known about God is plain to them”,
through creation [the Cosmos] (Rom. 1:18-20).
Question. What is the connection of the first to the third stanza, vs.7-11?
The clue is in the second stanza. The orderly rising and setting of the sun (v. 5-6)
sets the context of the next section. The sun is the supreme metaphor for the glory
of God; it rises every day without fail, faithful, trustworthy, never falters; reaches
the whole world; gives heat, light, warmth, to every creature.
The laws of the Lord are not only Old Testament moral laws, but include natural,
universal laws as well.
True wisdom is understanding and following God’s laws. (Ps. 111:10)

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom; all who follow his precepts
have good understanding”
The only way to live a rational and healthy life is to ascertain the nature of God’s
divine laws and ordinances, and then use them as the basis for how we should live.
God’s physical laws we obey – e.g. Gravity (Walk off a cliff, you will fall and die.)
God’s moral laws we disobey – e.g. Adam (Eat the fruit, sin, you will fall and die.)
Every sin has consequences, and the ultimate consequence is death. (Rom 6:23). Is
it not true that the consequences of disobedience to God’s moral laws are as equally
certain as the consequences of disregarding his physical laws? Why do we follow
one and disobey the other?
9. The Christian Worldview About Man: What is Man That

You are Mindful of Him?
Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is your name in all the earth!
Genesis 1:26-28
What is man, that you are mindful of him?
David begins to answer his own question:
He is a little lower than the ‘heavenly beings’
He is crowned with glory and honour. (What is this referring to?)
He is made ruler and head over all God’s creation: flocks, herds, birds,
fish
David surely has in mind the Old Testament creation account of man.
Let us make man in our image. Genesis 1:26-28 When God said this, he had
a plan:
God’s intention: man should rule over all the creatures and over all the
earth
God’s unique creative act: He created man as male and female, in his
image
God’s command: (cultural commission or mandate):

1) Be fruitful and increase in number
2) Fill the earth and subdue it
3) Rule over the animals
God’s gift: All plants, trees with fruits and seeds, every green plant for
food
This cultural commission forms the basis for our understanding of God’s original
intent and purpose in creating mankind. It has been used to justify both the Christian
understanding of environmental stewardship and, sadly, the domination and abuse
of the environment by Christians.
9. The Christian Worldview About Man: What is Man That

You are Mindful of Him?
9.1. Think about this
 As Christians, what is our responsibility toward creation?
 How should we relate to the environment?
 What makes humans different from animals?
 In what ways are we the same as - or related to - animals and to all of God’s
material creation?
One way to view this is to understand that in God’s universe, he created spiritual
beings (angels and others) and material beings (plants and animals). In a unique
way, man is a combination of both. He is both physical and spiritual, material and
immaterial. These cannot be separated without losing the essence of what it means
to be human. Man is a whole, unified being. Do not make the mistake of thinking
that only the spiritual is important to God. No! The Bible is quite clear that our
physical bodies are no less important than our spirits. (1 Cor 6:13-17). In fact this
is most clearly seen in the example of Jesus’ bodily resurrection and ascension. We
too will one day be resurrected in the body.
Finally, it is important to note that the stain of sin touches the whole of man: body,
soul and spirit. Thus the whole of man needs redemption. Animals do share certain
characteristics; other mammals also have minds, personalities, and emotions. Yet
even here, the human mind’s reasoning ability is unique. But the most unique
characteristic setting humans apart from animals is the spirit: spiritual awareness of
God, of morality, of right and wrong, and our freedom to choose. Only humans pray,
seek God, commune with Him, and are aware of sin, guilt, and shame. These are
primarily functions of the spirit, so it is through our spirits that God’s Holy Spirit
must enter in to transform the whole of our being and restore the Image of God in
man.
- Dr. Peter Atkins, an Oxford biologist says that

“In a sense, people are worthless. There’s no point to them. There’s no purpose in
people, people are just things that just happen to have emerged from slime, sort of
‘dragged themselves up by their own bootstraps’; and currently they’re having a
whale of a time. Good for people. I think it’s wonderful that there are people in the
universe and I’m glad that I’m one of them, but there isn’t any purpose to them, they
just happened to have got there through a process of natural selection and it’s
wonderful that they’re equipped with brains that can take delight from understanding
the world -–or even delight from just being in the world – but beyond that, they’re
just… nothing.”
This is definitely different from what David was explaining in Psalms 8 and also in
Genesis. These two show us that man was created for a purpose and in the image of
God as seen below.
10. Imprints of IMAGO DEI: How Humans Reflect God's
Nature
1 1. God is Spirit Man has a spirit (relationship with God

is possible
Man is created as a relational being
(male & female);
2 2. God exists in
relationship (Trinitarian) We are social beings, but individuals
are also important, so also the
community; the universal church is
compared to the ‘body’ of Christ,
belonging to each other.
3 3. God is a unity in Man is a unity: (body, soul and spirit in

one person)
plurality Father, Son and
Spirit:
3 titles 1 Being:
4. God has absolute freedom Man is created with inalienable

freedom to choose i.e. man is a free
moral agent
5. God is sovereign Man is given authority (limited) to rule
over creation
6. God is good Man was created good
7. God is the creator Man shares this creative ability,
though limited in scope and nature; his
creativity displays complex designs so
many ways.
Nature
10.1. Man exists in relationship - Reflecting the IMAGO DEI
 Relationship with God: “So God created humankind in his image, in the
image of God he created them” (Gen 1:27). The image of God comes
primarily from Who makes us what we are. Every human is in the image of
God not because of anything we have done, but because we are each the
special creation of God, and because despite our sinfulness, God is at work
for our redemption.
 Relationship with Others: “So God created humankind in his image . . . in

the image of God he created them (Gen 1:27). That last word (them) is
singular in the Hebrew, even if it is plural in translation to make it flow better
in English. Humankind as a whole, as a united entity, is created in the image
of God. We reflect the image of God best not as individuals but in relationship
with others. The next part of the verse continues, “male and female he created
them.” Both male and female are created in the image of God, and each needs
the other to see the image of God more fully reflected. We see God in a strong,
manly warrior (Ex 15:3), and we see God just as much in a mother teaching
her child to walk, scooping up her child in her arms, or bending down to feed
an infant (Hos 11:3-4). In the Garden of Eden relationship between man and
woman is central even in what they are called: male and female, ish and ishah
in Hebrew, because the woman is bone of the man’s bone and flesh of his
flesh (cf. Gen 2:23).
 Relationship with Creation: “Let us make humankind…and let them have

dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing
that creeps upon the earth” (Gen 1:26). God appoints the man and woman to
be caretakers of creation.
The Christian community is a place where acceptance ought to abound. When believers get together,
there should be an undeniable sense of safety, recognition, and equity that weaves its way through our
conversations and conduct with one another. We’re to “accept each other” to the point that we reflect
the same sort of unconditional acceptance that each of us has received from Jesus Christ. The point is
simply this: We can’t afford to underestimate the importance of acceptance. It’s a precious commodity,
and those who are “in Christ” ought to be the most generous people on the planet when it comes to
acceptance. We need to express, exchange, and experience it freely. And as we do so, we can’t help but
glorify our great God, who has freely accepted us. - The God Speaks Team

Nature
10.2. When sin entered this picture, each aspect of God’s image was
marred:
1. Our spirit is ‘dead’
Dead does not mean it is gone, but separated from the spiritual Life found
only in God through Christ.
2. Relational problems in all spheres of life
Examples include divorce, family breakdown, social crises, from local level
to international relations.
3. Internal disharmony / Psychological problems;
Such as having a poor self-image, being controlled by physical desires,
addictions, emotions, drives
4. Abuse of our freedom
Through making wrong choices, being self-seeking rather than God seeking
having freedom to sin as opposed to living righteously.
5. Abuse of the environment and the earth
Our ‘sovereignty’ has killed off species, caused pollution, contributed to
global warming, etc.
6. Born through a sinful nature
We are no longer born good. Not even innocent. We are born with a
corrupted sinful nature.
7. Abuse of creativity
We use our creative abilities and gifts for selfish purposes as opposed to using
them to glorify God
11. The Value of Human Life

 I think it’s wonderful that there are people in the universe and I’m
glad that I’m one of them, but there isn’t any purpose to them;
they just happened to have got there through a process of natural
selection--Dr. Peter Atkins, Oxford biologist
 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my
mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made. Psalm 139: 13-14
“In Atheism, you came from nothing, you are going nowhere, and you will end your
brief cosmic journey beneath six feet of dirt, where all that you will become is food
for bacteria and rot with worms. Now, why don't you feel good about yourself? And
why don't you show more respect for human life? In the Christian account: From
the moment of conception, you and all other human beings are the special creation
of a good and all powerful God. You are the climax of His creation, the magnum
opus of the greatest artist in the universe. You are created in His image, with
capacities to think, feel, and worship that set you above all other life forms. You
differ from the animals not simply in degree, but in kind, in your very essence. Not
only is your kind unique, but you are unique among your kind. God has
masterminded the exact combination of DNA and chromosomes that constitute your
genetic code, making you as different from all others as every snowflake differs from
the rest”.
Randy Alcom
What happens when human value is not connected to the “Image of God”?
Abortion, Euthanasia, Suicide, Indiscriminate killing

(e.g. suicide bombings) all become viable options!
12. Tutorial
NATURALISTIC AND THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW IN CONFLICT
Many naturalistic scientists found the idea of the universe having a beginning (the
Big Bang theory) to be ‘repugnant’. There was a concerted (but mostly fruitless)
effort to offer alternative theories. So far none of the naturalistic alternatives has
gained any scientific credibility, and the big bang theory has become widely
accepted among both scientists and the general public. The Christian worldview
seems to have won this battle of the beginning!
But… the beginning according to science looks very different than the beginning
according to Genesis. How do we reconcile the two? Should Christians accept the
‘Big Bang’ as the apparent old age of earth? Or is it another disguised attempt to
discredit Scripture? Many people of faith, no matter which religion, see science as
supporting a naturalistic, materialistic or naturalistic worldview, and being an enemy
to faith. Is this a fair assessment of science? Perhaps the larger question is: What
is the Christian to do with science?
12. Tutorial
12.1. FOUR APPROACHES TO FAITH AND SCIENCE
1. Competing: one rules out the other. People of faith have faith because they
ignore the evidence of science. Naturalistic scientists unable to acknowledge the
possibility of God.
2. Separately valid: each addresses a separate part of human existence. Both

valid and non-conflicting but completely distinct spheres. Science is about the
physical, the concrete world. It is objective—everyone knows and experiences
the same scientific laws. Faith is about the spiritual, the world of the soul. It is
subjective—no one can know or judge another’s experience of faith. This
approach opposes a basic premise of this course: that Christianity is a worldview
through which we encounter and evaluate all elements of life.
3. Complementary searches for truth: A dominant view at UCU and often at

other Christian educational institutions. All truth is God’s truth—science gives
us nothing to fear. Science and faith are two different perspectives on the same
reality, whether it is called creation, the cosmos or the universe. The problem
lies in their differing interpretations, and in the fact that both perspectives have
limitations which prevent them from seeing the ‘whole Truth’. Faith and science
work in partnership in the search for the truth, both recognizing one another’s
particular abilities and limitations.
NB. Some see a danger in this approach of giving too much credence to science
because we do not want to seem anti-intellectual or ignorant. Science might
easily occupy the primary space, making faith and theology conform to its
agenda rather than the other way around. When science becomes the
unquestionable part and we have to fit our faith in around it, this approach is no
longer healthy for Christians seeking God’s truth
4. Science within the Christian worldview: Science is simply one aspect of the
Christian worldview, not a competing system or even a different
perspective. We may learn from it, critique it, but need not be obsessed with
science in either direction: worrying about how to retain our faith if we take
science seriously, or being so afraid that we fight it, trying to protect our faith
from the threats of science. Fighting the “culture wars” is not our focus and
calling; but the Christian worldview should be able to embrace the “truth” of
science because we recognize that God has revealed himself in his world; yet be
critical of the naturalistic framework in which it comes.
What is to be done when the Christian and naturalist worldviews collide?
When there is an appearance of conflict, how do we decide which is true?

12.2. Analyse the options
1) Choose the “Christian” view and deny or reject any scientific evidence which
seems to contradict it.
2) Choose the naturalist view and ignore or discount any biblical revelation to the
contrary.
3) Reject both views and find an alternative.
4) Accept both views separately, as though faith and science exist in separate
domains
5) Examine the evidence from both perspectives; try to find a way to reconcile the
conflict.
**Great discernment is needed to separate the facts of both perspectives from their
interpretations!
Science often proposes theories which may be false, based on facts which may be
certain. Often differing scientific theories or interpretations arise out of the same
discoveries. Science has made plenty of mistakes in the past, but these mistakes are
usually corrected by better scientific theories – not by religious criticism.
Likewise, Christianity has often proposed interpretations of Scripture which are

wrong, even though the Scriptures which they were based on are true. Scripture has
been used to justify many wrong ideas, from the crusades to slavery to
apartheid. These false interpretations usually have to be dealt with theologically -
not through scientific condemnation.
But sometimes science and faith overlap. When they do, they usually overlap in the
way they attempt to INTERPRET the world. There are very few solid facts,
discoveries, or Scriptures which in and of themselves cause conflict. But there are
often conflicts over the way these “truths” are explained and interpreted. This does
not minimize the importance of the conflict! Some conflicts, such as Creation vs.
Evolution, are very serious indeed; yet we must recognize where the source of the
problem lies. We need to be careful to distinguish between the Bible and our
Christian worldview, just as we must distinguish between Science and the Naturalist
worldview. All worldviews are limited in some ways, and so are only partial views
of Reality. The Christian worldview is limited by the written revelation of Scripture
as God’s Word. We cannot always speak authoritatively on issues which the Bible
does not address. The naturalistic worldview is limited by its inability to incorporate
the supernatural or spiritual realm into its view of reality. It is limited to materialist
explanations of any and all phenomena, and has no written revelation from God,
only the attempted explanations of fallible human beings.
We need to be aware that science, like Christianity, attempts to explain what it

knows. Neither has complete knowledge. Furthermore, the knowledge may be
correct, but the explanation or interpretation false. We ought to give the same
careful examination to God’s reality from both the scientific perspective and the faith
perspective. Both are attempting to understand the truth of God’s world (or the
Cosmos), but both have a limited perspective and limited knowledge. Christianity
should be able to embrace Science (but not a naturalistic interpretation)! And
Science should not automatically exclude the possibility of the supernatural or of
revealed (rather than observed) truth. Both need to critically separate the facts from
the interpretation.
Example: One person claims a certain building is red, the next person claims that
the same building is definitely orange. Which is telling the truth? Must
one be lying? Perhaps one is lying, or perhaps their description of the
colour is simply different, or perhaps one of them went to the wrong
building. But these explanations are not very satisfying. They can only
end in argument.
But what if… one person saw the house from the front and it was red. The
other saw it only from the back and it was orange. Both were correct from
their perspective! In this case, they were both partly right, based on the
information they had. Could science and religion resolve some
differences by accepting the possibility of differing perspectives and
working together to discover the Truth?
13. Discussion Questions
1. Discuss issues and questions arising from the lecture.
2. Which quotes from the Readings section strike you as the most interesting or
provocative? Why?
3. Basing on your readings from Colson and Burnet. How does Colson’s first
key question relate to at least 2 themes used by David Burnet?
4. If all humans bear the image of God, (both Christian and non
Christian), what is the difference between Christian and non -
Christian in God’s eyes?
If we bear the image of God, what is our responsibility as
Humans (General responsibility -cultural commission)
Christians (Special responsibility -great commission)
NOTE: The Civil Society activity is introduced in this tutorial.
14. Readings
The Value of Human Life
Rev. Robert R. Fleischmann, August 1989
It is becoming more difficult to know what to do in life and death situations.

Advancements in medicine, challenges in the court, and changing opinions have
raised questions about when life begins, what its value is, and when it ends.
As complex as these matters may seem, Christians can find help in God's Word.
The Bible does not address every life and death circumstance that we may
encounter. It does, however, establish principles to guide us. These biblical
principles guide our Christian understanding of the existence of life, the quality of
life, and the right to choose medical treatment.
14. Readings
14.1. The Existence of Life
Early abortion debates centered on whether there really is human life in the womb.
Specifically, the contention was made by abortion advocates that there was only
"potential life." While they would not deny that the fetus is alive they questioned
whether the "quality" of its health or the degree of its development deserves to be
called human life. In ethical terms, does it have the quantity which is human life?
While ethicists, advocates, and philosophers debate the question, Scripture states the
case clearly. Simply put, either there is life or there isn't life. There are not degrees
of human life.
The psalmist acknowledges, "Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the
time my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5). The key word here is "sinful."
Sinfulness is an attribute of human life. Its condition makes human life accountable
to the Creator who demands perfection. The psalmist sees no distinction between
birth and conception. At both points sinfulness is the condition, human life is the
reality.
While the sinful condition of life at conception clearly distinguishes the humanity of
that life, the redemptive work of Christ gives evidence of its absolute value. "He is
the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sin of the
whole world" (1 John 2:2). Jesus Christ did not die for "potential life," "products of
conception," or "parts of the mother's body." He died for human beings, marked by
sin and in need of a Savior.
In this sense God is no respecter of persons. "For God does not show favoritism"
(Romans 2:11). In his work of saving souls all human life has absolute and equal
value. Equal value as a redeemed soul, however, does not mean that equal qualities
of life are enjoyed by all. Life does come with varying degrees of quality.
14. Readings
14.2. The Quality of Life
Statements about the "quality" of life are no longer only evaluations of a person's
standard of living. They are becoming the criteria for life and death decisions.
Qualitative expressions dominate medical decision-making terminology. You hear
and read terms like "meaningful life," "prevailing interest," and "persistent
vegetative state."
Qualitative expressions are often used with implied comparisons. Will a child born
with Down Syndrome enjoy a "meaningful life" (in comparison to so-called
"normal" children)? Do the mother's concerns represent a "prevailing interest" (over
those of the unborn life in her womb)? Is the patient in a "persistent vegetative state"
(implying the patient has the value of a vegetable in comparison to "normal"
people)? In life and death decisions the question is not, is this a life, but is this good
enough in my opinion to continue? Does it have the qualities of a human life?
You see, the world measures the "quality" of a human life in degrees of enjoyment.
The yardsticks are pleasure, prosperity, position, and opinion. Is it a life that can be
enjoyed, bring joy to others, or contribute to the well-being of society?
There is no question that life does have varying degrees of quality, made that way
by God (Proverbs 22:2, Romans 9:20,21). To some come the blessings of wealth,
health, prosperity, and popularity; to others the burdens of illness, handicap, and
hardship. In most cases there is a blend of blessings and burdens. But in all
circumstances we are encouraged to learn contentment (Philippians 4:1113).
God teaches that all human life is his gift, regardless of its "quality" and is worthy
of our respect and protection. Jesus died for all. Even those with "poor quality" lives
should live for Him (2 Corinthians 5:15).
In Genesis 9:6 the equal high value of all human life was expressed with the words,
"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image
of God has God made man." When man sinned he lost the image of God. Because
God gives each life as a time of grace during which He wishes to restore that image,
each human life is a special, unique, and prized creation of God (Hebrews 9:27, 1
Timothy 2:3,4, Colossians 3:10). Each of our lives, regardless of its quality, is such
a human life. To end that life is a personal affront to its Creator. To take life without
the expressed command of God is a violation of the Fifth Commandment.
14. Readings
14.3. The Right to Choose
Sadly, there is still a point which even many socalled conservative doctors, lawyers,
and ethicists find themselves in conflict with God's Word. While they may
acknowledge it is wrong to take a person's life actively or passively by withdrawing
food and water, some will contend that it is acceptable when a person exercises his
"right to choose" (also known as "personal autonomy"). They believe a patient has
an absolute right to make decisions about his own care. If he wants to die by
starvation, let him. If he wants a lethal injection, he can have it. So the arguments
go.
Personal autonomy is a biblical principle. In a Christian's life of holy living he

exercises this autonomy at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Our whole life of
obedience is a series of decisions we make in Christian freedom. In our care for our
bodies and the human lives of our family we exercise this same autonomy.
But freedom of choice is subject to the will of God who seeks to protect us from our
sinful nature (Deuteronomy 10:13). We will not use our bodies, for instance, for
sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:19). God forbids us to use our freedom of choice
to indulge in those things which God has called sin (Romans 6). As popular as it
may sound to say "a person can make decisions about his own life," a Christian
acknowledges that God's Word directs his freedom. He certainly will not use his
Christian freedom to take his own life. Nor will he honor a family member's desire
to do so.
14. Readings
14.4. Divine Guidance for Human Life
So, the Bible teaches that every human life is a gift from God, an absolute value
from conception until its natural end. From Scripture we also know that a person has
the right to choose treatment for himself in line with God's will. But we will not use
our Christian freedom to end God's gift of life because we judge the quality to be
poor.
Christians need not fear death. We know what is ahead (1 Thessalonians 4:1317).
We can face the burdens of life trusting that even harsh things are for our good
(Romans 8:28). If it seems clear God is taking back His gift of life, we will not fight
His will with medication, treatment, or machines. If it seems clear that God, in His
wisdom, is asking one of His children to continue life with fewer earthly qualities,
we will not challenge His will with the sin of taking human life. In facing the difficult
decisions of life and death we can be assured that with Christ as our guide, and faith
in our hearts we can be no better equipped for such a task.
Rev. Robert R. Fleischmann,

National Director, Christian Life Resources
Northwestern Lutheran, August 1989; Reprinted with
permission
14. Readings
14.5. Christianity and the Cosmos
“The dominating principle of Christian Faith is not soteriological (ie. salvation
based), but cosmological (ie. the sovereignty of God over the whole cosmos, in all
its spheres and kingdoms, visible and invisible). The entire cosmos can be
understood only in relation to God.”
-Charles Colson
“Genuine Christianity is more than a relationship with Jesus, as expressed in

personal piety, church attendance, Bible study, and works of charity. It is more than
discipleship, more than believing a system of doctrines about God. Genuine
Christianity is a way of seeing and comprehending ALL reality.”
-Charles Colson
14. Readings
14.6. The Search for Truth
“All I want is reality. Show me God. Tell me what He is really like. Help me to
understand why life is the way it is, and how I can experience it more fully and with
greater joy. I don’t want the empty promises. I want the real thing. And I’ll go
wherever I find that truth system.”
- Lisa Baker, age 20, disenchanted with religion, while still seeking ‘the
answer’
“Until the late 1910s, humans were as ignorant of cosmic origins as they had ever
been. Those who didn’t take Genesis literally had no reason to believe there had
been a beginning. This century has seen an explosion in our exploration of the
Universe as new instruments and techniques have become available. Now the search
for our origin is a very active and advanced field.”
- George Smoot, director of COBE, NASA
“Science asks…what cause produced this effect? Who or what put the matter and
energy into the Universe?. . . And science cannot answer these questions, because,
according to the astronomers, in the first moments of its existence the Universe was
compressed to an extraordinary degree, and consumed by the heat of a fire beyond
human imagination.
- Robert Jastrow, former director of NASA
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’”

- Psalm 14:1a
“The more I know of Astronomy, the more I believe in God”

- H.D. Curtis, astronomer
“Miracles are a re-telling in small letters of the very same story which is written
across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.”
- C.S. Lewis apologist
“Belief in God is acceptance of the basic principle that the universe makes sense,
that there is behind it an ultimate purpose.”
- Carl Wallace Miller
“We have rather lost sight of the idea that Christianity is supposed to be an
interpretation of the universe”.
- Dorothy Sayers
14. Readings
14.7. Naturalistic Interpretations of Human Life and the Cosmos
Nature (Cosmos) is “all that is or ever was or ever will be,” and the Cosmos is the
only self-existing, eternal being. “A universe that is infinitely old requires no
Creator.”
- Carl Sagan
“Human life is just a chemical scum on the surface of a minor planet orbiting around
a very average star in the outer suburbs of one among the million galaxies in the
observable universe. Yet it is remarkable that the laws of science seem to be chosen
very carefully to allow the possibility of life developing. If the laws had been only
very slightly different, there would have been no intelligent life to observe the
universe and to wonder why it is the way it is.
- Stephen Hawking, Cambridge physicist
Where did the substance of the universe come from?

If 0 = +1 + (-1), then something which is 0 might just as well become 1 and –
1. Perhaps in an infinite sea of nothingness, globs of positive and negative energy
in equal-sized pairs are constantly forming, and after passing through evolutionary
changes, combining once more and vanishing. We are in one of these globs in the
period of time between nothing and nothing, and wondering about it.
– Isaac Asimov, physicist and science fiction author
14. Readings
14.8. Scientific Challenges to the Naturalistic View
“A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has
monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology, and that there are no
blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the
facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question.”
– Fred Hoyle, famous astro-physicist whose
atheism was shaken after he calculated the statisticalimpossibility of a
particular
element needed by all living organisms forming by chance
“Between a living cell and the most highly ordered non-biological system, such as a
crystal or a snowflake, there is a chasm as vast and absolute as it is possible to
conceive.”
– Michael Denton, biologist, in Evolution, a Theory in Crisis,
challenging the recent theories of ‘emergence’.
“The notion of time is defined only within the universe. It is meaningless to talk
about events before the beginning of the universe. It is like asking for a point on the
earth north of the North Pole. It is just not defined.”
– Stephen Hawking
For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like
a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the
highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of
theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”
Robert Jastrow, former director of NASA
“Science without Religion is lame; Religion without Science is blind.”

- Albert Einstein
14. Readings
14.9. The Anthropic Principle
“On Earth, a long sequence of improbable events transpired in just the right way to
bring forth our existence, as if we had won a million-dollar lottery a million times in
a row. Contrary to the prevailing belief, maybe we are special….it seems prudent
to conclude that we are alone in a vast cosmic ocean….”
- Robert Naeye, in Astronomy 1996
“If the rate of expansion one second after the big bang had been smaller by even one
part in a hundred thousand million million, the universe would have collapsed before
it ever reached its present state.”
- Stephen Hawking, physicist
“It turns out that the ‘constants of nature’… have exactly the values that allow stars
and planets to form… The universe, it seems, is fine-tuned to let life and
consciousness flower. Science may never be able to tell us why this should be.
- Edward Kolb, physicist of the Fermi
National Accelerator Laboratory
14. Readings
14.10. Big Bang: The Response to Science and Christianity
Recent discoveries in the scientific arena have determined that the universe, contrary
to the belief of previous centuries, is not infinitely old, but had a beginning. The
Jews, then the Christians, and later the Muslims, have always believed the universe
had a beginning; that is, until the scientific advances of the 17th – 19th centuries,
during which time this belief was gradually discarded in the West in favour of the
idea that the universe had always been there. This was in part due to the gradual
realisation that the universe is actually incredibly old - and incredibly big; older and
bigger than anyone had ever previously imagined. Some even began to equate God
with the Universe, (as in much of pantheistic Eastern religion), identifying the
universe as everything, and God as the Spirit or Personality of that universal
everything.
Therefore, the 20th century ‘discovery’ that the universe did in fact have a beginning
caused a tremendous upheaval in the scientific community, not to mention the
theological community! However, while the emergence of this incredible new
understanding confirmed that the universe was not infinitely old, it also confirmed
that it was in fact very very very old, in the region of 13.7 billion years. And
although the universe was not infinitely large, it was still very very very large, many
billions of light years across - and found not to be static at all, but to be expanding! If
something is expanding over time, one may hypothesize that it expanded from
something smaller. [But just how small could the universe have
been?] Cosmologists began to use certain astronomically observed data to
extrapolate backwards in time and backwards in size, or space, to determine just
what it expanded from, and how long ago it started. Voila!! The BIG BANG theory
emerged. (The term ‘Big Bang’ was actually coined by Fred Hoyle in jest and
criticism of the theory. Hoyle was a staunch advocate of the steady-state theory,
also an atheist, and refused to condone any scientific notion of a
beginning. Nevertheless, the name stuck.)
Christians now faced a new dilemma. While all those who had disregarded the
science-based naturalistic worldview because it discarded the biblical doctrine of a
beginning, could now rejoin the scientific establishment, the ‘beginning’ that science
had discovered looked very different from the ‘beginning’ that the Bible
described. In fact, the biblical view seemed to point to a creation that emerged all at
once and fully formed – much like the (newly discredited) scientific view of a static
ever-existing universe. Christians, who had gone along with science earlier and had
treated the biblical account as ‘myth’, now had to admit that perhaps there was some
literal reality to the myth after all. Those Christians (often categorized as
fundamentalists) who had held firmly to the literal biblical account, in order to now
accept these scientific findings and claim some vindication, also had to accept the
conclusions that went alongside: that the universe took billions of years to develop,
that the earth took billions of years to form, that life on earth developed over
hundreds of millions of years, and that human life, in terms of both the time and
space of its existence, looked suspiciously like a tiny speck of insignificance at the
end of an incredibly long chain of events which had nothing to do with us. [Or did
it?] What could God’s purpose have been for creating a vast, mostly empty universe
over eons of time with no one around to appreciate it – until we humans happened
along [coincidence? God’s plan?]; and even then we couldn’t truly appreciate it until
the discoveries of this past century opened our eyes to the scale and scope of the
universe in which we now find ourselves.
Science now faced a dilemma as well. Some scientists (and some theologians!) of
the previous centuries believed that the death-knell of God had been sounded, and
religion would soon follow. In other words, if the universe was eternal and self-
existent, and if there was infinite time for life to emerge, which it ultimately did,
there was no real place left for God. A self-existing creation has no need of a
Creator. God was merely a concept which man devised to explain the previously
unexplainable. However, the same advances in cosmology, astronomy, and astro-
physics which brought about an awareness of the size and age of the universe, also
determined that the universe was at one time nothing but a speck – but a speck which
had a definite beginning. That speck of immeasurable energy and mass [which
appeared ’out of nothing’?], in a moment some 13.7 billion years ago [’in the
beginning’?], exploded with an incomprehensible power, and the universe was born.
But one of the principle theorems of science in a universe of apparent order is that
things don’t just happen. Everything that happens is caused by something. What
was it that caused the Big Bang? What was the “First Cause”? And how could it
emerge, in a flash, out of nothing? Most scientists were content to leave such
‘unscientific’ speculation to the theologians. After all, science deals with
observation, experimentation, and data. Nothing can be known about what came
before there was anything. Epistemologically, science had reached its limit. Some
were pleased to see science and theology back on speaking terms, and believed a
new era of common understanding had been achieved. A few however, became
more determined than ever to demonstrate, if only in theory or mathematically, that
something could come from nothing, that the Big Bang did not require a First Cause,
and that furthermore, even in finite time, the emergence of life out of non-living
material, and the evolution of that life to a higher intelligence, is purely a natural
consequence of the way the universe is, and would be found paralleled all over the
universe – once we became capable of discovering it.
14. Readings
14.11. The Development of Conflict: Science and Christian Faith
The ‘revolution’ in science during the 16th-17th centuries was equally to do with the
achievements, as with the fact that for the first time, science began to (occasionally)
take on a life of its own, no longer specifically driven by the Church, and sometimes
even coming into conflict with the established view of the Church. This was not to
be tolerated. Three major developments took place in the subsequent 4 centuries,
each of which had a major impact in determining the shape of the relationship of
science and theology for succeeding generations:
1) The astronomical debates of the 16th-17th centuries; particularly the Galileo

controversy
Here, Galileo’s defense of the Copernican theory of a helio-centric (sun-centred)
model of the solar system was condemned by the Church. The interesting point here
was that the controversy was not primarily over the astronomical data, nor the new
model itself, but over issues of biblical interpretation – hermeneutics! Galileo’s
critics insisted that certain biblical passages (e.g. Josh 10:12) did not allow for a
heliocentric model, (ie. it was incompatible with Scripture), while his advocates
argued for a more ‘accommodating’ interpretation of Scripture. But this
accommodating view could potentially open the floodgates of new Protestant
interpretations of Scripture, eroding the authority of the Roman Catholic
hierarchy. Galileo himself, being more concerned with the astronomical innovation
and probably out of his depth theologically, was condemned for heresy and forced
to recant. In this case, the Church took a scientific achievement and forced it, for
religious reasons, into theological territory, debating not the merits of the scientific
discovery, but the theological and political ramifications of a shift in hermeneutical
principles.
2) Emergence of the Newtonian worldview (“celestial mechanics”) in the 17th C;

Deism in the 18th C.
With this second development, Isaac Newton (who incidentally was far more prolific
in his theological writings than in his scientific ones) established certain basic laws
which defined the motion of celestial bodies. This sounds harmless enough, until
one remembers that until that time, the planets, sun, moon, stars and earth were all
thought to be independent bodies, held in space and in motion by nothing less than
the hand of God. Newton was able to demonstrate that three fundamental concepts
of classical physics, (mass, space, time), combined together in a single universal
principle (the Law of Gravity), applied equally to the earth as to all the celestial
bodies, and that a vast range of astronomical observation could all be explained by
a single universal principal. The universe was a great machine! This “mechanistic
worldview” as McGrath calls it, suggested the idea of design, and design suggested
the idea of God as designer and instigator, shedding the view of a God who continues
a role of divine involvement in the world. Like a watchmaker who constructs a
watch, and sets it going to run by itself, God may have constructed the cosmos, then
set it going like a great machine, to run itself. [Determinism? Fate?]. This
theological view of a distant creator God, known as Deism, became extremely
popular and influential in the succeeding century, playing a key role in philosophical
developments, which in turn influenced political changes around the world
(including the Declaration of Independence of the newly formed United States of
America, and the French Revolution). In this case, a scientific discovery caused a
massive shift in religious and theological thought.
3) The Darwinian model of human origins; fossils and the study of geology in the
19th century; typified by the Huxley-Wilberforce debate
In this example of the Darwinian theory of natural selection and human origins, the
relationship of science and religion could be seen more as a confrontation, a ‘clash
of the Titans’, than as a relationship. Interestingly, the new science of geology
helped lay the groundwork for Darwin’s ideas, and in many ways was more
generally influential (in that it established the age of the earth and the mechanisms
of change), than was the biologically based theory of Darwin. However, Darwin’s
theory coalesced all the generalities into a single provocative conclusion which
grabbed the public’s attention like a lightning rod in a way that geology never
could: that human beings evolved from apes! Darwin’s theory contradicted an
earlier view of the ‘fixity of species’, but in fact complemented much of the
contemporary scientific developments of his day. The real problem was that taken
to its logical conclusion, natural selection and the relationship of all species to one
another, meant that human beings were not specially created, but evolved; were not
unique, but were simply a more highly adapted and intelligent animal. This seemed
to blatantly contradict the biblical view, not to mention that the fossil discoveries
and geological determination of an ‘old earth’ seemed to undermine the creation
story yet more severely.
Theologians threw down the gauntlet, aided by critics in the scientific realm; and on
the other side, a significant number of theologians joined the side of the
Darwinists! The stage of battle was set, and found its combatants in the persons of
T.H. Huxley, member of the British Association of Oxford, and Samuel Wilberforce,
bishop of Oxford. Legend has it that Wilberforce eloquently poured scorn on the
evolutionary theory, and Huxley in turn portrayed him as an ignorant and arrogant
cleric. The truth is likely much less torrid, but the implications which followed were
massive. In this case, scientific innovations clashed with the prevailing biblical
view, causing a vast rupture in the church, some turning their backs on science,
others turning their backs religion – or at least on the literal truth of the Bible - and
others trying hopelessly to navigate a path between, desperately wanting ‘Truth’ to
be consistent with both science and the Bible. The debate over evolution thrust wide
apart the crack which had already begun to separate the ‘liberal’ theologian from the
‘conservative’ theologian, and the implications sent shock waves through the
churches, denominations, and most especially, the great universities which still
retained their Christian foundations.
14. Readings
14.12. Three 20th Century Converts
1917 Albert Einstein, Jewish German theoretical physicist convinced of a self-
contained universe
1917 William F. Albright, American archeologist trained in German rationalistic
criticism of OT history.
1917 C.S. Lewis, British army lieutenant in WWI, materialistic atheist
Facts, scientific facts coming to light in the 1920s, were responsible for each of these
3 great thinkers and leaders in their respective fields having a crisis of faith; that is,
‘faith’ in the scientific conclusions and theories they had previously ascribed
to. Each of these men had their minds completely changed by the facts of their own
discoveries.
Albert Einstein
By 1917, Albert Einstein had already published his general theory of relativity, but
in this year he published a paper which ‘updated’ the theory to conform to the widely
held cosmology of the day, the principle that the universe was in a ‘steady state’,
infinite in age, stars drifting randomly, and the Milky Way being the extent of the
Cosmos. Einstein was so convinced of this view, that he added a “cosmological
constant” into his equations of relativity, to make the equations comply with the
steady state view. Einstein’s contemporaries, including Sir Arthur Eddington had
determined that the implications of general relativity implied that the universe had a
beginning. This could not be – so Einstein reworked the equations and added a
‘fudge factor’. Eddington typified the scientific community’s
distaste: “Philosophically, the notion of a beginning of the present order of Nature
is repugnant to me.” Eddington’s own work in quantum physics had already
convinced him of strong evidence for “a universal Mind or Logos”, which could
promote not the traditional idea of faith, but a scientifically-based faith. By 1927,
Edwin Hubble had established that the ‘red shift’ of distant galaxies proved the
universe was expanding outward in a precise and uniform way, the furthest galaxies
moving the fastest. This was precisely as Einstein’s original theory had
predicted. Only after he had seen for himself through Hubble’s telescope did
Einstein retract his “cosmological constant”, calling it “the greatest blunder of my
life”. Einstein, the reluctant ‘discoverer’ that the universe had a beginning, was
forced to conclude that the universe was originally dependent on an outside
cause. Though he never believed in a “personal God”, Einstein moved from being
a materialist to a theist, and the rest of the scientific community took a radical U-
turn in its understanding of the Cosmos and its beginning.
William F. Albright
In 1917, William F. Albright was completing his studies of German higher criticism,
including the Documentary Hypothesis, which basically saw most of Old Testament
history as ‘myth’, having been invented and written over 1,000 years after the
supposed events. In 1918 he wrote an article about the mythical elements in the
patriarchal narratives, with emphasis on Abraham’s military campaigns, based in
part on the lack of evidence of Iron Age habitation of the region. By 1929, the same
year Hubble published his findings of an expanding universe, Albright discovered a
series of mounds, which upon excavation, turned out to be Bronze Age cities, a much
earlier period, forming a route for a military campaign exactly as described by
Genesis 14. Furthermore, one inscription was found to contain the name “Arriyuk”,
a biblical name of one of the participants in the campaign. Other inscriptions from
pre-2000 BC were found with common names of biblical characters of that era, and
cultural and technical terms shown to be in use long before the time of the Mosaic
covenant. Albright could only conclude, “There can be no doubt that archaeology
has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament tradition.” Many
other archeological discoveries confirmed these findings, and Albright went on to
become one of the leading proponents of historical biblical archeology.
C.S. Lewis
In 1917, C.S. Lewis turned from a simple atheism to a more severe atheism. His
abilities in language, literature and philosophy won him high honours, but he was
also a fierce materialist and realist, convinced that nothing was real beyond what
could be perceived by the sensed, and that “religious faith was only for uneducated,
unthinking people.” By 1929 C.S. Lewis had become a renowned Oxford professor,
but found his atheism greatly shaken by an atheist friend acknowledging the
historicity of the gospel accounts. Lewis was gradually ‘converted’ to a belief in a
Supreme Being, but also began a linguistic study of John’s gospel. Lewis wrote, “I
have been reading poems, romances, vision-literature, legends, myths all my life. I
know what they are like. I know that not one of them is like this.” Lewis admitted
the implications of the gospel documents being authentic, and eventually ‘awoke’ to
a realization of a developing personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the central
figure of the gospel account.
“It will probably be said that the conclusion to be drawn from these
arguments from modern science, is that religion first became possible for a
reasonable scientific man about the year 1927.” -Sir Arthur Eddington
“Evolution is a light illuminating all facts, a curve that all lines must follow…
Man discovers that he is nothing else than evolution become conscious of
itself.” —Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“One man cannot do right in one department of life whilst he is occupied in doing
wrong in any other department. Life is one indivisible whole.”
— Mahatma Ghandi
Chapter Five - Problems and Solutions in the World

1. Objectives
By the end of the chapter students should be able to:
1.
1. Explain the Christian understanding of the problems in the world today.
2. Discus using the worldview analysis question so to show how Christianity
answers the question of nature of problems in the world.
3. Discuss how different worldviews answer the question of solution to problems
in the world.
Key Questions: What has gone wrong with the world? What has gone wrong
with us?
What can we do to fix it? Where do we find salvation?
1. Objectives
1.1. Bible Passage
1 Corinthians 1:18-25, 1 John 4:1-2
Main Points:
The Problem(s) of the World
- General Problems
- Root Problems
- Theodicies
Revelation and Truth in Other Worldviews
The Concept of “Salvation”
An Examination of Solutions in Other Worldviews
Key Terms: conversion, paradigm shift, pluralism, relativism, cultural conversion,

syncretism, contextualization
Charles Colson in addition to the first question proposed a second and third question
that we could use to analyze worldviews:
What has gone wrong with the world?
Chapter Five - Problems and Solutions in the
World
2. Paul's Message to Other Worldviews

Devotion on 1Cor 1:18-25
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I
will frustrate.”
Where is the wise man?
Where is the scholar?
Where is the philosopher of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the
wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was
pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who
believe. Jews demand miraculous signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but
we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is
wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s
strength.
Question. What do you think of when you think of the cross? (forgiveness,
reconciliation, atonement)?
Paul calls the cross “the POWER of God”. Why? It destroys man’s wisdom,
and frustrates his intelligence. The Jews desired power (spiritual and political)
to overcome Roman oppression. The Greeks desired wisdom.
The cross of DEATH leads to LIFE! This is the demonstration of God’s Power
and Wisdom. Exactly what the Jews & Greeks were seeking!
What can we do to fix it?
3. The Problem of Suffering

Is God Almighty? Is He Good? If so, why is there suffering? There is plenty of
suffering, and many good people do suffer. Does this mean that there is no God at
all? Or if He is there, does it mean that He is not Almighty or that He is not all that
loving and good? Does suffering make sense?
The problem of suffering and evil has long been considered one of the greatest
challenges to Christianity, and indeed a challenge to every worldview. Theological
attempts to answer this question are known as theodicies. Many philosophers and
other religions have also attempted to solve this problem (see Colson p. 208ff).
1. God Does Not Exist

There is no God therefore evil should not pose any problem! Evil does not exist;
it then should also logically mean there is nothing good either. “Good” and
“evil” are just subjective feelings (a play or trick of the mind) and/or the
reflection of the influence of one’s culture on him or her. There is really no evil
(and also no good). But then what right or what basis do atheists have to become
indignant to suffering and ‘evil’? to war? To nuclear ‘threat’? poverty?
racism? terrorism? If one wants to be logically coherent or consistent, then one
has to ‘stop’ all attempts to eradicate or reduce suffering; imagine the real life
situation if that happens.
2. There is no Suffering
Suffering does not exist. The material world is maya (illusion; no real reality) and
thus suffering too is not real. It is a projection of an ignorant mind; so the best
thing is to have the knowledge that suffering does not exist. Deny the reality of
suffering! (This theory is not very meaningful in practical life). “The illusion
theory simply cannot hold up under the weight of human experience.”
3. God is so transcendent that He is beyond Good and Evil

Here we are left as lonely and helpless humans crying over suffering in utter
loneliness; no room for even getting angry at suffering.
4. God’s Power is Limited

An all-powerful God would not allow bad things to happen and since bad things
happen, the conclusion is God is not all-powerful. He is finite and limited and
may be in the process of becoming a powerful God one day (process theology).
No room for hope for generations until God really becomes God.
5. God has created evil in order to achieve a greater good

Suffering in the world makes us choose God and therefore suffering is necessary
for the maturing of our souls. Yes, there is an element of truth in this, that is,
sometimes good can come out of suffering or trials and suffering can help the
maturing process of the soul. But it has serious flaws: if God created evil even
for a good reason, then God himself is evil and there is no chance for salvation
as evil is an intrinsic part of the universe. God is ultimately responsible for all
the evil. Then how can He judge? God does not use evil means to achieve good
things. This would also mean that God created humans faulty—they need the
help of evil to mature; in such a case, God’s statement that “it was very good”
(Gen 1:31) is a wrong one. Moreover, all suffering does not lead to good results.

3.1. Christian Reflections on Suffering
“The inadequate approaches to suffering include Docetism which says suffering is
an illusion, Stoicism faces suffering with passive acceptance, Hedonism overcomes
or avoids suffering by pleasure-intoxication, and Existentialism recklessly defies
suffering. Evil cannot be explained in scientific terms, and rationalism has no answer
to evil. Our understanding of it must come from ‘revelation.’”
-Nuclear Scientist Dr. George Samuel: “Serving God through Adversities”
in C.V. Matthew’s, Integral Mission: the Way Forward
“Why suffer? That is the ultimate question. It comes to sharp and challenging
expression in the contrast between the serene and passionless Buddha and the
tortured figure on the cross. In Jesus we see One who looked at suffering with eyes
as clear and calm as those of the Buddha. He saw no reason to reject it, to refuse it,
to eliminate it. He took it into himself and felt the fullness of its bitterness and horror;
by the grace of God he tasted death for every man. Others suffer; he will suffer with
them and for them, and will go on suffering till the end of time. But he does not
believe that suffering is wholly evil; by the power of God it can be transformed into
a redemptive miracle. Suffering is not an obstacle to deliverance; it can become part
of deliverance itself. And what he was he bids his children be—the world’s sufferers,
in order that through suffering the world may be brought back to God.”
-Stephen Neill, Christian Faith and Other Faiths (1984, p.156)
“…the redeemed are not invited to rest from their labours, to enter now into the joy
of their Lord. Precisely the opposite is the case. They are called to take up the Cross
of Christ daily, and to suffer with him until the end of the world.”
-Ibid. p.52.
The ‘Free Will’ Theodicy

A philosophical response to suffering basically states that suffering is a necessary
corollary to free will. By giving humans free will, God opened the way for evil and
suffering. Giving humans choice means allowing them to make wrong choices, the
result of which is sin, evil and suffering. This theodicy states that the benefits of
free will must outweigh the negative results of suffering, thereby preserving God’s
character of benevolence. In other words a world of free will with suffering is better
than a world with no free will and no suffering.
Christians will add to this theodicy that a loving relationship with God is only
possible with free will. Love is a choice. Therefore free will is necessary to be in
relationship with God, but free will is also the cause of sin and subsequently
suffering. This theodicy deals well with moral evil, but there is still a problem of
natural evil, (suffering by natural causes rather than sin) which is not explained by
free will.
Ultimately the Bible assures us that God will triumph, sin and evil will be defeated,
and there will no longer be any suffering in the New Heaven and New Earth. That
is the Christian hope, based on Christ’s death and resurrection.

3.2. Sample problems Identified in the World Today
Corruption Drugs & International HIV/Aids and
Drunkenness monetary other viruses
policy
Violence Domestic Environmental Technology

violence destruction
War Oppression of Hatred Overpopulation

women
Famine Lack of Religious Natural culture

education violence
Poverty Globalization Sectarianism American
cultural
hegemony
Disease Free trade Racial or Ethnic Obesity

hatred;
Tribalism
Natural Market driven Colonialism Unequal wealth

Disasters economics distribution
Family Multi-national Legacy of Despotism and

breakdown corporations Slavery tyranny
Addictions Greed Overuse of the Global Warming

earth’s
resources
This is by no means an exhaustive list!
We know that there are problems in the world. To every problem, there is expected
to be a solution. Which solution does your worldview offer to the world’s problems?

3.3. The Solution to Suffering
Every worldview is expected to address the suffering in the world by offering a
solution/s.
Many Christians wonder whether it is important to know the solutions offered by
other worldviews and they often ask these questions.
Do other religions and worldviews have any truth?

Does God reveal himself in other religions?
Is there any truth to be found in other worldviews?
The answer is…. YES! Why? Because God reveals himself not only in his WORD,
but in his WORLD! All religions and worldviews have access to much of God’s
revelation of himself in the World, through nature, and there is much that can be
learned and understood about God through this revelation. Part of this revelation is
the conscience, our moral sense of right and wrong. Part of this is our common
identity, being in the image of God. Part of this is through the use of our
reason. Part of this is that God has given gifts, talents, blessings, and even forms
of revelation to all people, not just to Christians.
BUT – do all paths lead to GOD? To Redemption?

Are these other religions and worldviews true at the CORE?
Do they accurately diagnose the problem, and provide the right solution?
Are they coherent and sufficient to gain salvation?
The answer is…. NO.
How do we know? We need to examine them on their own merits and their own
CLAIMS. How do they claim to solve what is wrong with the world?

3.4. 1 John 4:1-2
1 John 4:1-2
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they
are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This
is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
Whom will you follow?

Krishna said: Follow me, and I will show you the truth.
Jesus said: I am the truth.
Buddha said: Follow me, and I will show you the light.
Jesus said: I am the light.
Muhammad said: Follow me, and I will show you the way.
Jesus said: I am the way.
What do these have in common? They all died, as all men die.
But Jesus is alive! He defeated death and arose from the grave.
Question. When you look at the sample problems identified in the previous page,
what do these have in common? How might one group them together into
categories?
We can call these categories the Root Problems or Core Problems in answer to
the question: What is wrong with the world? These are foundational causes
which underpin all the other problems and which many of the others share in
common.

3.5. Four Major Categories
1) Conflict the primary root problem associated with mono-theistic religious

worldviews
2) Suffering the primary root problem as identified by most Eastern religious
worldviews
3) Lack the primary root problem associated with naturalistic worldviews
4) Inequality the primary root problem associated with most ideologically based
worldviews
Question. Which of the above problems would you place in which categories?
In a way they are all inter-related! Lack causes inequality which produces conflict
which causes suffering…
Or, Inequality produces lack which causes suffering which results in conflict…
Question. What is the specific problem identified by each worldview?
The specific problem is the summary answer to the question, “what is wrong with
the world?” This specific problem is essentially the cause of the core problem for
each worldview. For example, in Christianity, the specific problem is sin. Sin has
caused the conflict between God and man. Sin is at the heart of humanity’s dilemma,
as well as the conflict between people and even the conflict within ourselves.
. The Problem of Suffering

3.6. The Wheel of Worldviews
TUTORIAL
Sin and Evil in African Traditional Perspective

by Ryszard Kapuscinski
The members of the congregation belonged to the Ibo tribe, and the traditional religion of the Ibo,
like that of the majority of African communities, does not know the concept of sin. The African
belief system has a radically different understanding of guilt from that espoused by Christian
theology. In Africa, the notion of metaphysical, abstract evil – evil in and of itself – does not
exist. A deed first becomes evil when it is discovered, and, second, when the community or the
individual declares it to be evil. Moreover, the criterion here is not axiomatic, but practical,
concrete: that which does harm to others is evil. Evil intentions do not exist, because evil is not
evil until it materializes, assumes an active form. There are only evil actions. If I wish illness upon
my enemy, I am doing nothing wrong, committing no sin. Only when my enemy actually falls ill
can I be accused of an evil deed: of sowing the seeds of illness in him (illnesses here are not
believed to have biological causes, but to result from spells cast by one’s adversaries). But perhaps
most important, undiscovered evil is not evil, and therefore does not give rise to a feeling of guilt. I
can cheat with a clean conscience until someone realizes that he is being cheated and points a
finger at me. The Christian tradition, on the other hand, internalizes guilt: our soul aches, our
conscience torments us, we are plagued by worries. That is the state in which we experience the
full weight of sin, its stinging presence, its harrowing intrusiveness. It is different in societies in
which the individual does not exist in and of himself, but only as part of a collective. The collective
relieves us of private responsibility, therefore there is no individual guilt, and by the same token
no sensation of having sinned. Awareness of sin takes place in time: I did something wrong, I feel
that I committed a sin, I am tortured by this, and I look for a way to cleanse myself, to atone, to
confess – to erase the sin. This is a process, and it requires the passage of time to unfold. To the
African mind, this time simply does not exist; there is no space for sin and its consequences. Either
I have not done anything wrong, since I was not found out, or else, if the evil is brought to light, it
is at the very same moment, instantly, punished – and thus purged. Guilt and punishment go hand
in hand here, form an inseparable unit, with no open space between them, no chink. In the African
tradition, the conflicts and drama of Raskolnikov are an impossibility.
1. What have you got out of this excerpt?

2. Critique the above excerpt using your knowledge of : African tradition, the Bible
and contemporary society.
3. Compare Colson’s description of a “sinless” western utopianism with Kapuscinski’s description

of a “guiltless” African communalism (Additional Insights section). How do both of these differ
from a biblical understanding of sin, evil, and guilt in Genesis 3? How does your tribe and modern
culture understand the concept of sin and evil?
Summary of the Wheel of World Views
ROOT PROBLEM WORLDVIEW THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM
CONFLICT God vs. Man Judaism Unrighteousness
Christianity Sin
Islam Non-Submission
=disobedience
Good vs. Evil Zoroastrianism; Parsi Destructive spirit (Angra

Mainyu), evil opposite of God
Taoism (a Chinese Yin-Yang; the balance

religion) between two eternal opposing
forces
The yin-yang is not really good verses evil, but the

balance of the dualism of two opposing but also
complimentary forces comprising the universe: darkness
/ light; male / female; active / passive; being / non-
being; If the clouds of darkness (non-being) ever
consume the light (being), the universe will cease to
exist. The human dilemma is to be a part of the active
side of light and being, preventing darkness and non-
being from succeeding in sweeping over the universe and
overtaking the light.
Man vs. Nature Wicca; Shamanism; Draining of earth’s life force;
Paganism; Druidism Technology / industry;
materialism;
Nature is “alive”; it has a life-force. Natural things are

animate (they have spirit). Lei-lines are ancient
spiritual lines connecting the sacred places of spiritual
significance around the earth (i.e. sacred groves, stone
formations, mountains, etc.) Industry, technology, and
pollution are destroying these sacred places, thus
harming the earth and the lei-lines, and causing nature
to suffer. If the earth is harmed or destroyed, we will
of course be harmed and destroyed with it, as we too
are a part of nature.
Human Conflict Liberation theology Oppression

(subcategory of
Christianity)
Confucianism False Conduct; (Jen is “right

conduct”, an ethical system)
(a Chinese religion)
Baha’i War; conflict; discord; (Baha’i

strives for world peace)
Physical vs. ATR Disharmony (between the

Spiritual physical community and
(African Traditional
spiritual beings or ancestral
Religion) Animism;
spirits)
Ancestor religions
In ATR, the problem in the world is not seen on a

worldwide scale (although most recognize the distance
between God and man because of some ancient misdeed
of man’s). Rather, the problem is a local one; there is
something wrong in the spiritual realm which has
implications on the physical. This could involve
witchcraft, evil spirits, the occult or ancestral
spirits. The resulting physical problem must be dealt
with in spiritual ways, thus restoring the harmony or
equilibrium which has been broken.
Polytheism; some Uncertainty; Fate; the whim

Hinduism of the gods
SUFFERING Deserved Hinduism Karma (actions and

Suffering consequences); Samsara
(cycle of reincarnation)
In Hinduism, the core problem of suffering can only be

overcome by working through the cycle of samsara until
one gains enough good karma to be released (moksha)
into oneness with the universal reality or Brahmin
Jainism Enslavement of matter
Similar to Hinduism, but suffering is particularly

connected to the enslavement to matter. One must
ultimately rid oneself of the material (evil) body to allow
the eternal soul to attain freedom (moksha).
Illusory Buddhism (Theravada) Desire and ignorance

Suffering
Here the problem of suffering is related to the root cause

of desire. The Self is what desires, and only through
enlightenment, and relinquishing all desire (thus
relinquishing the Self) can one reach Nirvana, a state of
nothingness where all self awareness is abolished,
swallowed up into a non-self-existence. NB other
varieties of Buddhism would differ
LACK Spiritual Gnosticism; Cults; Spiritual ignorance; (the

Knowledge Gnostic philosophies solution here is special or
secret knowledge)
Technical Naturalism; Lack of development,
Knowledge education, scientific research,
technology
Resources and Materialism Overpopulation

Money
(not enough resources to reach
everyone)
Material resources include food, water, shelter, land,

wealth, technology
(IMF, World Bank, Development agencies as solutions)
Consumerism Distribution of resources (esp.

wealth) (Globalisation,
market-driven economies seen
as factors)
INEQUALITY Class – Race; Marxism; Communism Unequal distribution of

Ethnicity; Caste wealth
Human Rights – Natural Humanism; Oppression / Intolerance

Civil, Social, Pluralism;
Individual
Multi-culturalism
Here, human beings are seen as the measure of all

things. Therefore every human being has inalienable
rights. Anyone who practices intolerance or oppression
is denying others their rights. Examples are: slavery,
child labor, domestic violence, servitude, male
domination, female domination etc.
Anything – Relativism; New Age Intolerance; Absolutes;

Religion,
Moral Judgments
Culture, Beliefs,
Life
Everything is good; no absolute values; therefore the
only true problem in the world is those who would
appear intolerant and judgmental, extremists using
exclusive truth claims as weapons of intolerance
African and Oriental Worldviews
1. Objectives
1. Explain what has gone wrong with the world from African and oriental
perspectives
2. Discuss the solutions that is given by African and oriental perspectives
for addressing what has gone wrong with the world
Key Questions: What has gone wrong with the world?

What can we do to fix it? (For whatever is wrong in the world,
Where does one find “salvation”?)
Key terms: African religions, Pillars of Islam, Moksha, Yoga, Annata, Nirvana,
Enlightenment, Tao, Jen, Atman
Biblical passage: 1Peter 4:12-13
Main Points:
Revelation and Truth in African and oriental Worldviews

An Examination of Problems Solutions in African and oriental
2. African Traditional worldview

In Chapter 2 we were introduced to aspects of African worldview. We understood
that a supreme God exists but is far from the people. People therefore need
intermediaries to reach God.
In African Traditional worldview the problem is disharmony between:

a) the physical and the spiritual
b) man and fellow man
c) man and nature
Remember that spirits live in the universe so disharmony with anything in the
universe will create disharmony with the spirits. When there is such disharmony,
evil and suffering prevail.
The solution is harmony between these realms through, among other ways, sacrifice,
offerings, sometimes and compensation. These are offered on both individual and
communal level.
But in summary, the corrective to the physical and spiritual imbalance in the world
is harmony.
3. Islam
Islam is a religion that upholds duty to God among its adherents. These duties are
outlined in the pillars of faith. These are duties that all faithful Muslims are expected
to fulfil without fail.
Muslims also believe that all humanity were meant to be Muslims. For
that matter all should live in submission to God or “Allah.” However, the
problem is that humanity has abandoned Allah’s divine will. They do
what they are not supposed to do, while others do what they are
supposed to do but in a wrong way. The Solution here is to conform to
Allah’s will. How do we conform to his will? By knowing his word and
obeying it and by living the Five Pillars of Islam.
The Five Pillars of Islam include;

1. The Proclamation of the Creed – Shahada – the confession of faith by
repetition of the following word: “There is no God but Allah and
Mohammed is his prophet.”
2. Prayer –Salat – Regular ritual prayer, 5 times per day, facing Mecca.
3. Alms – Zakat – Giving to the poor, usually 2.5%.
4. Fast – Ramadan – Observance of the daytime fast during the entire month
of Ramadan.
5. Pilgrimage – hajj – a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to the holiest site in
Islam = Mecca.
4. Hinduism
There is only one true reality; this ultimate reality is the Brahman, the infinite,
impersonal existence. The human “soul” or “self” is the Atman, which is really just
a manifestation of the Brahman (Major gods such as Vishnu, Krishna (one
manifestation), Shiva, and his consort Sakti are really all different manifestations or
perceptions of the Brahman). We are limited by the concept of an individual ‘self’,
most clearly seen by the bodily form. As a result of that, people are eternally bound
in cycle of existence through samsara (and a whole hierarchy of castes). This is what
constitutes the problem in Hinduism.
The solution is to seek release or moksha. In order to achieve this, people must build
up enough karma (goodness over badness) to reach ultimate reality and merge with
the Brahman. Wisdom is the ultimate goal, though wisdom is not a buildup of
knowledge, but a flash of inspiration, or enlightenment. This enlightenment leads
to moksha. There are several paths toward enlightenment. Each path take form of
yoga.
1) the way (yoga) of bodily control

2) knowledge
3) action
4) devotion
5) kundalini (energy force)
6) tantrism - physical
In summary, the ultimate goal is release of the self into the ultimate reality of the
Brahman through certain pathways which lead to enlightenment and ultimately
moksha.
5. Buddhism
According to Buddhism, the Problem is suffering. Suffering results from
the failure to discipline bodily desires; but a disciplined body frees the
soul. Failure to discipline the body is a result desire. The desire is born
out of failure to understand the nature of human.
According to the Buddhists, there is no soul. This belief is imbedded in
the teaching of Anatta (no soul or non-self). Rather, what humans have is
an ever changing human nature.
Suffering results from seeking to satisfy the ever-changing nature desire.
This results suffering.
The solution to suffering is contained in the Buddha's preaching. In this sermons he

discusses the problem of suffering, pointing out the path of action by which a
solution could be achieved. The path outlines the basic teaching of Buddhism called
the Four Noble Truths.
1. Suffering is a universal fact. He declared all existence was suffering dhukka

2. The Cause of Suffering. The cause of suffering is desire - hungering, desiring,
and craving for self-satisfaction. It is careless striving for pleasure and sensation,
which, though they give satisfaction for a moment, only arouse more
desire. Attachment to thing is bred by ignorance that breeds desire, and desire
breeds suffering.
3. There is a state of complete freedom and bondage. This is a state of unspeakable
joy, happiness and peace. This state is called Nirvana.
4. The Way to Nirvana. This is called the Noble Eightfold Path, also called the
Middle way between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-torture, both of
which are profitless. The Middle Way consists of eight duties or principles of
conduct:
a) Right Speech - abstaining from untruthfulness, tale-bearing, hash words and vein
talk.
b) Right Action - abstaining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct.
c) Right Livelihood - earning a living in a way not harmful to the living creatures.
d) Right Effort - avoiding evil thought and overcoming them.
e) Right Mindfulness - paying vigilant attention to every state of the body, feeling and
mind.
f) Right Concentration - concentrating on a single object so as to induce certain special
state of consciousness in deep concentration.
g) Right Views - understanding the Four Truths
h) Right Thought - freedom from ill-will, lust, cruelty, and untruthfulness.
This Eight-fold Path leads to insight and wisdom that dispels ignorance. And, its
fruit is serenity, knowledge and enlightenment - Nirvana, a state of perfect peace and
bliss.
The Buddhist solution to the human problem can be summarized as Morality,

Spiritual Discipline, and Insight. When desire ends, self becomes non-non-
existent, enlightenment is attained, and the state of nirvana is achieved.
6. Confucianism
The worldview questions the problem and the solution are based in the foundational
teaching that for a long time given meaning to life among the people. The problem
is bad conduct. This can be understood against the historical condition of Confucius’
time. During Confucius’ time, China experienced many internal conflicts and
external attacks. Their traditional ritual system disintegrated. There were wars
between stated, and consequently the society was went through deep moral decline,
social chaos, and destruction. Confucius analyzed pervasive social chaos as the evil
of his days resulting from an operative failure of the good.
From the above we understand that the problem with the world is embedded in the
way these relationships are handled—precisely false/unethical conduct causes
conflict among members of the society. Confucius taught that peace and harmony
could be achieved if every person knew his or her proper place in society and upheld
the responsibilities of that place. In his own words “Justice and righteousness should
mark the relations between sovereign and subject. There should be proper rapport
between father and son. There should be separation of function between husband
and wife. The younger should give precedence to the elder—Faith and trust should
reign over relationships between friends” (Confucius 1983: P60).
As a solution Confucius taught the idea filial piety/religiosity. This this idea has now
become central to Confucianism. It emphasized the traditional boundaries of ethical
responsibility and the ideal of good human life as a whole. Embedded it is the
emphasis on the need to uphold the five principle relationships, through which each
person defines a sense of identity, duty, and responsibility. The five principal
relationships are;
a) ruler and subject (government and citizen),
b) parent and child,
c) husband and wife,
d) older sibling and younger sibling, and,
e) friend and friend.
The solution, as Confucius taught, was that if everyone upheld these five basic
responsibilities and relationships, social and political order would prevail. He argued
that the inculcation of propriety and ritualized habits of life were necessary to allow
people of varying stations and conditions to live fulfilling lives. Second, he believed
that high civilization was made possible by ritual. Fundamentally, civilization was
required for people to live harmoniously with themselves, their fellows, and the
world. Secondly, rituals and conventional social habits were also required to guide
humans so that the ideal status of nature, social institutions, and humans themselves
would flourish in harmony. And thirdly, cultivating the most important element of
human wisdom—competence at ritual and the habit of practicing ritual in all
circumstances. Neo-Confucianists have also argued that benevolence is a
requirement. Confucius believed that the most certain route to goodness was through
education and self-cultivation. The broadening of the mind in his view, enabled a
person to show loving kindness toward others, observe proprieties, and express
righteousness in his or her dealings (Billington, 1997).
Concisely, the central doctrine of Confucianism encompasses goodness,

consideration, benevolence, humanity and kindness. Related teachings emphasize
such qualities as loyalty to government, respect for authority, reciprocity, self-
cultivation, and neighborliness.
7. Taoism
Based on the principle of Yin and Yang, we can anticipate the problem of in the
Taoist worldview. It is imbalance in Yin and Yang! In order to understand how this
is so, we need to remember the idea of Tao—the creative principle. By its nature, it
does everything but desires nothing. It is self-sufficient and does not compete with
others. And while all that exists is governed by the principle of Yin and Yang, that is
to say, the apparent competition of opposites, Taoism focuses on the process
avoiding competition through harmony.
The imbalance of Yin and Yang causes conflict between man and nature. The
solution therefore is the balance between the Yin and Yang. In order to achieve this
man’s lot is to remain quiet and passive, in that way Toa, the creative force will act
through him. This implies, assuming an inactive attitude and an emptiness which
does not compete with forces, but is content with itself. This results into a good
life—one that s live according to the principles of Tao in which Yin and Yang
complement and balance each other.
8. Tutorial
Discuss the questions arising from the lecture.
Are the responses given by these various worldviews in any way similar to
yours? Explain.
Compare the community you live in today to that of K’ung Fu-Tzu in China.
How can we use the teachings of Confucius to bring order in our communities
today?
Secular and new Age Worldviews
1. Objectives
1. Explain what has gone wrong with the world from different world view
perspectives
2. Examine the solution that different world views offer so fix what has gone
wrong with the world.
3. Discuss the concept of salvation

What can we do to fix it?
Key terms: Secular, big bang, evolution, anthropic principle, modernism,
postmodernism, enlightenment, pluralism, multi-culturalism, new
age movements, materialism
Biblical passage: Romans 8:18

Main Points:
Revelation and Truth in Other Worldviews
The Concept of “Salvation”
An Examination of Solutions in Other Worldviews
2. Naturalistic worldview
In this discussion we consider naturalism as a worldview not a philosophy.
As a worldview Naturalism holds that nature is not created but it emerged as a result
of evolution. Nature is sufficient and does not need or relay on any supernatural
force for its existence or sustenance. Each of us is an unfolding natural process, and
every aspect of that process is caused and is a cause itself. These causes are natural
causes. So we are fully caused creatures and seeing just how we are caused gives us
power and control while encouraging compassion and humility.
According to Naturalism, values and beliefs are not externally acquired but as a
result of internal bio-chemical and hormonal changes and processes in our natural
state of being.
Basically, naturalism sees a human being as merely a more highly evolved creature
than others, not intrinsically good, sacred, or having value, but simply better by
degree than the lesser animals. As animals evolved into humans, certain traits
enabling him to emerge from the evolutionary pool into a more enlightened state
remained, but now need to be contained or controlled: the self-interest, the instinct
for the strongest to survive, etc. However, our evolutionary development may have
proceeded faster than our behavioral changes could adapt. Therefore, to conform
our behavior to what is best for mankind as a whole requires knowledge. We lack
knowledge, and this can be achieved through education. Poverty, disease, crime,
wars, even aging, are the result of ignorance. What is required to correct this lack is
more knowledge, more technology, more resources, more medical research, more
scientific advancement, etc.
The Christian worldview. This will be covered next week. However, the primary
difference between Christianity and all others is that Christianity is the ONLY
worldview where there is NOTHING we can do to correct the problem. Only
God can reach out and provide the way for us. All others require human
effort. Christianity says we cannot save ourselves.
3. New Age Movements (NAM)

This may not necessarily be part of the seven major worldviews but it has highly
risen in our communities.
This entails Religion, Cults, Secularism, Humanism, Government, power, Political
systems, Materialism, Liberalism, Gnosticism, Consumerism, Relativism,
Illuminati, Happy Science
The NAM is difficult to define because "there is no hierarchy, dogma, doctrine,
collection plate, or membership." It is a collection, an assortment of different
theologies with the common threads of toleration and divergence weaving through
its tapestry of "universal truth."
The term "New Age" refers to the "Aquarian Age" which, according to New Age
followers, is dawning. It is supposed to bring in peace and enlightenment and reunite
man with God. Man is presently considered separated from God not because of sin
Isaiah 59:2, but because of lack of understanding and knowledge concerning the
true nature of God and reality.
New Age is an umbrella term used to describe an organization of diverse groups that
share an enthusiasm for the creation of a new era (or "New Age") exemplified by
harmony and enlightenment. Even though there are no clear boundaries within the
New Age community, several common themes unify the movement.
The New Age (NAM) movement has many sub-divisions, but it is generally a
collection of Eastern-influenced metaphysical thought systems, a collection of
theologies, hopes, and expectations held together with an eclectic teaching of
salvation, of "correct thinking," and "correct knowledge." It is a theology of "feel-
goodism," "universal tolerance," and "moral relativism.”
With knowledge derived from defining NAM, it is therefore important that we
address the difference between cults and religion.
4. Cults and Religion

An alternative definition is that a cult is a religion which you happen to dislike. There
is however a difference between the popular or tabloid use of the word and the
sociologists' terminology. Because of its generally pejorative connotations,
sociologists avoid speaking of cults and prefer the neutral terms "new religious
movement" (NRM) or "alternative religion". Barrett elects to use these almost
interchangeably. As he points out, none of the adherents of these movements would
describe themselves as members of a cult,
Instead of asking whether a given movement is a cult or a real religion; we should
instead ask:
What does this movement believe?
What does it do? Where did it come from?
What is its context?
5. Problem and Solution explained

From the NAM perspective the problem with the world is Intolerance.
The mere statement on the part of a religion that its own beliefs and practices are
correct and any contrary beliefs is incorrect does not in itself constitute intolerance
(i.e., ideological intolerance). There are many cases throughout history of
established religions tolerating other practices.
Religious intolerance, rather, is when a group (e.g., a society, religious group, non-
religious group) specifically refuses to tolerate practices, persons or beliefs on
religious grounds (i.e., intolerance in practice).
NOTE; “One person's cult is another's religion; all religions begin life as cults”
In his book “The new believers”, David V. Barrettwe mentions the different
movements that are explained in New Age.
6. New Age Movements expounded

1. Secularism
2. Humanism
3. Relativism
4. Materialism
5. Consumerism
6. Happy Science
8. Illuminati
9. Baha'i

6.1. Secularism
From a religious perspective, the Secular worldview does not believe in sacredness
or any allegiance to any spiritual orientation.
It is a tendency to reject any religious forms of faith and worship. This belief
involves two propositions essential to the followers. The first is the firm separation
of the state from religious institutions. The second is that people of different
religions and beliefs are equal before the law.

6.2. Humanism
In religious circles this is often referred to as secular humanism.
Secular Humanism is defined as an attempt to function as a civilized, secular society
with the exclusion of God and any type of absolute moral truth or principles. The
primary focus of Humanism is to exclude any kind of supernatural answers from the
questions of life. Humanism holds that the universe exists for no purpose. We are
the result of a blind and random process that does not necessitate any kind of
meaning. Humanism differs from the more extreme philosophy of Nihilism, in that
life can have a meaning if we assign a meaning to it. Life is only worth living if we
ourselves make it worthwhile and enjoyable. Humanism maintains that no objective
or universal values exist. A person may be moral if he or she creates a system of
values and lives according them
This category of worldview also encompasses multi-culturalism and
pluralism. Even the ethical system of Confucianism might fit within this overall
system. Natural humanism does not take God into account, but places humanity in
a place of high esteem. Man has innate value, goodness, and worth, not because of
being created in God’s image, but because he simply finds himself in the position of
highest authority and intelligence in the whole of creation. He therefore has a
particular responsibility to himself and to the rest of creation over which he rules not
by divine authority but by right of natural ability and intelligence. Man, (not God),
is the measure of all things. This enlightened understanding sees all human beings
as innately good, but of course conflict can result by putting any one self or group
above any other. All human beings have certain inalienable human, civil, and social
rights, which must remain “sacred”, and must not be denied or oppressed. If all
human beings are essentially ‘good’, then this can be extended to societies, cultures,
religions, and nations as well. All cultures are equally good and valid (multi-
culturalism), as are religions (pluralism).
Thus, the root cause of evil in the world is inequality in the form of oppression or
intolerance. Any religion, race, culture, etc. which purports to have sole possession
of truth or to be better than others is intolerant and oppressive. Similarly, slavery,
child labor, domestic violence, servitude, patriarchy, are all examples of what has
gone wrong with the world. Abolishing all intolerance and oppression is the
corrective measure needed to solve what is wrong in the world.
Humanism is a non-theistically based philosophy which promotes humanity as the

measure of all things. It had its roots in the rationalism of the 18th Century and the
free thought movement of the 19th Century.
It believes that the problem of the world is oppression and intolerance.
A humanist would maintain that no one is obligated to be moral. Therefore,
humanism fails to provide moral objections to immoral behavior. Obviously, if no
moral absolutes exist, you cannot demonstrate that anything is wrong or evil. Thus,
in a humanist society, no one can really judge or condemn the choices or actions of
others.
Secular Humanism is void of God or anything supernatural. Therefore, most
secularists argue that secular humanism is not a religion.

6.3. Relativism
"That is your truth, not mine;" "It is true for you, but not for me;" and "There are no
absolute truths.”
Relativism is moral/ethical and cultural
Relativism is the philosophical position that all points of view are equally valid, and
that all truth is relative to the individual. With the rejection of God, and Christianity
in particular, absolute truth is being abandoned. Our pluralistic society wants to
avoid the idea that there really is a right and wrong.

6.4. Materialism
“Physical matter is all there is.”
Materialism can refer either to the simple preoccupation with the material world, as
opposed to intellectual or spiritual concepts, or to the theory that physical matter is
all there is. This theory is far more than a simple focus on material possessions. It
states that everything in the universe is matter, without any true spiritual or
intellectual existence. Materialism can also refer to a doctrine that material success
and progress are the highest values in life. This doctrine appears to be prevalent in
western society today.

6.5. Consumerism
Is a modern concept that an ever-expanding consumption of goods is advantageous
to the economy so a country or an individual that consumes in large quantities is
better off than all the others.

6.6. Happy science
One of the most important Truths about life is that Divinity exists. Furthermore,
Heaven – the Spirit World – also exists, and our 'real self' is an existence
that continues even after death – that people’s souls are blessed with eternal life.
During our life in this world, the happiness we seek must be one that bridges from
this phenomenal world to the next, which is the Real World and an inevitable
destination for us all.
Although our physical life in this world is limited, our 'real self' – the soul – is a
unique but eternal existence incarnating many times between Heaven and Earth. You
are a child of God or Buddha, hence, like a diamond in the raff, the more you refine
and polish yourself, the more your soul will shine.
The happiness that we should all seek is a harmony of personal and public happiness
and one that is a balance between quiet happiness, which emphasizes contentment,
and active happiness, which represents progress and development.
Acquiring new spiritual knowledge brings a person intrinsic joy and happiness.
Knowing the Truth and leading life according to it, helps us to overcome all setbacks,
misfortunes; live happy and productive lives on earth and successfully return to our
real home – the Spirit World.

6.7. Illuminati
Is a secret society of the enlightened who aim at creating a New World Order. They
claim to control governments/ politics and other institutions.
Although these may be both true and fictitious it is better not to refer to them among
the New world movements\religions as they seem not to be well pronounced but full
of conspiracy.
NOTE;
It is a common belief that all New Age Religions are characterized with Intolerance
that is religious, economical, moral, cultural, etc. and these types of intolerance are
the cause of all suffering hence the problem with the world. So if you manage to
abolish the different levels of intolerance you will be able to abolish suffering and
create happiness, equality, and the like removing all absolutes and thus a solution to
all problems realized.

6.8. Baha’i
The Baha’i faith is the most recent faith to be considered a world religion, begun in
Persia in the mid-19th century. Its spiritual and administrative center is in the Holy
land, in Haifa, but a major regional Temple has been constructed on each continent,
the African one is located in Kampala- Kanyanya. The fundamental principles
enunciated by Baha’u’llah, its founder, are that Religious truth is not absolute but
relative, that Divine Revelation is a continuous and progressive process, that all the
great religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in
complete harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same, and that their
teachings are but facets of one truth. They differ only in the non-essential aspects
of their doctrines and their missions represent successive stages in the spiritual
evolution of human society.
Baha’i essentially takes the great universal truths of each of the world religions
(rejecting that which brings division or conflict), and attempts to unify them into a
harmonious oneness. It recognizes all the great prophets of other religions
(including Jesus). It also seeks for harmony between science and religion, and
applies this unity and harmony in solving the problems of mankind. It proclaims the
ultimate unification of mankind, condemns all manner of prejudice and superstition,
declares the purpose of religion to be the promotion of peace, friendship and
concord, proclaims essential harmony with science (recognizing it as the foremost
agency for the pacification and orderly progress of human society), and maintains
the principle of equal rights, opportunities and privileges for all.

6.9. Tutorial
A MUSLIM – CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE
Setting: 2 men approach each other from opposite sides of a large room, having
arrived early for a worship service
Christian (C): Praise the Lord, brother!
Muslim (M): Ah, Salaam, salaam. Allahu Akbar!
C: Oh, I see you are a Muslim. Perhaps I’ve come to the wrong hall. I’m here
for the big Kampala worship and prayer service.
M: As am I. But I understood this was to be a Muslim service of the Islamic
brotherhood!
C: Oh dear, and I thought this was going to be an interdenominational Christian
service!
Well we’re a bit early. What do you think we should do?
M: It would appear that the organisers have planned an inter-faith worship
service.
C: Perhaps we will have to find separate facilities.

M: Well, I don’t know. Why don’t we all simply stay together? After all, I
worship Allah, and you worship the Christian God, but they are one and the
same. We are all God’s children, right? We need to have more
understanding between us. Christianity and Islam are simply two different
paths to the same God.
C: Hmmmm…. I’m not so sure about that. Some of my teachers at UCU are
quite adamant that the God of the Bible is not the same as Allah. But why
don’t we discuss it for ourselves, it couldn’t hurt for the two of us to try to
come to some understanding. Maybe we are worshipping the same God, but
if we aren’t, at least we’ll understand each other better!
M: Great, so we’re agreed. But where do we begin?
C: Why don’t we think of some of the differences in how we worship?

M: Okay, to start with, I worship at the Mosque, and you worship at a
church. We Muslims pray 5 times a day and we always face East toward the
Holy city of Mecca. How often do you pray?
C: We pray whenever we want to. We don’t have to face anywhere, although

traditionally the altars in our churches face East toward Jerusalem. But
actually, the Bible says that we should pray continually. I’ve never quite
understood how to do that, but it seems to have something to do with being
in constant communion with God. Do you ALWAYS pray 5 times a day?
M: Well, if we’re going to be perfectly honest with each other, no. Sometimes I
sleep through it. And if I’m busy shopping or working at the factory, I can’t
always stop to pray.
C: As long as we’re being honest with each other, I’ve always wanted to know
something. Why do you Muslims always wear those funny hats on your
head?
M: Well, I never thought of them as looking funny! We cover our heads out of
respect to Allah. But you Christians wear some strange things too! What
about those white collars I see you people wearing. What’s the meaning of
that?
C: Yes, I see your point. Those are worn by our reverends and ministers, but
only in some denominations. I don’t really know what it means. I suppose
a collar symbolises servant hood. Maybe they are proclaiming their
submission and obedience to God, just like slaves used to wear chains. Our
Bible talks a lot about servant hood, and even being slaves to Christ.
M: Ah, you were almost beginning to sound like a good Muslim! The very word
Islam means “submission”. That’s what our religion is all about. We submit
to Allah, and pray that in his infinite mercy he will forgive us and take us
into his paradise.
C: Wow, our religions do seem similar. I want to ask you more about
forgiveness, because that is the central theme of Christianity. But first, tell
me why you use the Qur’an instead of the Bible?
M: The Qur’an was revealed by God through his angel Gabriel, to Mohammed,
peace be upon him. It is the final revelation, the most complete and perfect
revelation of God to his people. But we also believe in the Bible, both your
Old and New Testament (which we call the Injil).
C: But the Bible is all about Jesus! You don’t believe in Jesus, you believe in
Mohammed!
M: No, no. Don’t make that mistake. We believe in one God, Allah, and
Mohammed is his prophet, peace be upon him. But yes, we also believe in
the prophet Issa, the one you call Jesus.
C: So maybe our religions are closer than I thought. But there’s still one thing
I don’t understand. The Bible says that Jesus is God’s own Son, the living
Word, who came into the world to die for our sins. If Jesus is God’s answer
to the problem of sin and death, why do you need another revelation? Why
did you need a final revelation of the Qur’an?
M: Ah, that’s where we believe Christianity has gone astray. You see, your
Bible was corrupted. Originally it was perfect, but then it was copied into
other languages and wicked men changed and corrupted it. Jesus was a
prophet, and he did not die on the cross. Allah took him to heaven, and one
day he will return. But the most important change they made was to make
Jesus into a god. There is only one God, and yet they tried to make Jesus
into another god, and then later they even added a third god, and now you
have 3 gods! How could Allah have a son, as though he would procreate like
a human being? God is not like us. That’s why Allah had to give a new
revelation to Mohammed, peace be upon him. He was fighting to regain the
truth of monotheism, so the Qur’an is the final revelation. To avoid
corruption, the true Qur’an can only be written in Arabic, the language God
chose to reveal himself.
C: Hmmm…. it looks like we are not quite so similar after all. I’d like to talk
more about who Jesus really was, but you made an interesting comment
about God. You said God is not like us. But we Christians believe that we
were made in God’s image, and that He loves us, and wants us to be united
with Him. Of course we’re not little gods, but you agree that we are made
in his image, don’t you?
M: Maybe this is the time to talk about God and Allah. We believe that Allah is
the creator of the whole universe. He is infinite and transcendent. He is
merciful and beneficent. He is the final judge and so many other things. But
He alone is God. He needs nothing. He is not limited by anything. And
because he is One, there is also just One truth about him, and One proper
way to worship, and One true final prophet, and One true religion. In fact,
Allah has so many wonderful attributes that we talk about his 99 Beautiful
Names.
C: I think we share many of those names. Our God is also the Creator, he is
merciful, loving, all powerful, and transcendent. But we also believe that he
cares deeply for us, that he grieves when we do wrong, that he loves us like
his children. In fact, do you know what my favorite name for God
is? Father. He wants to be our father. Do you like that name too?
M: Father is not one of our 99 names. Allah is unique. He is wholly different
from us, and he cannot be a Father, and Jesus cannot be his Son. In fact we
find the very thought of that offensive.
C: I guess this brings us to the very heart of the matter, doesn’t it? This is the
main difference between Islam and Christianity. You see, we don’t believe
that God had sex and fathered a son, but we believe that God exists in
relationship, not as a singularity. God is not 3, he is only One, but that One
is comprised of Father, Son, and Spirit, 3 persons in one being. Jesus was
born as a human, but is also God’s Son eternally, in eternal relationship with
the Father. I know this sounds difficult to comprehend, but it’s the heart of
our faith. We believe that Jesus had to die on the cross, because we are all
condemned to death because of sin. Jesus had to be human to be our
representative, but he had to be God to take all of our sins upon him, and put
them to death forever on the cross. If there is no cross, there is no
forgiveness, no reconciliation, no salvation, and no heaven. How do you
Muslims believe you are saved?
M: Well, we believe that Allah is Merciful. If we submit ourselves to him he
will allow us into paradise.
C: But how do you know? How do you know if you’re good enough to get in?
M: We can never really know. We must do all we can to submit to him. Then
trust that maybe he will take us in. I don’t want to become a Christian of
course, but I am interested in what you’re saying about forgiveness and
assurance of heaven. Maybe we should get together and talk again
sometime. Salaam, brother.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What do you think about the above interaction?
Discuss and give examples of the difference between contextualization and
syncretism.
Of the major worldviews you have read about, which seems most
appealing? Why?
Is suffering real? Give reasons for your answer using your knowledge of
worldviews.
The Truth in a Forest of Worldviews
1. Objectives
1. Explain what has gone wrong with the World from a Christian perspective-
the problem of sin!
2. Discuss how the problem of sin can be addressed so to fix what has gone wrong
with the world.
3. Examine the three perspectives of understanding the concept of salvation so
to explain exactly what the work of Christ means for humanity in addressing
the problem of evil

What can be done to fix the problem of sin?
Bible Passage: Genesis 2-3, John 14:16
Key Terms: atonement, expiation, propitiation, satisfaction, sacrifice,
substitution, reconciliation; calling, conversion, regeneration;
justification, restoration, union, adoption;
resurrection, glorification, session
Missio Dei – the Mission of God, the Great Commission
The Truth in a Forest of Worldviews

2. Main Points
Our Moral Code: Where does it come from?
- The universal moral imperative, Standards of right and wrong
The Problem of Sin and Evil

- Origin of sin: the fall
- Freewill, sin and evil in action, Consequences of sin
The Mission of God (Missio Dei)
The Path of Redemption Through Biblical History
Salvation / Redemption
Understanding substitutionary atonement,
Aspects of the atonement,
Results of the atonement
These then, are the two points I wanted to make:

- First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious
idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get
rid of it.
- Second, that they do not in fact behave that way. They know the Law
of Nature. They break it. These two facts are the foundation of all
clear thinking about ourselves and the universe in which we live. —
C.S. Lewis
Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains —Rousseau
3. Introduction
In the previous lectures, we have been wading through a forest of worldviews
seeking to get answers to the questions: What has gone wrong with the world? What
has gone wrong with us? And what can be done to fix it? The interesting thing we
have noted was that at least every worldview we have made note of in one way or
the other, has an answer to these questions. But the question remains, are they
adequate answers to address what has gone wrong with world/us?
This chapter, therefore, sets to give, in our opinion- an adequate answer to the
challenges that the world has plunged itself into by using the Christian worldview as
we respond to the worldview questions.
In the Christian Worldview perspective, the answer to the question “What has gone
wrong with the world? What has gone wrong with us?” is aptly given to be “SIN”
as recorded in Genesis 2-3. For, after a perfect creation, God put man in the Garden
of Eden and gave them specific instructions of what to do and what not to do.
However, with time such a free will that God gave to man to make choices ended up
being abused. In spite of the clear price tags attached to the choices man makes, man
decided to choose that which was contrary to what God had intended for him/her,
hence falling apart with God.
What is “sin”?
We could define sin as “anything which departs from the moral imperative – the
moral ought - as determined by God. If there is such a thing as a moral ought, then
there is a right and wrong. And if there is right and wrong, the implication is that
we have a choice. So we come back to the key importance of free choice as part of
our uniqueness as bearers of God’s image. This sets us apart from the rest of God’s
physical creation.
4. Relationship between Sin and Evil

In addition to the problem of sin in us, we also recognize that there is evil in the
world. Where did this evil come from? Is all evil the result of sin? Then what is
the relationship between sin and evil? How did sin and evil enter the world?
5. What is Man?
Man is a free moral agent with choices!!
What has gone wrong? We made the wrong choice: We chose the self over God
and disobedience over obedience.
The curse affected everything – the snake, the woman, the man, ALL of mankind
(society, culture, human institutions), ALL is tainted and corrupted because all have
sin at the root. You cannot have a just, good, utopian society comprised of sinful
people!! This is the fundamental failure in all human endeavors: development, aid,
politics, medical work… and in all worldviews: communism, capitalism, ATR,
etc. They do not get to the root of the problem which is sin. Only the Christian
worldview deals sufficiently with this problem!
6. The Effects of Sin on Man’s Relationships

 Relationship with God: “The man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of
the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Gen 3:8). “The LORD God sent
him forth from the garden of Eden…” (Gen 3:23). Adam and Eve know that their
sin will impair relationship with God, so they hide when God comes looking for
them in the garden. A pure and holy God cannot stand sin and throws them out of
the garden. We still have a unique relationship with God, but it needs
redeeming. The good news is that this relationship is worth redeeming to God. We
don’t deserve for God still to love us and pursue relationship with us, but we are
worth it to God. This is the grace that comes to us in Christ.
 Relationship with others-Adam blames Eve for the sin he committed. Eve does not
receive that and in turn blames the serpent. They fail to live in honesty, love, and
humility. Even biological relationships will now have painful beginnings in
childbirth. Now man rules over woman, and we have seen that in many ways
throughout history. But this is not the way things are supposed to be, it is a distortion
of proper relationship with others, a result of sin.
 Relationship with creation: even the ground bears a curse because of Adam and
Eve’s sin. It is not only humanity who must bear the consequences. The earth now
will yield by toil and difficulty, and thorns and thistles will threaten harm. Adam
and Eve no longer perfectly rule over creation and take care of it: they have failed to
take care of it by eating of the wrong tree. Now rule and caretaking comes with
much effort and mixed results. Eventually humanity is given animals to eat as well,
further evidence that sin brings about relationships of destruction for the sake of
survival among creatures after the fall.
6. The Effects of Sin on Man’s Relationships
6.1. The Problem of Sin
From the Christian worldview perspective, the problem, both for individual humans
and the world as a whole, is SIN
Sin is a serious offence with devastating consequences such as
 corruption and total depravity;
 broken relationships;
 weakness and enmity;
A serious offence leads to serious punishment, in this case:
Guilt and death (spiritual and physical); God’s justice demands it.
A serious offence demands a serious solution.
Yet there is NOTHING we can do in order to fix it. Even the best efforts
fall short of God’s standard of righteousness and holiness. Is. 64:6 “All of us
have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
Micah 7:4 “The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn
hedge.”
Rom 3:10 “There is no one righteous, not even one…”
With man it is impossible to satisfy God’s justice and attain salvation (bring a
solution). What man cannot do, God can, and He has done it. So, the Bible talks
about “good news”, ‘Through Jesus Christ’!
7. The Mission of God – Missio Dei

How did God respond to the Fall? Was that the end of the story?
God goes on a Rescue Mission…
The Mission of God:

• To restore the relationship (reconciliation)
• To save mankind from sin and death (salvation)
 To redeem lost humanity and a sinful world to himself (redemption)
• To restore the Imago Dei in us through Christ (restoration)
Examples: Eph 1:4-6, 2 Cor 3:18, Rom 8:29, 1 Jn 3:2
8. The Particular Work of Christ

What did really happen because of the Cross of Jesus Christ?
Six ideas or concepts are important in the New Testament language:
Substitution
Jesus died in our place and bore the punishment for our sins.
- 1 Pet 2:24 ‘bore our sins in his body…’;
- 1 Pet 3:18 ‘Christ died for our sins once for all…’;
- Is. 53: 4-6 ‘…took our infirmities, carried our sorrows, pierced for our
transgressions, crushed for our iniquities…’;
- Gal 2:20 ‘who loved and gave himself for me.’
The “Son of Man” died for all the children of Adam and Eve.
In order for the substitution to work, Jesus fulfilled the following:

A. He had to be fully human: the life of a human is required to pay the penalty every
human owes.
B. He had to be fully God: only God Himself could provide adequate sacrifice to cover
each person with his one life. If Jesus was only a human, his death could not have
transcended his own situation.
C. He had to be a perfect sacrifice: to appease God, only perfection would
do. Otherwise how could one sinful life substitute for another sinful life?
D. He had to become sin: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him
we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21)
E. He had to die: seems obvious, but some believe Jesus was replaced and did not die
on the cross. If he did not die, how could he put our sins to death on the cross?
F. He had to be resurrected: to overcome death, evil, and destruction, he had to come
back to life, and thus have his perfect life applied to us.
8.1. Forgiveness
Immediate result—forgiveness of sins. Meting out punishment (bearing the
consequence of action) is necessary for or part of forgiveness. Forgiveness does not
blot out consequence. Heb. 9:22 ‘…and without the shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness.’ The penalty is paid and so the offence is no longer used as prism to
look at us and it no longer affects the relationship. We receive forgiveness because
Christ “paid it all for us.”

8.2. Propitiation
Is temple language meaning sacrifices offered to turn away God’s wrath against sin.
Sin is so horrible and the holy righteous God does not condone it. Justice must be
satisfied.A penalty must be paid and Jesus did this; he is the atonement. 1John 2: 2
“He is the one who took God’s wrath against our sins upon himself, and brought us
into fellowship with God.” (Bible). God, in his love, met the demands of justice
through the offering of His Son on the cross.

8.3. Redemption
Is market language referring to slaves being redeemed for a price/ransom, setting
them free. Jesus’ death paid the price for our sin. Mark 10:45. Eph. 1:7. There is
freedom from the captivity of sin.

8.4. Justification
Court room (legal) language meaning “to pronounce, accept and treat as just.” It
refers to a verdict of acquittal, “not guilty.” Therefore, there is no possibility of
condemnation. Rom 4:25, 5:16-18. Life lived in liberty is possible.

8.5. Reconciliation
Is relational language, more to do with family life or friendship.
In Christ, God reconciled the world to himself. 2Cor 5:19; Rom 5:10.
The result is “peace” (Rom 5:1) and adoption into his family (John 1:12).
9. The Cross Fixed the Damaged Relationships

• With God: God “reconciled us to himself through Christ” 2Cor 5:18;
• We do not have need to hide now as Adam and Eve did because God removed
the guilt and made us his children. We now call him , “Abba, Father”.
Remember how in the Old Testament the people of Israel restored a right
relationship with God by the sacrifices of the priest in the Holy of Holies
on the Day of Atonement? The Gospels tell us that when Jesus died, the
temple curtain, which separated the presence of God in the Holy of Holies
from the people, was torn. Now, through Christ, all have access to the
presence of God, able to have a right relationship with God because of the
sacrifice of Jesus. As Paul puts it, God “reconciled us to himself through
Christ” (2Cor 5:18). We do not have to hide from God anymore like Adam
and Eve did, because the blood of Jesus covers our sin. Jesus is the
mediator restoring right relationship between us and God.
• With Others: Through Christ’s sacrifice, we seek others’ forgiveness and also
give forgiveness thus restoring relationships. Promoting reconciliation is
our God-given ministry. We are Peace-makers. 2Cor 5:20.
We are able to love others because God first loved us. God teaches us how
to love through the self-giving example of Jesus (cf. Phil 2:5-11). We even
pray through the Lord’ prayer, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those
who sin against us.” If God can forgive everyone, even us, in Christ, who
are we to hold people’s sins against them? We see also that in Christ “there
is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, for all are one in
Christ,” “children of God through faith” (Gal 2:28, 26). In his flesh,
Ephesians tells us, Jesus breaks down hostility between us and creates in
himself one body representing humanity thus bringing peace in his
body. Thus Jesus is our mediator in relationships with others as well;
because of his death and resurrection, our relationships with others are
restored. Faith in Jesus also gives another aspect of a unique relationship
with others: as we are reconciled to God, God makes us ambassadors of
that reconciliation, as if God were making his appeal to others through us
(cf. 2Cor 5:20)! We take the message of a reconciled relationship with
God to others—the Great Commission.
• With Creation/Nature: Rom 8:21, cultural commission.

With Jesus’ resurrection we see that what has gone wrong with creation
can be corrected. Even if we get sick, toil over the ground, face natural
disasters, etc. we are not left at the mercy of whatever end distorted
creation might bring to us. There will be a new heaven and a new earth
with restored and healthy life. All of creation will be redeemed and made
new. “Creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay” (Romans
8:21). Jesus also gives us a cultural commission to live life and interact
with creation in restorative ways, in Christian ways. Saint Frances
preached to the birds and the squirrels. Jesus is Good News for all creation,
even if particularly for humanity.
• Within Ourselves: As sinners we are split personalities who struggle with who
we are. It is difficult for us to accept ourselves and forgive
ourselves. (Romans 7:15, 18-19). But in Christ ‘acceptance or
reconciliation’ becomes possible: He accepts us just as we are and then
transforms us. This helps us to accept ourselves and be reconciled with
ourselves. Death “separates” us—body, soul and spirit; but in resurrection
we will again be made whole. (1Corinthians 15). The Bible refers to this
as salvation, saving what was on the path to destruction, bringing from
death to life. We might think of what Jesus did this way: we deserved
death because of our sinful nature, we were condemned to die, so we were
already dead in our sins, beyond hope. Then, Jesus took our place,
receiving the punishment for sin.
He paid the price and we received life in him. Jesus is our substitute,
paying what we owe in order to reconcile us with the Father The penalty
Christ received was ours to pay: death. Through his death and resurrection
we find our life eternal. (1Thes 5:10; John 14:19). The price Jesus paid
satisfied the wrath of God; through Jesus we find mercy and grace (un
deserved favor i.e. eternal life and a restored relationship with
God). God’s justice and His mercy kissed each other on the cross of Jesus
Christ!
Sin further alienates us from our own selves. Paul struggles over his own
desires and actions. “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do
what I want but I do the very thing I hate…I can will what is right, but I
cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is
what I do” (Ro 7:15, 18-19). We cannot always make our will and our
actions line up—sin has infiltrated our very being denying us the ability to
be our righteous selves. Forgiveness and grace free us from the grip of sin
and from the law of sin and death. Paul goes on to say that Jesus
“condemned sin in the flesh” so that we might live by the spirit instead of
by the flesh. Our old person, the flesh that was slave to sin, has been, as
we say during baptism, “buried with him in the likeness of his death” and
we are “raised to walk in newness of life.”
Note; “If man had his way, the plan of redemption would be an endless
and bloody conflict. In reality, salvation was bought not by Jesus' fist, but
by His nail-pierced hands; not by muscle but by love; not by vengeance
but by forgiveness; not by force but by sacrifice. Jesus Christ our Lord
surrendered in order that He might win; He destroyed His enemies by
dying for them and conquered death by allowing death to conquer
Him ― A.W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus' Return: Daily Live the Blessed
Hope
10. Three Aspects of Salvation

“I was saved, I am being saved, I will be saved one day” (1 Pet 1:3-9)
Past Salvation
– The past aspect of salvation is the moment of decision to follow
Jesus; crossing over from death to life.
Present Salvation
– The present aspect of salvation is the continuing process of “sanctification”;
being ‘made perfect’
Future Salvation
– The future aspect of salvation is:
1. Resurrection – we shall be resurrected like Christ with an immortal imperishable
1.
body.
2. 2. Glorification – our new bodies will be glorified, fully in his image, without sin
3. 3. Session – we shall reign with him
11. Tutorial
Discuss the problem of sin in Ugandan Society (or in any part of the world you
are familiar with).
What defense can we give for the idea of original sin from the attacks of some
Christians who say that the original sin doesn’t exist/ didn’t take place?
If you asked people from your home area, “what is the main problem with the
world we live in?” what sort of answers do you think people would
give? Could they summarize them in a single word or sentence?
Why is sin so prevalent in society when so many people claim to be Christians?
12. Additional Insights

THE PROBLEM OF SIN AND EVIL
Do We Lose Our Salvation When We Sin?
— A response to questions raised by UCU

students, 2006
The issue raised was whether a saved Christian who sins without
repentance is condemned to hell? The theological issue proposed was that
a person’s IDENTITY changes when they become saved. They move from
DEATH to LIFE and are a NEW CREATION, TRANSFORMED. Their sins are
forgiven and they are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. However,
Christians do continue to sin and to struggle with sin. When a Christian
sins, how does this affect their status before God?
Q. If a person commits a sin and then dies, before repenting, do
they go to hell?
1) We need to clarify the difference between IDENTITY and ACTIONS.
Our identity is either a sinner under condemnation, or a saved person

under grace (a saint); there is no middle ground, and the Bible gives
no indication of vacillating back and forth. Sinners have the capacity
to have good actions, and saints have capacity to sin. But once we are
in Christ, we have a new identity.
2) We need to recognize 3 different aspects of SALVATION: Past, Present,

Future. ( 1Peter 1:3,5,9)
Past salvation is a onetime event of belief in Christ, being redeemed,

made NEW.
Present salvation is an ongoing process of sanctification, growing

gradually in maturity in Christ, being more and more conformed to his
likeness, daily taking up our cross to put to death our sinful nature and
follow him.
Future salvation is our perfection and glorification in our resurrected

bodies.
3) We need to recognize that sin is sin and all sin leads to death. , We
tend to focus on overt sins. But God is equally concerned with sins of
the heart: wrong thoughts, wrong attitudes, and sins of omission,
failing to do what we ought to do.
If a Christian sins, does it lead back to death? It does lead to death,
but it leads back to the death of Christ, because he has already taken
ALL our sins and put them to death on the cross. Does that mean it
doesn’t matter? We can just sin as much as we like? Paul addresses
this misconception in Romans 5-8.
A Walk Through;
Romans 5-8
Christians in Paul’s day understood that Christ’s death covered all their
sins with grace and forgiveness. Was it then okay to go on sinning?
Rom 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many
were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many
will be made righteous… But where sin increased, grace increased all the
more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through
righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (not
through my own righteousness, which can never be righteous enough).
Rom 6:1-14 What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace
may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any
longer? Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death? . . . If we have been united with him like
this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his
resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that
the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be
slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now
if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we
know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death
no longer has mastery over him. [Therefore, we cannot die again. Death
no longer has mastery over us!] The death he died, he died to sin once for
all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ
Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey
its evil desires . . . For sin shall not be your master, because you are not
under law but under grace.
(Paul never implies that a true Christian will never sin again, but that we
are no longer bound to sin. Sin is not our master, and we are no longer
subject to death. We are under grace, and we are subject to LIFE in
Christ).
Rom 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to
righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your
natural selves.
Paul Uses Himself as an Example
Romans 7:17 For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it
out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want
to do – this I keep on doing. 7:21 So, I find this law at work: When I want
to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in
God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body,
waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the
law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who
will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – Jesus Christ
our Lord! 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life
set me free from the law of sin and death.
8:8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You,
however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the
Spirit of God lives in you. If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of
sin, but your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And he who raised
Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his
spirit.
8:15 For you did not receive a Spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of sonship. The Spirit himself testifies with our
spirit that we are God’s children, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if
indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his
glory!
(We do not need to live in fear that any moment we sin, we lose our
inheritance and our salvation)
Another Example
1Cor 3 Paul addresses us as “brothers” those who are not acting as mature
Christians. Despite their sin, he never suggests that they have lost their
salvation or are going to hell.
1Cor 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere
infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready
for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since
there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you
not acting like mere men?
(These corinthians are Christians, but they are not acting according to their
spiritual identity. They are still acting according to worldly behavior. Paul
does not say they are going to hell, but rather that BECAUSE they are saints,
they should ACT like saints!)
3:16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s
Spirit lives in you? So then, no more boasting! All things are yours, and
you are of Christ and Christ is of God.
The Simplest Presentation is Given in 1 John
1John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to
you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have
fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the
truth. But if we walk in the light, the blood of Jesus purifies us from all
sin.
1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is
not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us
our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim not to have
sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if
anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense –
Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,
and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world!
“Christianity begins with an accurate diagnosis of the human dilemma.” —

Colson
“Christianity’s salvation is based on historical truth.” —Colson
“Even if Jesus never lived, the Sermon on the Mount would still be true to
me!”
—Ghandi
But it does matter! If Jesus didnot live, the Sermon on the Mount would
have no meaning, and certainly no validity. Jesus’ death was not just a
symbol or parable or myth, something which may be true for only some
people. It is either true in historical reality and thus true in its meaning,
or it is not true historically, and therefore meaningless.
If the gospel is a myth, then God has not done anything. If Jesus has not
died, then we are not saved. Christianity would become just another set
of moral teachings like any other religion. Jesus’ death on the cross and
resurrection, makes Christianity completely unlike any other
religion. There is no neutrality. You either believe it or deny it.
“Getting the Message Out”
-- Vaughn Roberts
Reprinted from Evangelicals Now, March 2004
From the address at the National Evangelical Anglican Conference in

Blackpool, England
A young student was in despair. Her life was in turmoil and she felt a deep
emptiness within. Somehow she knew she needed God, but she had no
idea where to find him. One Sunday, on the way to the supermarket, she
saw crowds of young people going into a church and she began to wonder
if she might find what she was looking for inside. But she did not go in. It
was a frightening, unfamiliar place - she wouldn’t know where to sit, when
to stand or what to say; so she walked away.
There are many like her: aware of a spiritual hole in their lives, but feeling
completely disconnected from church and not looking there for answers.
We [the church or Christians] must take some of the blame for that.
The student returned the following Sunday, but once again she couldn’t
bring herself to go in. She was back again on the third week and would
have turned away if an elderly saint hadn’t spotted her and asked if she
wanted to go in. Three months later she came to Christ. But most people
will not persevere like that. They won’t even get to the door, let alone go
in.
If current trends continue, attendances in Anglican churches will be down

to two thirds of the current level by 2030. We must commit ourselves to
the task the Lord Jesus gave his disciples. If we are to do that effectively,
it will involve courageous, radical action. The gulf between society and the
church, and, more importantly, society and Christ, is enormous.
1. MISSION
Mission is a very slippery word. It is rather like motherhood and apple pie
- everyone believes in it. It appears in every diocesan mission statement or
strategy document, but what does it mean? The word is so broad now that
it encompasses almost everything. So we can all affirm the centrality of
mission and yet mean very different things by it.
It is time we evangelicals reaffirmed the priority of evangelism. Of course
it right that we are concerned for the whole person, the whole of society
and the whole created order. God is and so should we be. But the greatest
problem that faces human beings is spiritual. It is our great privilege and
responsibility to proclaim the solution to that problem in Christ.
Evangelicals are gospel people. We have always had our differences on
secondary matters, but we are bound by common convictions. We believe
in sin leading us all under the condemnation of a holy God and facing
eternity without him. But we also believe in salvation: achieved uniquely
through the Lord Jesus Christ by his substitutionary death on the cross. All
who trust in him are justified and fully reconciled to God. And we believe
in the Spirit: sent by God to enable sinful human beings to turn to Christ so
that they might be born again and have the certain hope of heaven. It is
those truths which led Wesley and Whitefield to travel the length and
breadth of the country [Britain] preaching the gospel. The same conviction
spurred many thousands over the last two centuries to go to the ends of
the earth at great personal cost. And now the baton has been handed to us
in the 21st century. We are called to be Christ’s missionaries here in Britain
[or Uganda] in our generation. If we are to begin to do that job effectively
we will have to think radically. Our society has changed and, if we are to
reach it with the gospel, we must change too.
We are too often stuck in the old patterns in our thinking. We are too
focused on our buildings. If people won’t come to us, we should go to them:
in the schools, offices, hospitals, residential care homes, pubs and fitness
centers. In so doing, we must be prepared to go outside, not just our
buildings, but our parishes too. The parochial system is a great resource
for mission that can be very effective in evangelizing those for whom the
neighborhood is the main locus of their existence, such as the elderly,
children, and parents at home with their children. But it also has
limitations. What about the very large number of people for whom home is
little more than the place where they sleep? They function primarily in
networks, not neighborhoods - groups built around shared interests,
ethnicity and professions. We’ll need a very different approach to reach
them. And what about those other geographical areas where there is little
or no gospel outreach because the vicar never preaches the gospel? Surely
we should be concerned for those areas too.
It would be wonderful if we evangelicals were able to unite and work

together, not simply in what we oppose, but in what matters most to us -
the work of mission. Do we ever meet together to discuss and pray about
the unevangelised areas, groups and networks in our locality? Sometimes
we will wish to work through the structures of the Church of England. At
other times we work most effectively with free churches. Our concern is
for the name of Christ in our land and not for any one denomination. A
church’s ideas for mission may not be welcomed by denominational
authorities; radical thinking seldom is. But let’s make sure we support any
evangelical church when it takes a new initiative in evangelistic mission,
rather than joining the chorus of disapproval.
2. MORALITY
I hope at least a part of you groans at the mention of that word. Perhaps
you think, ‘Can’t we just focus exclusively on mission for a while without
having to think about the divisions over morality which are tearing the
Anglican Communion apart?’ But, of course those divisions impinge directly
on our mission. Those who say that sex outside heterosexual marriage can
be moral are gravely damaging the reputation of the church in many parts
of the world, not least in places where there is a substantial Muslim
population. They are watering down the gospel with its call to repentance
and causing great spiritual danger to many.
The events of the last few months have issued a wake-up call to us. We
have been used to looking at some of the events in North America and
saying to ourselves, ‘It couldn’t happen here - at least for a long time’. But
then came the Reading affair and a number of English bishops spoke quite
openly about their support for same-sex unions. Others argued against
them simply on pragmatic or ecclesiological grounds. But we believe that
even if the church wants to change its mind, the Bible won’t change its
position. God’s mind won’t change and we are right to demand a clear
theological lead from our archbishops and our bishops, not just a political
lead. It has become clear that we are faced, not simply with two points of
view, but two religions: one which seeks to submit to Scripture, and the
other which feels free to put it on one side. Those two positions are
irreconcilable. It is inevitable that they will gradually drift apart and there
will be some kind of realignment in world Anglicanism. Sooner or later,
that is bound to have significant structural implications for the Church of
England, and that, in turn, will have a huge effect on mission for good or
ill.
We saw a remarkable degree of evangelical unity during the Reading

controversy, but I am nervous that we will now return to where we were
before. It seems unlikely that there will be many more clear-cut occasions
when we’ll all agree to make a stand together. Instead of standing unitedly
against false teaching, there is a great danger that we will tear ourselves
apart by rowing over our different responses to what’s going on. That will
make it much easier for a divide-and-rule policy to work against us and we
could lose the battle. Some will get so used to saying ‘No - this isn’t the
moment to take action’ that their ‘Not nows’ become ‘Never’ and they
lose the nerve to make a stand at all. Others will take decisive action. But
they’ll do it unilaterally and will give the impression that those who don’t
do exactly what they’re doing are unprincipled. There will just be a small
number of them who will easily be picked off. Their property will be
confiscated and they will be pushed into the margins.
But it needn’t be like that - it mustn’t be! Let’s determine to be absolutely

united on the principles. We are mainstream Anglicans standing with the
Scriptures, the formularies, the Creeds, and with the vast majority of our
Anglican brothers and sisters throughout the world. And when any bishop,
diocese, or province endorses what is morally wrong, they’re taking
themselves outside the bounds of Anglicanism. We must continue to affirm
that with bold clarity.
3. MINISTRY
Mission is the task of the whole people of God: all Christians are called to
be full-time ministers of Christ as we offer our lives in his service. But to
be equipped for that task, our churches need to be led by suitably gifted
and trained pastors. We must not think, ‘How many clergy do we need to
look after the church as it is?’ The question should rather be, ‘How many
pastors, evangelists and church planters do we need to reach the
nation?’ The answer is many, many more.
Recruitment
This is the responsibility, first and foremost, of the local church. We all
need to commit ourselves to praying that other Lord’s Prayer that Jesus
urged his disciples to pray: ‘Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers
into the harvest field’. As we pray, we should be actively looking for such
laborers.
Training
Proper training is vitally important. The local church undoubtedly has a

central role to play in that. I’m a keen supporter of the apprenticeship
model of training. But I still believe the colleges are crucial, especially for
those who will spend many years in full-time ministry. They need to have
a thorough training in theology, and that takes time. It also costs money,
but it’s money well spent. If in time, central church funds no longer fully
provide the necessary financial support, we must find it in other ways. The
future of our colleges is currently under review and, indeed, under threat.
We must work together to ensure that they are able to maintain and
strengthen their evangelical identity.
Deployment
Having recruited and trained evangelical ministers, we must be able to

deploy them. Extra staff cost money, which is always in limited supply. We
should be asking tough questions about the best way of financing our
mission. The diocesan quota system often has the effect of taxing and
limiting growth in some churches, while encouraging an unhelpful
dependency culture in others. We must be generous, but we must also be
responsible with our money. That may sometimes mean paying less than is
demanded by the diocese and redirecting the extra money in the cause of
mission, both in our churches and in other churches we support
4. MEEKNESS
I’m aware that what I’ve said might have come across as a bit too strident
and rather arrogant. We often appear like that to non-evangelicals. We can
give the impression that we think we have the vitality and spiritual muscle.
But we need to remember the words of Jesus, ‘The meek will inherit the
earth’. Not the strident, not the great strategists, but those who humbly
depend on their God.
So, first and foremost, we need not to look to ourselves, our leaders,
organizations and strategies. We need to look to our God.
“True Reconciliation in Rwanda”(move to salvation).
—Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Kolini, former Anglican Archbishop of Rwanda

(The following are excerpts from an address to students of UCU
visiting Kigali, Rwanda, 2006)
The Process of Reconciliation
For Politicians, reconciliation is a matter of resolving conflict on the

visible, surface level of society. They seek to bring about peace between
warring parties. In the Rwandan case, this means reconciliation between
the social groups. This kind of reconciliation has its place, but it can only
ever produce a shallow kind of peace. Conflict which results in genocide
goes far deeper than the social group level. It reaches down into
families. As a result of intermarriage between the different groups in
Rwanda, genocide took place, not only on the macro-social level but also
on the micro-familial level. There are many examples of atrocities in
families. Sons mutilated and raped their Tutsi mothers. Husbands killed
their wives and even their children. Reconciliation which rests on the
surface and fails to address these deeper problems cannot bring about true
healing.
At the centre of the problem of genocide lies the issue of the heart of
man. In order to treat a sickness, we need a correct diagnosis. To deal
with the sickness of genocide, we need a correct diagnosis of the condition
of the heart. In Jer 17:9 we read, “The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” The problem is that the heart
of man is desperately sick. This is a spiritual problem. Jesus said to the
Pharisees who opposed him, “How can you who are evil say anything
good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt
12:34). Unless the heart is cured, evil will continue to reside there and
will express itself in evil actions. Reconciliation that does not deal with
the spiritual condition of the heart will never bring about lasting peace.
Spiritual reconciliation must of necessity comprise both vertical and

horizontal dimensions. The first level or reconciliation is that which must
take place between God and man (the vertical dimension). Paul writes to
the Corinthians, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God”
(2Cor 5:20). He explains that the core content of the Gospel which he
preaches is the message that God was reconciling the world to himself in
Christ, not counting men’s sins against them (2Cor 5:19). God made Jesus,
who had no sin, to carry the sin of the world so that the sins of those who
believe may be forgiven and the unrighteous heart transformed through
the righteousness of Christ. That is why Paul says, “If anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come” (2Cor
5:17). Jesus said to the Pharisees, “The good man brings good things out
of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of
the evil stored up in him” (Mt 12:35). Reconciliation with God through
Christ brings about a change of heart and is the first step on the road to
restoration.
The second stage of reconciliation is dealing with one’s self. This means
looking into the heart and isolating feelings of guilt and resentment, of
bitterness and hatred. The Bible urges us to confess our sins in order to
receive forgiveness. “If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:8-
9). Once again, this is a vertical reconciliation. Repentance and
confession enable us to receive God’s forgiveness and to put our hearts
right with God.
The third dimension of reconciliation is horizontal. It involved being

reconciled to our fellow man. Jesus said, ”. . .first go and be reconciled
to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Mt 5:23). Reconciliation
with our fellow man may be on many levels: on the individual level, on the
family level or on the social group level. The chief characteristic of the
followers of Jesus is that they should love one another. Jesus said, This is
my command: Love each other (Jn 15:17). So, true reconciliation will
mean forgiving others for their sins against us and asking for forgiveness
from those whom we have offended. And this all in the spirit of love.
A fourth dimension of reconciliation is between man and nature. This is

also horizontal reconciliation. During the Rwandan genocide, the land was
polluted by the blood that was shed on it. Bodies were exposed throughout
the country, and dogs, birds and even humans defiled themselves by eating
them. The rivers and lakes were filled with the dead, so much so that the
fish were affected and the waters polluted. Paul tells that, The whole of
creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the
present time (Rom 8:22). Nature is affected by the wickedness of man.
God will require an account to be given for the lifeblood of man. When
Cain killed Abel, God told Cain, Your brother’s blood cries out to me from
the ground (Gen 6:10). How much blood cries out to God from the soil of
Rwanda? Does the soil of Rwanda need to be cleansed from the defilement
of blood? It is a question we need to answer. In addition, much
environmental damage was caused by unnecessary deforestation and
slaughter of animals. The Bible tells us that God created us good, in His
own image, to look after his creation. We need to repent of the pollution,
destruction and defilement of the land that the genocide has caused.
“Conversion and Worldview Transformation”
—Dr. Paul G. Hiebert
Reprinted from International Journal of Frontier Missions vol.14 no.2

(1997) pp.83-85.
(Dr. Paul Hiebert served for many years as a missionary to India. Currently
he teaches Mission Anthropology and directs Intercultural Studies at Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School, School of World Missions in Deerfield, Chicago,
USA)
The process of doing theology in a particular setting must be that of

critical contextualization in which the culture is studied, then Scripture,
and finally Biblical truth and morality are used to judge and correct the
culture and its worldview. This is the key to worldview transformation.
Can a non-literate peasant become a Christian after hearing the Gospel

only once? Imagine, for a moment, Papayya, an Indian peasant, returning
to his village after a hard day’s work in the fields. His wife is preparing the
evening meal, so to pass the time he wanders over to the village square.
There he notices a stranger surrounded by a few curiosity-seekers. Tired
and hungry he sits down to hear what the man is saying. For an hour he
listens to a message of a new God, and something he hears moves him
deeply. Later he asks the stranger about the new way, and then, almost as
if by impulse, he bows his head and prays to this God who is said to have
appeared to humans in the form of Jesus. He doesn’t quite understand all
of it. As a Hindu he worships Vishnu, who incarnated himself many times
as a human, animal, and fish to save humankind.
Papayya also knows many of the 330 million Hindu gods. But the stranger
says there is only one God, and this God has appeared as a human only
once. Moreover, the stranger says that this Jesus is the Son of God, but he
says nothing about God’s wife. It is all confusing to Papayya. He returns
home and a new set of questions flood his mind. Can he still go to the
Hindu temple to pray? Should he tell his family about his new faith? And
how can he learn more about this Jesus? He cannot read the few papers
the stranger gave him and there are no other Christians in his village. Who
knows when the stranger will come again?
Can Papayya become a Christian after hearing the Gospel only once? This
depends, in part, on what we mean by the term “Christian.” If by this we
mean that he can he born again and enter the family of God, the answer
must be yes. If by this we mean that he understands the Gospel adequately
enough to communicate it without essential distortion to others and knows
what it means to live a Christian life, the answer must be no. If we form a
church of one hundred Papayyas and no further biblical teaching, the heart
of the Gospel will soon be lost. Their traditional worldviews will turn it into
another Hindu sect. We see examples of this in the case of Simon the
converted sorcerer (Acts 8:9-24), the sons of Sceva (Acts 19:11-16), the
people of Lystra (Acts 14:8-13) and Malta (Acts 28:3-6).
In planting churches we must differentiate between what is essential in the

conversion of new believers, and what is a true understanding of the Gospel
and Church in their cultural and historical settings - in other words, what
constitutes salvation, and what is the goal of Christian discipleship and
maturity. We need to keep both in mind. We need evangelists to lead
people to Christ, but if we expect them to grow on their own in Christian
knowledge and life without discipling them, they and the church will be
weak. We need biblical scholars, theologians and elders to help us
understand Scripture accurately and to grow in Christian faithfulness, but
without evangelism the church soon dies.
Cultural Transformation Levels

What must change in Christian conversion and discipleship? Throughout
history missionaries have given different answers to this question. Early
missionaries often viewed conversion in terms of orthopraxy— behavioral
changes. For example, from 1542 to 1544 Francis Xavier evangelized the
Paravas on the East coast of South India. For baptism he required new
converts to recite after him the twelve items of the catechism, the ten
commandments, a memorized prayer and a confession. He baptized those
who did so, sometimes a thousand at one time. He held Saturday night
services to disciple women, and Sunday morning services for men. Many
Protestant missionaries assessed Christian truth in terms of public
confessions of faith, regular church attendance, abstinence from strong
drink and immoral behavior, and wearing clothes.
Certainly we should expect behavioral changes to occur on conversion, and

more to follow in Christian growth, but are these sufficient to determine
who are Christians and who are not? On the one hand, there may be little
change at first in the lives of young converts, and it is not at all clear what
changes are definitive characteristics of conversion. On the other hand,
many people learn to act like Christians, but lack the personal inner faith
necessary for salvation.
Many missionaries began to measure conversion in terms of orthodoxy—in

holding correct beliefs. True converts had to affirm the virgin birth, the
death and the resurrection of Christ, as well as their lost condition and
their dependence on Christ for salvation. Orthodox beliefs are essential in
maintaining the Christian faith over time, but new converts such as
Papayya would fail even the most elementary biblical and theological
examination. Are they then not saved? On the other hand, if they do know
all that is essential to salvation, why stress theological training?
Protestant missionaries sought to lay solid biblical knowledge through

translating the Bible into local languages, starting schools to teach people
to read, and establishing Bible schools and seminaries to train church
leaders. By these they sought to go deeper—to the conversion of the
underlying beliefs and attitudes that give rise to behavior. Today missions
are emphasizing the need for each new church to do theology and answer
the unique questions it faces. Christians in each culture must hear God’s
Word for them in their particular cultural and historical contexts.
Learning the truth of divine revelation given us in Scripture—what we call

orthodox theology—is an important part of Christian transformation, but is
that enough to preserve the faithfulness of the Church over the
generations? In the case of Papayya, it is clear that he needs not only to
believe in Jesus Christ, God incarnate, who has died for his sins and saves
him from eternal judgment; he must, in time, change his understandings
of the nature of the categories and assumptions he uses. His concepts of
devudu, avatar, papamu, and moksha have only vague resemblances for
the concepts of God, incarnation, sin and salvation as presented in the
Bible. Papayya uses devuda for ‘god,’ but in his worldview gods are finite
beings who sin, are often reborn as ants or humans, and ultimately need
moksha as much as humans. For him papamu is to break the moral law of
karma which is binding on all beings including the gods, and moksha means
“salvation,” which consists of release from the weary cycle of rebirths
dictated by this law of karma, and merger back into the ultimate cosmic
field. There are no words to translate these concepts accurately into
Telugu. The missionary must begin using words Papayya understands, even
if these do not convey fully the Biblical message. The missionary and later
on the church leaders must teach Papayya how the very words he uses must
be radically redefined for him to understand the truth revealed in
Scripture.
Returning to our original differentiation between conversion and spiritual

growth, Papayya can be converted using his old worldview. People hear the
Gospel in their languages and cultural contexts, and, through the work of
the Holy Spirit, they can make a meaningful response to it. But that
worldview must be transformed in the process of spiritual growth and
maturity. No humanly constructed worldview is adequate to fully explicate
the Gospel. All of them fall short of the worldview we find in Scripture.
The Gospel itself challenges all worldviews, and calls for their
transformation. There is not enough space here to debate whether there
is or is not a “biblical worldview.” My position is that in the Old Testament
God prepared a people to be His witnesses, and a worldview through which
He could adequately communicate the Gospel. If the Gospel does not have
to do with worldview matters, it remains surface and transitory. Worldview
deals with foundational matters. They determine our understandings of
reality and truth. To the argument that there are several worldviews in the
Old Testament, my response is that worldviews do change over time, but
that at the deepest levels they continue over many generations. Just as we
modern humans live in essentially a Greek worldview, so the worldview of
Christ and the early Church was built on the growing common
understandings of God, sin, sacrifice, salvation and other key concepts in
the historical progression of the Old Testament. Christ built on Abraham,
Moses and the prophets. He did not introduce de novo a totally new
worldview. It is increasingly clear that for true Christianity to continue over
the generations there must be a transformation in the worldviews people
have. An analogy may help us here. Culture is like an iceberg. Behavior and
beliefs are what we see above the surface of the ocean. The worldview is
the large hidden mass beneath the surface that holds the whole iceberg
up. If we convert only beliefs and behavior, in time the worldview will take
the Christian beliefs captive. The result is “Christopaganism.”
The Christian Worldview and the Family
1. Objective
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
 Understand the concept of marriage and its forms
 Explain the biblical view of marriage (Purpose of Marriage)
 Elaborate how family is the foundation of a stable society
 Discuss the cultural mores on sexual maturity and marriage
 Evaluate marriage and family in the postmodern era.
Key Question: What is God’s design for marriage and family?

Key Terms: marriage, family, divorce, polygamy, singleness
Bible Passages: Ephesians 5:21-28 Genesis 2:23-24
Marriage is the legal union between a man and a woman with the aim of becoming
husband and wife. Marriages take different forms: Religious, Traditional, Civil, and
Contract marriages.
Marriage is a unique type of relationship. Not only is every marriage unique, but
every marriage is somehow, mysteriously, linked to the very image of God in
mankind, something which makes us uniquely human, and in one sense, makes us a
reflection of God himself.
God is uniquely relational. He exists in relationship, Father, Son and Spirit, in a
continuous, eternal bond of love and perfect unity. We also can only exist in
relationship with others; in families, extended families, communities, clans, tribes,
and societies. Perhaps our most uniquely human characteristic is our capacity for
relationship with God and with others. But the relationship of marriage most
perfectly reflects this dimension of God’s nature.
Marriage is the most unique of all human relationships because it most clearly
reflects the image of God in humanity – but the clarity of that reflection is dependent
upon the extent to which Christ is at the center of it. Christ is the source of love that
binds the marriage together, sanctifies it, upholds it, renews it, gives it roots, brings
forgiveness, restoration, wholeness, and steadfastness. But even more importantly,
the marriage relationship is unique because there is a spiritual component which we
can perhaps never fully comprehend. This is why we talk about the Mystery of
Marriage.
he Christian Worldview and the Family
2. Cultural Mores on Marriage

Marriage customs and concepts of family or family relationships vary
tremendously and are as diverse as the cultures they have been shaped by. In
Africa there are a number of considerations in regard to marriage and family.
 Choice of Spouse (usually a third party is involved)

 Bride Price
 Initiation Ceremonies (Traditional/Cultural)
 Ethnicity (Cross cultural marriages)
 Lifelong commitment
 Child brides
 Polygamy
 Ability to give birth (Children and prestige are synonymous)
While the considerations do not mean any harm, a number of problems surface in
African marriages and families. Some of these are:
 Inequalities because of the patrilineal aspect

 Childlessness (Children are vital)
 Witchcraft (Stems from polygamous aspect)
 Inheritance laws
 Domestic Violence
 Expectations from in-laws
. Cultural Mores on Marriage

2.1. The Biblical view on Marriage
 What is God’s design for marriage and family?

 What is God’s plan for husbands and wives?
 How do I choose a right partner?
 What do I do in a relationship?
 Why is it wrong to have sex before marriage?
 What is my role as a husband or wife?
 What is my role as a parent?
 What about childlessness?
 What about divorce and remarriage?

2.2. A Devotion on Husbands and Wives (Genesis 2:23)
The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called ‘woman’
For she was taken out of man.”
According to Genesis 2:7-25, Adam had beautiful surroundings; a good job, good
food, and would be branded rich in his days, but the Lord said it wasn’t good for
him to live alone. So, God decided to make a helper for him by performing the first
operation (without Anaesthesia) while Adam was sleeping.
For this reason will a man leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and
they will become one flesh.
The Bible says it beautifully

“You are now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”. It is as though there is a
new life formed. Two become one. There is a union and unity that did not exist
before, and suddenly it comes into being. Individuality is not lost in this new unity,
but rather something entirely new is formed from those two individual lives.
This is more than a physical union, more than friendship or companionship, more
than even mutual dependence; this is a spiritual union at the deepest level, which in
many ways seems beyond our understanding. It is this component of marriage which
is a special gift of God, created and ordained by Him. “For this reason, a man shall
leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one
flesh.”
Although we are sinful beings, yet in Christ, we have the capacity to aspire to this
perfect unity and perfect love, to aspire to something higher, greater, deeper, than
could ever be accomplished in our own strength. We enter marriage aware of our
own sinful failings and weaknesses, but being committed to depending on Christ
above all, aspiring to live in unity, willing to love sacrificially, to forgive
unconditionally, and to thoroughly enjoy with every part of our being, the ‘Mystery
of Marriage’.

2.3. Purpose of Marriage
1. Completion: Man alone seemed incomplete. Woman was created to
complete man. As a helper not a hindrance; a compliment not a competitor;
a supporter not a sup planter. Completion does not mean satisfying all ‘your’
needs because that can only be done by God. Further still, completion does
not mean a 50-50 proposition but 100-100
2. Companionship:
3. Conjugation: Sexual Union is private restricted to husband and wife
only. (see the Pillars below)
2.4. Partners in Marriage

God created one Adam and one Eve, each being a man and woman respectively.
This implies that biblical marriages should be monogamous and heterosexual. In this
postmodern era though marriage seems to be taking another turn in as far as who the
partners in a marriage are and how many they should be, Gods plan has not changed.
2.5. Biblical Pillars/Pattern of Marriage

Genesis 2:24
BIBLICAL PILLARS FOR MARRIAGE:

1) Leave his father and mother
2) Join, unite, cleave
3) Become ONE flesh
*Note the order!
1) To leave means you become independent. You must say, “my wife or my
husband is now PRIMARY”. Not my mother, father, uncles, aunties,
brother, sisters, or close friends. . If you are not ready to leave, you are
not ready for marriage.
2) Cleave. Paper glued together cannot be separated. Cleaving does not
primarily refer to the sexual oneness, but to the overall COMMITMENT
to one another. We are one. Yes, it is a risk. You leave everything else
behind. Take all of her / him. Be as committed to her / him as God is
committed to you!
3) Become one flesh. This is what many fear. Donot rush!! This union is a
wonderful mystery. A union of two people is unexplainable. It is the gift
of sex .The union of flesh signifies a much deeper union of two persons:
body, soul, and spirit. You cannot have one without having repercussions
of the other. Physical union has a bearing on spiritual, emotional, and
psychological union.
* “Leaving, cleaving, and becoming one flesh is the divine order (Gen 2:24;
Mat 19:5; Eph 5:31). Lest anyone is tempted to reverse it, be warned that
the order is clear, crystal clear.” Far too many young people try to jump
to “becoming one flesh” before they have left, and without the bond of
commitment. This turns the beauty of oneness in marriage into a mere act
of sexual pleasure. But the pleasure will be short-lived and the
consequences will be devastating. Follow God’s order!
It is important to note that the definition of marriage ends there. The existence or
non-existence of children, does not qualify or break a marriage.
.6. How to choose a marriage partner.
People consider so many things but the question remains; ‘How do we know that
these will lead us to Mr. Right or Miss Right. Some considerations are education
status, character, physical appearance, culture, social status etc. Of course these
qualities are not uniform for all humans. It is paramount however, that as you look
for these qualities, you also entirely depend on God to avoid getting all the wrong
qualities which result into a turbulent marriage.
NB: It is important that you become friends before you get married. Marriage to a
friend is likely to yield a comfortable relationship.
2.7. How to prepare for marriage
1. Purity; Research shows that premarital sex increases divorce chances by 70%.
One’s mind should be set on that which is pure. Self-control; One should be
able to say ‘no’ to peer and physical pressure. If you are in control now you
will be in control later.
2. Know your Status in God; Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and
therefore belongs to God. We were bought by the precious blood of Jesus. 1Cor
12:27; John 8:47; 1 Peter 1:18; 1Corinthians 6:20.
2.8. Role of Husbands and Wives
Ephesians 5:18-33
Submit to ONE ANOTHER out of reverence for Christ.
WIVES submit to your husbands as to the Lord...
HUSBANDS love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up
for her. (Vs 21)
The mutual submission of Ephesians 5:21 establishes the context in which the
verses that follow are set. Within the context of mutual submission it is quite
clear that submission and love are sides of the same coin, to be practiced by
both parties all the time. The only apparent difference is in the “how”, as
husband and wife have a different role to fill in the dynamics of the family
Husband:
1. Be a lover
Love is a commitment of the will to seek the very best of another person at your own
expense. Love should involve one’s heart, words, eyes, security, time, actions etc.
The word ‘love’ in Ephesians refers to Agape love i.e. Love which is unconditional,
sacrificial and committed.
2. Be a leader
A husband should be the head of a home. Headship does not mean superiority or
that the wife is less important (Galatians 3:27-28).
Wife:
1. Submit
Submission does not mean that the wife is less important it is just a matter of
order. It does not mean that the husband should rule over the wife or treat her
as a servant it simply means recognising the divine order in the family
understanding different roles to keep harmony and beauty in the family to the
glory of God
2. Respect
A wife should not compare her husband with someone else, she should not
criticize him try to change him or try to ‘mother’ him. She should be proud of
him and respect him and respect his decisions. Disagreements should be
discussed. Proverbs 27:15; Titus 2:3.
2.9. When married what next?
Many enter marriage with many expectations and at times most of these are not met.
This takes us to our first quote at the beginning of the chapter “Marriage is like a
besieged fortress…” There are a number of changes and transitions that come in
Marriage, child birth, child education, children become adolescents, children
become adults and leave home, old age or retirement and death. Throughout these
transitions, changes in regard to physical appearance, communication styles,
parenting and social changes take place. Given the above, the couple needs to
intentionally keep the romance.
2.10. Parenting-Family as foundation for stable society
A family being a foundation of a stable society implies that parenting is a vital in
God’s plan. The major goal of parenting is;
1. Bringing up God like children
2. Ushering children from dependence to independence.
3. Training children in character
God as an exemplary parent
He is good to all, has compassion for all, encourages those who are in trouble,
provides for all (physical, spiritual, intimate), is available to all, protects all, rebukes
all and is faithful in his promises.
Children’s responsibilities
The Bible highly emphasizes the need for children to obey and respect their parents
in the Lord and in everything. Exodus 20:12; Romans 1:30; Ephesians 6:1;
Colossians 3:20
2.11. Marital Challenges and instability
Challenges that crop up in marriage are likely to make them shaky. Some of these
are unfaithfulness, wealth and poverty, children out of wedlock, poor
communication, in-laws, infertility, and change of character et cetera all pose great
challenges to different marriages.
Singleness/Celibacy
Different worldviews look at singleness differently:
Traditional: Single people are second class citizens
Modern or Western: Singleness is freedom towards avoiding risks
Singles have a provision of alternative relationships like casual
sex, cohabiting etc.
Biblical view: Celibacy is for a purpose 1 Corinthians 7:7-9, 32-35
2.12. Marriage and Family in the Postmodern era
Bigamy
Polygamy
Serial polygamy
Promiscuity
Contract or trial marriages
Single parenthood
Children’s rights
Commercialization of marriage
Sodomy
Swingers e.t.c
Important note: Male and Female He Created Them…
Male and female relationships. There is always something that remains
unknowable, mysterious, and wonderful about the differences. And something that
remains incomprehensible, enigmatic and exasperating!
3. Tutorial
1. Discuss some of the issues or topics having to do with marriage and family in
Uganda that were not mentioned in the lecture. (I.e. arranged marriage,
extended family, gender roles, infertility etc)
What does a traditional African Worldview say about each? What about the
Christian Worldview?
2. What are the major ills that afflict Ugandan/African families today? Identify
the ones caused by an African worldview and by a Naturalisic worldview.
Discuss the principles of a biblical worldview that can help rectify these
problems.
Married or not, discuss and proposed ways through which marriages could be
stabilized.
The Christian Worldview and Work
1. Objectives
1. Explain the Biblical view of work
2. Appreciate the purpose of work
3. Understand the contemporary view understanding of work.
Key Question: What is God’s plan and purpose for work?
Does God work?
Key Terms: work, workmanship, stewardship, potential vocation, calling, social
justice, free-market, command economy
Bible Passages: Genesis 1:26-28, 2:4-15 and 3:16-17; Colossians 3: 23-24; Psalm
90:17
2. What is work?
The term work was introduced in 1826 by the French mathematician HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaspard-Gustave_Coriolis"Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis
as "weight lifted through a height", which is based on the use of early steam engines
to lift buckets of water out of flooded ore mines.
Note that the original meaning had nothing to do with earning money
Work is an activity and it requires effort. It can be paid or unpaid. Most people have
misunderstood work to be something you do to get paid.
Work is an activity that requires mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a
result.
“The Meaning of Work”
Work is an attempt to produce something that was not in existence before the
work. It may not be tangible. Produce order out of disorder, or cleanliness where
there was dirt or knowledge where there was ignorance, or values and goodness
where there was self-seeking and lack of understanding.
Work in its broadest sense is the transformation of an object of nature into an

implement of human society. Since work is the only way by which this
transformation can take place, and since man is the only being capable of creating
new values beyond the bounties of nature, man’s working ability is to be
considered as a unique privilege granted by God. Man’s rational faculty by itself
would not be a distinction were it not for the fact that man is able to put it to good
use through his ability to work. A mind which would merely mirror the divine
wisdom but lack the possibility to work upon this world would render man most
miserable.
—Otto Piper, “The Meaning of Work”, Theology Today, July 1957
3. Some Biblical Perspectives on work

The VERY FIRST THING that happens in the Bible is WORK!
That is, the WORK of CREATION (Gen 2:2-3)
WORK is WONDERFUL! Until the curse – then it becomes painful toil. Like
everything else in human life and nature, the nature of work was changed by sin. But
there WILL be work in heaven! It is part of the GOOD.
Some Christians think work is a CURSE! NO! Pain, sweat and toil is the curse, but
work was there before sin.
Work is part of being created in God’s image. (Eph 2:10) For we are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works… We work, because he
made us a reflection of himself, and God works. Not only does God work, but he
works well. He admires his own work, and takes pride, proclaiming a job well done.
(Gen 1:31) God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
REST is also an important part of work. God rested, and therefore we must also
rest. Rest is also part of the image of God, and it is an important correlation to work.
Is God in your days’ work?
When you study, do you study as unto the Lord? If you play basketball and practice
regularly, it is work, not play? Do you work at sport with your whole heart,
glorifying God in all your abilities? (The highest paid people in the world are in
professional sports! And they work very hard!)
(Col 3:23-24) Whatever you are doing, put your whole heart into it, as if you were
doing it for the Lord and not for men, knowing that there is a Master who will give
you your heritage as a reward for your service.
Modern man is very BUSY. For many people, life derives meaning from keeping
busy all the time. They never stop to question, “Is what I’m doing of real, lasting,
eternal value? Is this work important?
The philosopher Thoreau wrote: “It is not enough to be busy. . . The question is,
what are we busy about? Jesus said, My Father is always at his work to this very
day, and I too, am working. But we know that Jesus often rested, fellowshipped,
enjoyed meals with people. All this he considered part of his general “work”
because it was all part of fulfilling his mission.
What is your mission?
Why do we work?
Man must work to live.. Paul says, He who does not work, does not eat. But there’s
much more to work than survival. Dorothy Sayers, , says, “Work is NOT primarily
a thing one does to live, but the thing one lives to do”. Not everyone has the luxury
of doing what he/she feels called and gifted to do. But if God gives you that
opportunity, DON’T MISS IT! There’s no better way to live than doing what you
love to do as your work and vocation. Many have to work at what they DON’T want
to do in order to afford to do what they WANT to do in their spare time.

3.1. Key Principle of Work
“We work with God to release the potential of his creation”
Illustration: In the kitchen we work to release the potential of ingredients to form a
chocolate cake! God has produced the eggs (collected), sugar cane (refined), wheat
for flour (ground), cocoa (harvested), milk (homogenized), and oil (processed). It
has all taken a great deal of work already, just to get them to my kitchen. Then I
have to mix them bake and have my CAKE!
1. Agriculture – God makes it grow, we must plant, weed, harvest, cook, sell
2. Builders and Architects – we design and we build using raw materials provided
by the earth.
3. Technology – Consider computers, technological advancements show the genius

of man. But a computer runs by electricity, which is simply the movement of
electrons which God has created as part of every atom.
4. Doctors, Teachers, Musicians, etc. All take what God has given, and develop it
further to be useful to society. (Medicine, Knowledge, Music)
5. Parents – God gives us stewardship responsibility over the children he gives

us. We mold their character in order to make them productive members of
society and the family.
God has designed life in such a way that we are part of the creation process through
work. Our view of life changes when we realize that in everything we do we are
partnering with God. The deepest significance of human work is that God was
delighted to create humanity in his image, so we could take care of creation through
work alongside of him and release its potential.
Time + Abilities + Resources + good stewardship =

Future further opportunities (salary, better job, etc.)
Time + Abilities + Resources + work = goods, services, commodities, value

3.2. Contemporary Understanding of Work and its Challenges
Everyone has a Worldview!
A Chinese proverb says, “If you want to know what water is, don’t ask the
fish.” Water is the sum and substance of the world in which the fish is
immersed. The fish may not reflect on its own environment until suddenly it is thrust
onto dry land where it struggles for life. Then it realizes that water provided its
sustenance. What does this proverb say about work in the modern society and
how do people respond to the call to work?
Most of the time when people get their first jobs the zeal to work is high but as time
progresses attitude towards work changes, they lose interest and the spirit of
volunteerism is no more.
As Christians what does the Bible say about work?
Contemporary work is characterized by a relatively high level of flexibility in work

patterns when compared with our traditional way. The work force is roughly split
between male and female employment, both in part-time and full-time employment.
In postmodern times, flexibility has become a key aspect of the cultural climate
and a key metaphor shaping several mutually dependent discourses. This has
affected the way 'learning' has been constructed and perceived in workplaces and
organizations. Knowledge has increasingly become commodified as part of
employees' human capital. This capital is often described as 'intangible assets' to be
deployed for the generation of profit margins. From this perspective, employees
need to adapt to rapidly changing workplaces and environmental conditions in
flexible ways. At the heart of our argument, which draws on ideas about the
subject and power, is a concern that a seldom surfaced 'curriculum' exists in
flexible learning: that the knowledge and identity of employees is constructed in
subtle ways that align individual aspirations with organizational goals. In this
alignment, flexible learning is both practical and functions as a means of
surveillance. Employees are, at the same time, both active learners and self-
regulating subjects, increasingly confronted with the need to become 'enterprising
selves'.
The development of family friendly employment practices has encouraged the

increasing feminization of the workplace e.g. job sharing, home working, and the
development of crèche facilities in the workplace. While some employers emphasize
the importance of developing a good work/life balance, others demand extremely
long hours from full-time employees.
A major change in working patterns has been the reduction of the core workforce.
The core workforce consists of full-time employees. In contrast we have seen the
growth in numbers of employees working part-time and on temporary contracts in
the bid to make more money or due to the nature of our economies and work place
policies.
3.3. Contemporary work and attitudes
The work ethic is a cultural norm that places a positive moral value on doing a
good job and is based on a belief that work has intrinsic value. Like other cultural
norms, a person's adherence to or belief in the work is principally influenced by
socialization experiences during childhood and adolescence. Through interaction
with family, peers, and adults, a person "learns to place a value on work as others
approach him [or her] in situations demanding increasing responsibility for
productivity". Based on praise or blame and affection or anger, a child appraises
his or her performance in household chores, or later in part-time jobs, but this
appraisal is based on the perspective of others. As a child matures, these attitudes
toward work become internalized, and work performance is less dependent on the
reactions of others.
Children are also influenced by the attitudes of others toward work. If a parent
demonstrates a dislike for a job or a fear of unemployment, children will tend to
assimilate these attitudes. Parents who demonstrate a strong work attitude tend to
impart a strong work attitude in their children. This shows the importance of
parents in preparing their children towards the future and how they turn out to be
while performing their work.
Another significant factor shaping the work attitudes of people is the socialization
which occurs in the workplace. As a person enters the workplace, the perceptions
and reactions of others tend to confirm or contradict the work attitudes shaped in
childhood. The occupational culture, especially the influence of an "inner
fraternity" of colleagues, has a significant impact on the attitudes toward work and
the work ethic which form part of each person's belief system.
4. Tutorial
How does your worldview help you to fit in the modern work settings while not
losing your values?
Or how can you strike a balance between work and life?
How different is the biblical understanding of work from the worldly understanding
of work? As a Christian how do you fit in both?
Looking at the trend of events, a lot keeps on changing. How will these changes
help you to become better while working in the different fields?
Does contemporary work glorify God and hold the original intent of work
according to the Genesis?
Work has changed tremendously from the traditional way to modern work. Does
this mean that God is not pleased with how work is performed?
Attitudes towards work range from childhood experiences to adulthood yet they
are variant. How do you react to these changes while remaining effective at work?
The Christian Worldview and Civil Societ
1. Objectives
Articulate clearly the meaning of a civil society
Appreciate the role civil society organizations in the concept of good governance.
Uphold the idea of creating a civil society by example.
Key question: What is civil society?
Is God concerned with society?
Key terms: civil, civil society, citizenship, utopian society, civic
responsibility, civic virtue, crime, civil law, civil liberty, civil
rights, civil service, civil union, civil war
Bible passage: Genesis 12:1 – 3; Isaiah 1: 26 – 27; 54:11 – 14;
Psalms 122: 6 – 9; Hebrews 11:10; John3:16 – 17
Building a civil society: Establishing principles, laws, social structures Godly

leadership
Principles of a civil society and citizenship

Citizenship, rights, obligations and responsibility
Civic responsibility, virtue and crime Uganda, UCU as a
case study
N.B: A Nation grants certain rights and privileges to its citizens that support a civil
society.
. Meaning of a Civil Society

A Civil society is the “third sector” of society, along with government and business.
It comprises civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations. Civil
society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and
institutions that form the basis of a functioning society as opposed to the force
backed structures of the state (regardless of that state’s political system) and
commercial institutions.
Civil society also refers to the arena of collective action around shared interests,
purposes and values. Civil Society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors
and institutional structures varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and
power. Civil societies are often populated by organizations such as registered
charities, development non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations,
professional associations, trade unions, self-help groups, social movements,
business associations, coalitions and advocacy groups.
Civil society and democracy have their root in early liberal writing like those of
Alexis De Tocqueville. However they developed in significant ways by 2oth
theorists like Gabriel Almond and Sidney Vierba who identified civil society in a
democratic order as vital. These argued that the political elements of many civil
society organizations facilities better awareness and a more informed citizen, who
makes better voting choices, participate in politics and holds the government more
accountable as a result.
Examples of Civil societies include; Academia, Activist groups, Charities, Citizens
militia, Community Foundations, Community organizations, Cultural groups, Co-
operatives, Support groups Trade unions ,
3. Understanding the Nature of a Civil Society.

Civil society can generally be looked at as a sphere of social interaction between the
economy and the state composed of an intimate sphere (especially the family) the
sphere of associations (especially voluntary associations), social movements and
forms of public communication.
This can be paraphrased further as the structure of socialization, association and
organized forms of communication of the life world to the extent that these are
institutionalized or are in the process of being institutionalized.
The civil society is different from both economic and political society in a way that
civil society basically refers to all the phenomenon of society that are not directly
linked to the state and the economy.
Civil society only represents a dimension of the sociological world of norms, roles,
practices, relationships, competences and forms of dependence or a particular angle
of looking at this world from the point of view of conscious association building and
associational life.
4. What makes up a Civil Society

. Common features of civil society
Organizations with a well-established line of leadership
Private
Non-profit distribution
Self-governance
Broad coverage of civil society
Culture and recreation
Education and research
Health
Social services
Environment
Development and housing
Philanthropy
International relations
Religion
Business and professional unions
Civic and advocacy
6. Why Civil Society

The need for global democracy and peace to the state system
The need for global economic justice to the market system
The need for social justice and environmental sustainability to both systems
Roles of the civil society
I. SERVICES
Education
Health
Social services
Development and housing
II. EXPRESSIVE
Culture, sports and recreation
Environmental protection
Civic and advocacy
Unions, professional and business associations
CITIZENSHIP
This generally refers to the status of an individual acknowledged under the

tradition or law of a sovereign state that bestows on that person (called a citizen)
the rights and the duties of citizenship. That may include (depending on the
nationality) the right to vote, work and live in the country, the right to return to the
country, the right to own real estate, legal protections against the country's
government, and protection through the military or diplomacy. A citizen may also
be subject to certain duties, such as a duty to follow the country's law, to pay taxes,
or to serve in the military. There are also rare cases of people who aren’t citizens of
any country.
Many thinkers point to the concept of citizenship beginning in the early city state of
ancient Greece, although others see it as primarily a modern phenomenon dating
back only a few hundred years, for mankind, that the concept of citizenship arose
with the first law. Polis meant both the political assembly of the city-state as well as
the entire society. Citizenship has generally been identified as a western
phenomenon. There is a general view that citizenship in ancient times was a simpler
relation than modern forms of citizenship, although this view has come under
scrutiny. The relation of citizenship has not been a fixed or a static relation, but
constantly changed within each society, and that according to one view, citizenship
might "really have worked" only at select periods during certain times, such as when
the Athenian politician Solon made reforms in the early Athenian state.
Different countries have different procedures, requirements for one to become or

qualify being a citizen of that particular country. For the case of Uganda, one
qualifies to be a citizen after satisfying the following;
7. Ugandan Citizenship
1. Every person born in Uganda, one whose parents or grandparents are or
were members of any of the indigenous communities existing and residing within
the borders of Uganda as at the first day of February,1926 and set out in the third
schedule of the constitution. (Article 10a of the constitution)
2. Every person born in or outside Uganda, one whose parents or grandparents was
at the time of birth of that person, a citizen of Uganda by birth.
3. A child of not more than five years of age found in Uganda whose parents are
not known is presumed to be Ugandan.
4. A child under the age of eighteen years whose parents are not citizens of
Uganda, but is adopted by a citizen of Uganda upon registration shall be a citizen
of Uganda.
5. A person who successfully applies for and is registered as a citizen of Uganda.
General Civil society roles include:
• Watchdog: holding institutions to account, promoting transparency and

accountability
• Advocate: raising awareness of societal issues and challenges and advocating

for change
• Service provider: delivering services to meet societal needs such as

education, health, food and security; implementing disaster management,
preparedness and emergency response
• Expert: bringing unique knowledge and experience to shape policy and

strategy, and identifying and building solutions
• Capacity builder: providing education, training and other capacity building
• Incubator: developing solutions that may require a long gestation or payback

period
• Representative: giving power to the voice of the marginalized or under-

represented
• Citizenship champion: encouraging citizen engagement and supporting the

rights of citizens Solidarity supporter: promoting fundamental and universal values
• Definer of standards: creating norms that shape market and state activity
8. Christians in Civil Society

Evangelical Christians have often been guilty of emphasizing individual salvation,
while neglecting the gospel’s transformative role and purpose in society as a whole.
Liberal and Mainline Christians have often been guilty of the
reverse. Emphasizing good works or the ‘social gospel’ without individual
transformation / salvation
Adam and Eve’s commission was to go out and fill the earth and subdue it. This
was a corporate /cultural commission. We see through the call of Abraham, that
from the beginning, God had in mind not to choose an individual, but to form a
people. God’s concern was to demonstrate the right relationship between a people
(nation, society, etc.) and God. Through Abraham’s descendants, all nations were
to be blessed. The call of Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) was not about Abraham, but about
making a NATION!
The Church as well is not described as individual, but in corporate terms.
The Family of God
The Body of Christ
The Kingdom of Heaven
In both cases, the biblical emphasis was on the group, the society, and the civil
relationships between rulers and their citizens.
The Cultural Commission: mandate to take care of the earth
The Mission of God: redemption / reconciliation / salvation

- Individuals (individual salvation)
- Humanity (redeeming society,
culture, etc.)
- The world (the earth, animals,
environment)
Great Commission: God’s mandate for us to participate in Missio Dei
Common Grace: we have a participatory
9. Three Ways to Create a Civil Society

1. Change the individuals within the society
2. Demonstrate a civil society by example
3. Establish principles, laws, rules, social structures which will provide the means
to live in a civil society – if people choose to abide by them.
God’s desire is for Social, Cultural, and National Transformation.
Many Great Leaders have ruled throughout history, yet none has had a long lasting
impact except JESUS.
Why was Jesus Christ’s leadership different?
Every leader, no matter how ideal and inspirational, had followers who were sinful,
and over time would corrupt the principles established by the great leader. Jesus
was the only one who not only provided a good MESSAGE, but gave people the
MEANS of achieving it!
Salvation > Sanctification > Transformation
10. Two Key Principles of Civil Society

1. So in everything, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. For
this sums up all the law and the prophets. (Golden rule)
Jesus knew the human heart and its selfishness. In fact, in the preceding
verse, He identifies the “evil” in men (verse 11). Jesus’ Golden Rule gives
us a standard by which naturally selfish people can gauge their actions:
actively treat others the way they themselves like to be treated.
Again, we see the implication that people are naturally lovers of self,
and the command uses that human flaw as a place to start in how to treat
others.
2. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and
strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.(great commandment)
Brotherly love in the biblical sense is an extension of the natural affection
associated with near kin, toward the greater community of fellow
believers, that goes beyond the mere duty in Leviticus 19:18 to "love thy
neighbor as thyself", and shows itself as "unfeigned love" from a "pure
heart", that extends an unconditional hand of friendship that loves when
not loved back, that gives without getting, and that ever looks for what is
best in others
11. Three Important Aspects of Civil Society
1. Civic Responsibility: - Government provides services and infrastructure

- The People: abide by the laws, pay taxes, etc
2. Civic Virtue: The underlying principles which guide us in our civic
responsibility
3. Crime: The lack of civic responsibility is negligence
The failure to abide by it results in CRIME
Civic Responsibility =
Government: - Roads maintained, public spaces
- Garbage / rubbish cleanup
- Investment opportunities for business
- Education;
- Maintaining the peace and order
- Documents and Certificates (birth,
passports)
- Currency
People: - Abide by the laws, regulations, and
structures
- Pay taxes and fulfill any other
responsibilities to government.
(Building permits, travel permits,
registrations)
If either side fails in its civic responsibility, the society will begin to fracture and
break down.
12. What about UCU?

What is the civic responsibility of the University?
What are our civic responsibilities as students and staff?
Are we following the principles?
Can we be the agents of transformation in society?
13. Utopia
A utopia can be defined as an ideal or perfect place or state, or any visionary
system of political or social perfection. It’s perfection.
Utopia is then a perfect society that undergoes continual improvement to achieve
the highest aggregate satisfaction level for the most people. Utopian society also
provides freedom for all. Everybody has different needs and different concepts of
Utopia. Utopia therefore provides different governments and conditions so that all
can live in a world that’s perfect for themselves. One man’s heaven may be
another man’s hell. A utopian society would allow a man to move from a
society that is his hell to a society that is his heaven.
Is it possible?
NO – a completely IMPOSSIBLE task!
Utopia can never be achieved because perfection can never be achieved
Every one of these attempts has ultimately failed.
Christian philosophers & theologians might say it is impossible UNTIL Jesus
returns to establish his rule on earth…
Does this mean the attempt is hopeless?
Or useless?
NO! Why?
By setting a right standard, people are given a goal to aspire to.
By having a standard, we are all faced with where and how we fall short and fail to
maintain it.
Being faced with our inability & failure highlights our need for Christ.
14. Reflect on the Role of the Church in a Civil Society

The Church and Civil Society in the Role of Building Social Conscience for
Democratic Participation
BY Hon. Justice January Msoffe Court of Appeal of Tanzania
- Religious leaders should use their religious teaching opportunities to educate

their followers on their social consciences. The pulpits should become
places to underline social duties, social sins and social remedies.
- Professional Christians should come forward to take public stands in their
professional areas and demand public adherence to ethical professional
conduct. Silence is support for wrong professional behavior.
- Teachers at schools and educational establishments must participate in
building public moral behavior and speak against wrong behavior.
- Ethical formation is not a subject of instruction, but an attitude taught by
good example, especially by the adult population. Hence, the church
community should encourage public discernment and public examination
of conscience and provide opportunities for such evaluation within its own
ranks.
- Professionals should participate actively in writing ethical formation
curricula for schools and law-enforcement institutions as well as
evaluation criteria in public conduct.
- Church leaders should teach and practice the Christian message on
leadership: to guide through moral public behavior, to encourage others to
fulfill their responsibilities, to serve the community, to give a good
example of leadership.
- Christians should accept leadership roles in society as a commitment to the
common good and an expression of the Christian commandment of love
of neighbor.
- Christian communities should exemplify sharing and caring for one
another. They should re-enkindle the spirit of volunteering and combat the
growing materialism and unearned profit-seeking in the form of privileges.
- Christian leaders can only have moral authority in society if they lead by
example and show in their lives the spirit of dedication and humility.
- Professionals should mobilize the population to demand the proper conduct
from their leaders and to critique and evaluate public acts of leaders.
- Professionals should commit to live their Christian vocation in a spirit of
service to others. They can do this by studying the policies made by
government, investigating the ways policies affect their local communities
and helping people to understand the repercussions of policies.
- Mass media professionals who are Christians should gather and publicize
people’s views, taking up this work as part of their Christian calling.
- Church leaders should set an example by encouraging participatory
decision-making in the church community, especially when setting
priorities and allocating resources.
We must learn to be honest and stop blaming others while excusing ourselves.
Only when we see the truth of our behavior can we find and apply the
remedies.
- We must practice a social examination of conscience. Critical analysis and
evaluation is often seen as un-African because it lacks polite behavior
towards those in authority. But often this culture of silence is the opposite
of respect for authority. To be respectful is to speak the truth openly and
with humility, to share ideas and to highlight other ways of doing things.
These actions will positively contribute to the quality of leadership.
- Church leaders should set an example by being open and transparent in their
decision-making.
- Christians who work in administration offices or social services must see
their daily work as the political expression of their Christian faith and love
for God and for neighbor. To practice faith in daily life is essential to being
a good Christian.
- Christians who see others suffer from administrative neglect and lack of
service must be courageous and defend the rights of others. Apathy in these
matters is a serious sin of omission or sin of neglect.
Religious communities, motivated and strengthened by their moral and
spiritual views, must speak of God’s values, denouncing fearlessly lust and
greed for power both within state institutions and within individuals in
positions of authority.
- Religious communities must give testimony through their conduct. They
must dare to say publicly what they stand for. The abuse of power in
government and state institutions correlates with a lack of courage in
people of faith to practice their convictions. Corruption is possible because
many are involved and few are prepared to block it.
- Church leaders should show more moral authority and be independent of
those who hold public office. Church leaders are too keen to befriend the
powerful, believing that such informal contacts will benefit the people.
This is mostly an illusion and only increases attitudes of compromise and
silence on national and political problems.
- People of good will working in state institutions must learn to join together
to oppose abusive tendencies.
- We need to agitate for effective control systems, actively monitoring them
through official channels and through the public media. Legal and political
tricks render ineffective many control systems which exist on paper. Very
often, laws are used against the very spirit of these laws and we allow
people to use them without resisting them. Often people are paralysed
when they face such abusive usage of rules and regulations. People in
power should not be allowed to use the means of power against their own
people who entrust them with these means to govern for their benefit.
Church communities should be the defenders of the right and moral spirit
of governance.

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Understanding Worldviews.

1. Welcome to Understanding Worldviews!

5. Evaluation and Assessment

6. Course Content Schedule

Distribution of materials (Reading 1

Chapter 1 (How do we understand the Burnett, ch. 1-

Introduction Colson, Intro,

Chapter 2 (How do others understand Burnett, ch. Give out

Chapter 3 (Who are we and where do Burnett, ch. Classroom

Chapter 4 How to Examine Colson,

(Who are we and where do Burnett, ch.

Chapter 5 Problems and Solutions in Colson, Civil society

Chapter 6 African and Oriental Burnett, ch.

(Hindu, Budhist, Chinese,

Chapter 7 Secular and New Age Colson, ch.

Chapter 8 The Truth in a Forest of Burnett, ch. Main Lecture

(The problem with the world Colson, ch. 29-

Chapter 9 (What is the relevance of the Colson, ch.

The CWV and Marriage

Week 10 The CWV and Civil society Colson, ch. 33

Week 11 The CWV and Work Colson, ch.

Week 12 Revision of Readings and Revise for

Adeyemo, Tokunbeh Salvation in African Tradition (Nairobi: Evangel, 1979).

Burnett, David** Clash of Worlds (Crowborough: MARC, 1990).

Unearthly Powers (London: MARC, 1988).

Cook, David Blind Alley Beliefs (Leicester: IVP, 1979).

Kapolyo, Joe The Human Condition (Leicester: IVP / Langham, 2005).

Naugle, David K Worldview: History of a Concept (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002).

Neill, Stephen Christian Faith and Other Faiths (Oxford, 1970).

Understanding the Times (Manitou Springs: Summit Press, 1991).

O’Donovan, Wilbur** Biblical Christianity from an African Perspective (Paternoster, 1996).

Chapter One - What is a Worldview?

Key Terms: Worldview, culture, paradigm, enculturation, cosmos,

Perspectives, Truth & Reality

TREES: When we look at trees, we mainly see leaves. In fact, we tend to

FOOTBALL: Sometimes a game (like football), develops a “culture” of its

Challenge: Connect all 9 dots using only 4 unbroken straight lines

Languages etc Community, God, world

3. Questions for reflection and discussion

Chapter Two - Nature of Worldviews

Key Question: How do others understand the world?

The Cultural Commission and Common Grace

Other worldviews include:

Q. What is the significance of “every man’s conscience”? Every man has a

Also, more worldviews in scripture include Docetism, Arianism, Ibunits, Gnotcism

ELEMENTS OF A DESCRIPTION BURNETT’S WV

Meta-physics The nature of the Cosmos; Time

The nature, character, and Burnett views God as a

Epistemology What can we Knowing

Ethics Values, morals, the nature Value

Therefore, where Huntington denotes the “Western” Civilization, Burnett

Samuel Huntington David Burnett

4. Major elements of every Worldview

Outcome of Worldview encounters

3. The question of solution or remedy: What can we do to fix it?

6. A look at the seven Major Worldviews

God so loved the world (The world is real and significant)

Whoever believes will not perish (A possibility of perishing. A

God’s wrath is revealed against men (Something is wrong. We are

Conclusion: In order to have life, man is in need of salvation

7. African Traditional Worldview

DOES A TRADITIONAL AFRICAN WORLDVIEW EXIST?

Key Terms: Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, Biology, Geology, Dharma,

Bible Passage: Proverbs 1:5, Colosians 2:8