Christian Worldview Concepts

Introduction to Worldview Studies

The Test of a Worldview

Every worldview must be subjected to certain tests in order to determine if it is a good one or not. Like the guidance system on the space shuttle, a worldview needs to be reliable. Imagine what would happen to the space shuttle if it is off course on its descent back into the Earth's atmosphere. According to aerospace experts, if the shuttle is off course just a couple of degrees, the craft will burn up or bounce off the atmosphere and head back into space. Either consequence is undesirable, hence it is important to know that the guidance system onboard the space shuttle has been tested and found reliable.

The same can be said for worldviews. Although it is popular for people to say things like, "That may be true for you but it is not true for me so don't impose your views on me," such assertions are actually invitations to disaster. Truth is not determined in such a subjective manner. Truth must be subjected to verification, just as the guidance system of the space shuttle must be subjected to tests to ensure that it is accurate.

Every worldview must be subjected to tests to determine whether or not it is comprehensive, that is, does it provide answers to all of the major worldview questions. The next test is whether these answers are coherent, that is, do they cohere or fit with the way the world really is? One could say that the moon is made of green cheese but just saying this does not make it true. Based on what we know about the moon, is a claim about the moon being made of green cheese coherent?

A third test of a worldview is whether its basic beliefs are internally consistent with one another. For example, Naturalism claims that the physical world is all that exists. Inevitably, this leads to the conclusion that in order for something to exist, it must have physical properties. Yet, this does not seem consistent with the way the world is. For instance, the idea that the physical world is all that exists is a concept — a mental idea. What are the physical properties of a mental idea? Is it something real? In order for Naturalism to be consistent, it must provide an explanation of the physical properties of ideas. However, beyond explaining the physical activities of brain physiology, Naturalists cannot explain the existence of an idea. To be consistent, Naturalists would have to reject the existence of ideas since they do not have physical properties. In this sense, Naturalism lacks internal consistency.

The fourth test of a worldview is arguably the most important. Does the worldview compel its adherents to live consistently with it in the world? There is little use for a worldview that does not work in real life. The test of livability is an important component of worldview evaluation. The basic beliefs and explanations of a worldview should be so engrafted into the life of the adherent that the person would be driven to bring every area of life into conformity with them.