Recent thinking on worldview discourse Beyond worldview Recent thinking on worldview discourse Ken Dickens

Has “worldview” lost its usefulness?

Constructed Revealed

Authentic Christian education

Authentic Christian education

Theology Education

Theology Worldview Education

Worldview Bible

Biblical Worldview Bible

Biblical worldview Redemption Fall Creation

Evangelical preaching Biblical worldview Evangelical preaching Redemption Fall

Biblical worldview Christian education Redemption Creation

Biblical worldview Christian education Progress Creation

19th Century 20th Century 21st Century Development of the concept German philosophy Orr & Kuyper Reformed evangelicals Reformational philosophers Evangelicals Reformed critique

Social science disciplines Evangelicals Reformed critique German philosophy Orr & Kuyper Reformed evangelicals Reformational philosophers Evangelicals Reformed critique German philosophy Marxism Social science disciplines Evangelicals Reformed critique

Worldview critique Goheen & Bartholomew (2008) Bonzo & Stevens (2009) James Smith (2009)

Goheen & Bartholomew (2008) Living at the crossroads: An introduction to Christian worldview Intellectualism Relativism Biblical replacement Activism

After worldview: Christian Higher Education in postmodern worlds Bonzo & Stevens After worldview: Christian Higher Education in postmodern worlds Tainted with humanism Holy jugglers Way of life World & Life vision Evangelical use Pierson Seerveld Wolters Olthuis Walsh (2000)

Kuyperian roots – two meanings Evangelical use Pierson Evangelicals and worldview confusion Kuyperian roots – two meanings Religious nature of life Structure & direction Moral & normative

James K A Smith (2009) Desiring the kingdom: Worship, worldview and cultural formation I think. Therefore I am. (Descartes) I worship. Therefore I am. (Christian telos)

Social imaginaries rather than worldview We learn to love and worship through liturgies Education is more about formation than information

Social imaginaries rather than worldview We learn to love and worship through liturgies Education is more about formation than information

Response to Smith Kuperian/Naugle worldview appreciated heart commitment Love and worship involves the cognitive Pedagogical liturgies are planned out of our beliefs Special case of teacher education

What will fire his Christian imagination?

An encounter with Christ

But he is already a Christian! Formation through habitual, communal practices? A vision for life in the Kingdom Disclosure of other kingdoms

Disclosure of other kingdoms? Colossians remixed – Walsh & Keesmaat Everyday theology - Vanhoozer Knowing Christ today - Willard The naturalist or Nirvana stories

But he is already a Christian! Biblical philosophy – Three philosophies of life (Kreeft) Theology of creation – Creation regained (Wolters) Ethics – The joined up life (Cameron)

Recognise that we are narrative formed people

Worldview questions rather than a system How can I live and die happily? (Olthuis) How do I know what is right and wrong? (Sire) What’s gone wrong? (Walsh & Middleton) Who is a good person? (Willard)

Worldview is symbolic for the Lordship of Christ over all things (Col

The final word from Naugle As a result, a philosophically sophisticated, God centred conception of a Christian worldview spares believers from naïve fideism, scandalous ant-intellectualism and cultural obscurantism. In turn it imparts to then a cognitive confidence, an apologetic strategy, a cultural relevance, and a sound, spiritual basis for life in the coherent picture of God’s larger story (Naugle, 2002, p. 341).

Ken Dickens ken@cen.edu.au