Biblical Worldview

Biblical Worldview

The approach that people take as they make decisions in life is highly influenced by their respective worldviews. This depends on whether an individual believes in the existence of God or subscribes to atheism. The Biblical worldview holds that everything should be analyzed based on the word of God (Pope, n.d.). It is premised on the battle between what is evil and the good. People who subscribe to it should believe in the concept of creation as explained in the Genesis. In addition, these individuals support the notion that the moral code is provided to them by God. In this paper, the Biblical worldview, philosophy of education adopted by Christians, and its implications will be discussed.    

Biblical Worldview

The view of the world and God from the perspective of the Christians is influenced by Biblical scriptures that they read about their creator. This worldview has several elements that distinguish it from other perspectives. It derives from the belief that God is the supreme authority and every action or the decision that individuals make should reflect this kind of faith. This idea is supported by the scripture stating that all things hold together in God (Colossians 1:15-17). This marks the origin or the starting point of the Biblical worldview.

In addition, people who subscribe to the Biblical worldview believe that God created everything that exists in the universe to reveal Himself (Psalms 19). Moreover, they are guided by a scripture stating that creation was intended to bring glory to God (Isaiah 43:7). Based on these Bible verses, human beings are considered as part of the creation that was purposefully brought to its existence to glorify God. The Biblical affirmation leads to rejection of the concept of dualism by holding anything that opposes God as the source of all good is evil (Capps, 2013). Therefore, anything that humans do or think about should be to the glory the supreme God and not to anyone or anything else.

The idea of separation between God and the creation is another significant element. The Biblical worldview challenges the idea that God transcends and is apart from the creation. On the contrary, it supports the notion that God created out of His free will and worked out for the purpose of the world as well as the humanity (Capps, 2013). These elements lead to an argument that the human life is significant, meaningful, and purposeful. To this end, everything that Christians do should be done with the objective of glorifying God.

Christian Philosophy of Education

From the perspective of Christians, an effective philosophy of education should be premised on the scripture and lead to a better understanding of God as well as an increase in the learner’s ability to fulfill His will. The philosophy has several elements that reflect the Judeo-Christian faith. First, it holds that education should focus more on teaching the truth than the subject. While discussing this idea, Schaeffer (n.d.) stated that Christian education deals with the entire human knowledge, which requires its presentation through the framework of the truth and it should be rooted in the existence of God. Most of the educators are trained in the public institutions and secular colleges that prepare them to teach different subjects. Idealistic educators push for the subject-matter curriculum emphasizing on the truth from enduring philosophical, theological, and literary work (Gutek, 2013). These educators are trained to teach the learners about a given slice of the world and empower them to pursue their careers. In comparison, Christian education has an end goal of point the students to their creator and enhancing their knowledge of God. In essence, learners who are taught about the truth about their God develop the desire to learn more about His creation.

Secondly, the philosophy holds that education should be offered with the objective of nurturing a relationship that exists between God and man. Barlett (2007) held that it is the desire of God to establish a relationship with each person. Therefore, education should assume the role of developing such a connection. This is an idea that is achieved when students are made to comprehend that they were created in God’s own likeness. They are expected to act like God. By increasing the learners’ knowledge of the existence of God, education goes a long way in strengthening their connection with their creator. They are also made to comprehend that they should apply the knowledge they acquire in school to act like God and care for the creation.

Third, the philosophy results in an argument that the ultimate goal that education should achieve is to enhance the learners’ knowledge of Christ in order to lead them to the redemption path and embark on a holy life. Every lesson plan begins with a list of objectives that provide the guidance needed to complete a given subject. Educators who subscribe to the Christian philosophy ensure that the idea of enhancing the learners’ awareness about the supremacy of Christ is among the key objectives the subjects that they teach. Schaeffer (n.d.) stated that Christian education focuses on helping the students enhance their understanding of the Bible. Students are guided to acquire the skills as well as the knowledge that empowers them to influence the world, reason, and act with a high level of integrity in order to ensure that everything they do reflects the holiness of Christ. This can only be accomplished when the word of God is made the foundation of all levels of education that is offered in the institutions of learning. The Bible is the source of the knowledge of Christ, which means that educators use it as the key source of reference when setting the objective of their courses.

Implications for Practice in Education

The Biblical worldview as well as the Christian philosophy can be applied in the overall field of education to ensure that education is offered in a way that enhances the learners’ knowledge of God as well as the creation. The first application is the design of the curriculum as well as its delivery. The complexity and the rigor of the curriculum selected by the Christian institutions of learning are relatively the same as the public schools. However, Christian schools integrate the Biblical truth to ensure that the word of God reaches across the entire content (Mississippi College, 2018). These measures are intended to guide the content area teacher in ensuring that the education is geared towards improvement in the student’s comprehension of the Biblical teachings and the purpose for which they were created.

In addition, the philosophy and the worldview guide the educators in building the character of their learners. The public institutions focus on influencing the behaviors of the students through slogans, academic goals, and rules (Mississippi College, 2018). However, Christian institutions use the philosophy and the worldview to influence the character of the students by educating them about the Biblical principles and the significance of acting just like Christ. This is important in helping them learn significant values (such as integrity) that are difficult to gain in the secular teaching.

Moreover, the philosophy and the worldview are used to reinforce practical living. The hallmark of the Christian education philosophy is to offer guidance to students in making decisions within and outside the institutions (Mississippi College, 2018). Learners are enabled to believe in the existence of the supreme God who is considered as the source of all good. Faith in God helps them see every challenge from the lens of the scripture.  

Conclusion

Worldview is significant in human life since it determines one’s conception of life as well as the world. The Christian worldview is premised on the idea that there exists a supreme God and everything that humans do reflects the faith in Him. In addition, the philosophy of education adopted by Christians has several elements, including the truth about God and a focus on nurturing the relationship between man and the supernatural power. It also ensures that education is offered to enhance people’s knowledge of Christ. The worldview and philosophy are applied in education to design the curriculum, building the character, and enhance practical living.

  

References

Barlett, C. (2007). A Christian philosophy of education of a public school educator. Christian Perspectives in Education, 1(1), 1-13.

Capps, M. (2013, October 21). The importance of a Christian worldview. Retrieved from https://www.gospelproject.com/the-importance-of-a-christian-worldview/

Gutek, L. (2013). Philosophical, ideological, and theoretical perspectives on education (2^nd ed.). London: Pearson.

Mississippi College (2018). What is Christian philosophy of education? Retrieved from https://online.mc.edu/articles/education/christian-philosophy-of-education.aspx

Pope, E. (n.d.). Developing a Biblical worldview. Retrieved from http://www.foundationsforliving.org/articles/foundation/worldview1.html

Schaeffer, F. (n.d.). On education. Retrieved from https://gbt.org/text/f.html