Worldviews, the Bible, and the Believer
$89.99
What you’ll learn
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describe what makes up the lens called a ‘worldview’
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describe the worldviews of the Ancient Roman world, the Jewish world of the 1st Century AD, and the world of the emerging ‘in Messiah’ people
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discern narratives within a culture that often dictate behavior and beliefs
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explain how symbols reinforce and create fertile ground for a worldview to develop
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discuss what role questions play in the development and strengthening of a worldview
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articulate how ‘praxis’, or automatic behaviors, show how a worldview works
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develop a reflective perspective on one’s own worldview as described by Prof. N.T. Wright
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process how the biblical text of the New Testament may be better understood when the worldviews at play are understood
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articulate what an ‘in Messiah’ worldview might look like in this present day within your own culture
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examine the journey from the pre-Modern Age to the present day through examining the Western culture from the perspective of the underlying worldviews of each era
This course, taught by Professor N.T. Wright, is designed to take students into the realm of what a ‘worldview’ is. While most people think about ‘beliefs’ and ‘actions’, the real power behind each is the interplay that occurs within a person’s or society’s worldview. Understanding this worldview, particularly of the world of the New Testament, will assist students of the Bible in understanding what a New Testament text meant in its own context. Prof. Wright will describe the worldviews of the first century Romans, Jews, and Christians. He will then move through history to describe the Western worldview as a way of helping students discern where they fit and how to look at and through their own lenses in the 21st century. Prof. Wright will be joined by Prof. David Seemuth who will look at the U.S. worldview of the early 21st century as an outgrowth and reaction to the Western worldview that emerged from the Enlightenment period.
Who this course is for:
- This course on Worldviews is designed specifically for students of the New Testament as well as for those who wish to understand how cultures work from a high level perspective. This course does not require any prerequisites. However, high level, critical thinking abilities will help students achieve success in this course.
- One unique aspect of this course is the corollary benefit of seeing how a person’s own worldview affects behavior, beliefs and attitude.
- The course will be best for those who wish to think deeply about their own worldviews and who wish to interact with students and the professor about one’s own worldview in a way that encourages analysis and questioning of fundamental assumptions which exist underneath the outward stated beliefs and demonstrated practices of a person.
Peter Muenkel –
January of 2000 saw me sitting on the 61st floor of WTC2, the south tower of the World Trade Center. I was receiving my training with one of the world’s largest brokerage firms and felt I had reached a pinnacle in my life. Twenty months later, others with a worldview quite antagonistic to that of the West, shattered my worldview. On 9/11, within the span of about 50 minutes the vulnerability of the symbols of our military and capitalist way of life became evident as these symbols crumbled before our eyes.
Tom Wright and Dave Seemuth point us back to the worldview that matters most. What we believe is ultimately what we do.
Don Skinner –
This was the course I most looked forward to and it has not disappointed in any way. I’m still working through it and see the need to go into things very thoroughly. I know some have wondered about the ‘Subversive Christianity’ text but I found the brilliant use of Jeremiah really stimulating. I never felt a need to demand a perfect, or a fully up to date, text to engage with. The author’s long experience in thinking through application of world views is valuable even if only in showing just how hard it is to apply such ideas, especially in relation to economic policies (and education policy and practice also, I’d say)
I’ve found myself drawn by the lectures, quizzes, text and assignments to read further around the idea of worldviews. Three books I’ve found helpful are: ‘Living at the Crossroads’ (Michael Goheen and Craig Bartholomew 2008), especially the sections on Lesslie Newbigin’s critiques of modernity; Richard Bauckham’s recent ‘The Bible in the Contemporary World’ (2015) with its illuminating discussions of metanarratives, globalisation, Western culture and ecological issues; and former UK Prime minister Gordon Brown’s ‘My Scotland, Our Britain’ (2014) with its impressive and careful yet passionate attempt to summarize a distinctive Scottish worldview within the UK context.
Elizabeth Braden –
This is an excellent course about worldviews. I learned so very much about what it means to be and to have a USA Worldview in this the 21st Century and how this should line-up with the ‘In Christ and ‘In Messiah worldview’. I was also reminded of Acts 13:36: “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.” David lived in his generation and God has placed me to live here and now in this generation in the 21st Century. This course really helped me to try to understand how the USA Worldview as well as the”In Christ, In Messiah worldview” sometime they line-up and sometimes they do not line up and what we need to do about this.
Thank you Dr. Wright and Dr. David Seemuth for putting together such a great, helpful and useful course about these worldviews. I enjoyed this course very much. I hope that many others will also find this course very useful.
Dinesh Shresta –
Glad I took this course and stuck with it to completion. Learning about worldview and looking at the bible characters with this view has been a learning experience for me and it has made by scripture reading richer. The worldview questions after each section are elaborate and take time to complete. Very worthwhile.
Marsha Dick –
Challenging. Motivates me to think, to get out of the, more or less, smooth “groove” of Protestant Christian thinking that is so comfortable in my denomination to relax into. Very obviously much is wrong in America and much is wrong in the Church. I appreciate N.T. Wright more than I can say in a few words!
Alan grills –
This is an excellent course, with an excellent book inserted that allow us to see a twenty-two year spread with the post-script.
I found the worldview diagram helpful as we worked with the materials and lectures. Perhaps a final few thoughts from Professor Wright/Professor Seemuth would close off the course, leaving us with a final question or two to ponder/that could be actionable.
Walsh does address this in postscript of course and as I reflect, perhaps his actionables are sufficient…ie “practice your legitimate rule in creation”, “engage in culture etc.” thank you both. Warmly,Alan Grills
Dave Pinch –
Very good start to the topic…would enjoy a bit more depth discussion on today’s Christian Worldviews and application
Jane Dailey Hollis –
Absolutely! Especially given current political situation in US. Very pertinent.
Pete Scott –
I like the fact that Tom is starting at a baseline understanding of what a worldview is rather than immediately jumping to what a “Christian Worldview is” which is what most often what happens in the church and that is whole idea happens to vary a lot depending on what part of the world one comes from!
Eric Schlottman –
Clear, concise, good illustrations, provocative, and leaves one wanting to know more.
Jeffrey Turnbull –
Professors Wright and Seemuth wonderfully challenge us to ask whether our personal worldview and whether the worldview of the country in which we live is compatible with or in conflict with the kingdom of God.
Jan Naude –
Although I had a sense earlier that their was a clash between the in-Christ worldview and the secular worldview regardless of which nation you belonged to, it has now become pretty obvious that one cannot follow a dualism approach. The in-Christ worldview should always come first as Jesus himself said. Regards