Christian Worldview

Understanding the Christian Worldview: Seeing Life Through the Lens of Scripture

A Christian worldview is the framework through which believers interpret reality, make decisions, and understand life’s deepest questions.

It stands apart from competing philosophies by grounding origin, morality, meaning, and destiny in the authority of God’s Word.

Seeing the world through this biblical lens transforms how Christians view everything: from creation and human nature to culture, ethics, and eternity. It illustrates how we live all of life under the lordship of Christ.

A worldview is “the sum total of our beliefs about the world.”

– Chuck Colson

Christian Worldview: gives a clear picture of reality...

Your worldview is like a pair of glasses. Through it, you interpret the world, make decisions, and form values.

For some, those glasses are tinted by secular ideas like naturalism, relativism, or materialism. For others, they are shaped by religious traditions, philosophy, and personal experience.

But only one worldview gives a clear picture of reality: the biblical worldview.

Core Areas of Worldview

Origin: Where did we come from?
Meaning: Why are we here?
Morality: What is right and wrong?
Destiny: Where are we going?

“I’m not one of those guys that has a great worldview. I kind of deal with terror and fear and isolation and abandonment.”

– David Bowie

Elements of a Christian Worldview

Title	Verse
The Bible is True	“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
God is Creator	“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
God’s Sovereignty	“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17
Humanity Made in God’s Image	“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27
The Reality of Sin	“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
The Uniqueness of Christ	“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6
Salvation by Grace	“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Living for God’s Glory	“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
The Hope of Eternity	“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” Revelation 21:3-4

Major Competing Worldviews

Many worldviews have sought to explain life, truth, and meaning,

yet each ultimately stands in contrast to the true biblical worldview.

Worldview	Description
Naturalism / Materialism	Belief that the physical universe is all that exists. Everything—including life, consciousness, and morality—can be explained by natural processes, matter, and energy without reference to the supernatural.
Postmodernism	Rejects absolute truth claims and emphasizes that all knowledge is socially constructed. Reality is interpreted through cultural, linguistic, and personal frameworks, making truth relative and subjective.
Eastern Religions	(Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc.) These traditions often emphasize cycles of rebirth, karma, and the pursuit of enlightenment or harmony with the ultimate reality. The divine is often seen as impersonal, and individuality is transcended.
Islam	A monotheistic worldview centered on submission to Allah as revealed through the prophet Muhammad and the Qur’an. Salvation comes through faith in Allah, good works, and adherence to the Five Pillars of Islam.
Secular Humanism	Affirms human reason, ethics, and justice while rejecting the supernatural. Humanity is seen as capable of solving its own problems and creating meaning without reference to God or religious authority.
New Age / Spiritualism	An eclectic worldview blending Eastern mysticism, occult practices, and modern psychology. Emphasizes personal spirituality, inner divinity, and often pantheistic or panentheistic views of God.
Atheism / Agnosticism	Atheism denies the existence of God or the supernatural; agnosticism holds that knowledge of God is unknowable. Both reject religious authority and often align with naturalism.
Marxism / Critical Theory	A worldview that interprets history and society through the lens of class struggle or power structures. It often rejects religion as an oppressive tool and seeks liberation through political and social revolution.

“The logical conclusion of relativism is absurdity. Non-sense. A worldview that undermines its own premises.”

– Eric Metaxas

Why a Christian Worldview Matters

Together, these areas show how worldview is not abstract – it touches every part of life.

Subject	Description
Culture	Worldviews shape art, media, language, customs, and values. What a society celebrates or condemns flows out of its deeper beliefs about truth, beauty, and meaning.
Ethics	Every worldview makes claims about right and wrong, good and evil. Ethical systems, whether grounded in divine law, human reason, or cultural consensus, are rooted in worldview assumptions.
Politics	Government, law, and justice reflect underlying worldviews. Questions about the role of the state, individual rights, freedom, and authority are all worldview-driven.
Education	How and what we teach stems from worldview: whether truth is absolute or relative, whether knowledge comes from revelation, reason, or experience, and what the ultimate purpose of learning is.
Family Life	Worldviews shape views of marriage, gender roles, parenting, and generational responsibility. They determine whether family is central, secondary, or altogether unimportant.
Science and Technology	Underlying assumptions about nature and knowledge direct scientific inquiry. For example, belief in an ordered creation fosters a search for natural laws, while other views may see the world as chaotic or illusory.
Economics and Work	Ideas about wealth, stewardship, property, and labor come from worldview. Some systems emphasize individual responsibility and enterprise, while others stress collective equality or redistribution.
Justice and Human Rights	Concepts of human dignity, freedom, and fairness depend on worldview. For example, the biblical worldview grounds human rights in the image of God, while secular systems ground them in social contracts or evolutionary development.
History and the Future	Worldviews influence how we interpret the past and what we expect of the future—whether time is cyclical or linear, whether history has meaning, and whether humanity is progressing, declining, or awaiting redemption.
Religion and Spirituality	Every worldview addresses ultimate questions about God, the supernatural, and the purpose of existence, even if by denying them. Beliefs about worship, prayer, and sacred practices are rooted here.

Trusted Christian Worldview Ministries

For those seeking to deepen their understanding and defense of a biblical worldview,

here are several well-regarded ministries and resource hubs:

Summit Ministries: Offers conferences, worldview curriculum, articles, videos, and training especially for students and educators.
Colson Center: The Colson Center equips Christians to live out and defend their faith through resources like the Breakpoint commentary and cultural engagement training.
Ligonier Ministries: Founded by R. C. Sproul, it supplies theological and apologetic content that helps Christians think biblically in many arenas.
The Christian Worldview: A radio program and publication offering worldview commentary and resources.
Renewanation: Focused especially on helping parents and educators build a biblical worldview in the next generation.
Stand to Reason: Trains Christians to think clearly about their faith and persuasively engage others, with a focus on apologetics and cultural issues.
Worldview Academy: Offers camps, conferences, and training programs equipping students and leaders to think and live with a Christian worldview.
Probe Ministries: Provides apologetics and worldview resources through articles, podcasts, and teaching to help Christians engage culture with confidence.
Answers in Genesis: Focuses on biblical authority, creation apologetics, and countering evolutionary narratives.