How to Study Christian Worldview
Recommendations for Books, Videos, Podcasts, and More
As a professor who teaches Christian worldview, I am often asked to give my recommendations. First, I’ll list two cost effective ways to lead a small group study. Second, I’ll provide a list of supplemental resources. So let’s begin with the resources for small group study.
Small Group Study
There are two ways to study worldviews. Approach #1 is learning the worldview basics with an emphasis on understanding the Christian worldview. Approach #2 is a comparison of different worldviews with an emphasis in apologetics. If you are new to worldview concepts, I recumbent starting with the first approach.
Approach #1: Basics of the Christian Worldview
Goal
Learn the definition and value of a worldview, and then gain a deeper understanding of the Christian worldview.
Book & Study Guide
The Beginning of Wisdom An Introduction to Christian Thought and Life. This book was edited by Dan Diffey and Rich Holland. This is the textbook used at Grand Canyon University where I teach.
The book, audio, and teaching guides are all free to use.
Format
This would be good for a 7 week series covering the following topics:
Topic 1: Understanding Worldviews (Read the Introduction and Chapters 1 & 2)
Topic 2: Understanding Origins & God as the Creator (Read Chapter 3)
Topic 3: Understanding the Fall & the Consequences of Rejecting God (Read Chapter 4)
Topic 4: Understanding Jesus Christ & the God-Centered Mission (Read Chapters 5)
Topic 5: Understanding the Gospel & God’s call to Redemption and Holiness (Read Chapters 6 & 8)
Topic 6: Understanding Truth and Ethics & the Implication of Worldview (Read Chapters 7 & 9)
Topic 7: Understanding Purpose & God as the Source of Identity (Read Chapters 10 & 11)
Video & Podcast Resources
I’ve put together a collection of video shorts and podcasts to help my students, which are great for your own study. The media is organized according the seven topics listed above. The video shorts are great discussion starters for your study group. The podcasts let you go deeper beyond the videos. Click below for all the content.
Approach #2: Worldview Comparison & Apologetics
Goal
Learn the differences and similarities between the Christian worldview and other worldviews. This approach is great for apologetics because you’ll learn to talk with people who see the world through a different lens.
Book & Study Guide
The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog by James Sire & Jim Hoover
Format
This content is best covered cover 12 sessions (1 for each chapter of the book).
Media Supplements
This playlist is a 6 part dialogue with Monique Duson about James Sire’s book, The Universe Next Door. I recommend that each group member listen to the corresponding episode before you meet in person to tackle each chapter of the book.
Books for Going Deeper
Below is s list of must read books. Subscribers, please leave comments with your own recommendations.
Books by Topic
Each book is a good addition to your worldview study organized by the seven topics.
Topic 1: Understanding Worldviews
Francis Schaeffer, The God Who is There
Josh McDowell, God-Breathed: The Undeniable Power and Reliability of Scripture.
Nancy Pearcey, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity (Study Guide Edition)
Topic 2: Understanding Origins & God as the Creator
J.I. Packer, Knowing God
Lee Strobel, The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God
Topic 3: Understanding the Fall & the Consequences of Rejecting God
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Philip Yancey, Where is God When it Hurts
Topic 4: Understanding Jesus Christ & the God-Centered Mission
J. Warner Wallace, Person of Interest
Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
N.T. Wright, Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters
Topic 5: Understanding the Gospel & God’s call to Redemption and Holiness
R.C. Sproul, Chosen By God
Lee Strobel, The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity
C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
Topic 6: Understanding Truth and Ethics & the Implication of Worldview
Jeff Myers, Truth Changes Everything
C.S. Lewis , The Problem of Pain
Joni Eareckson Tada & Steven Estes, When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty
Topic 7: Understanding Purpose & God as the Source of Identity
N.T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
Michael Sherrard, Why You Matter: How Your Quest for Meaning Is Meaningless without God. NOTE: you can find video and discussion questions for each chapter at the Summit Ministries’ website.
Timothy Keller, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work.
Other Resources
Books
Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept by James Sire
Escape from Reason: A Penetrating Analysis of Trends in Modern Thought by Francis Schaeffer
He is There and He is Not Silent by Francis Schaeffer
Back to Freedom and Dignity by Francis Schaeffer
The Mark of the Christian by Francis Schaeffer
An Introduction to Christian Worldview: Pursuing God's Perspective in a Pluralistic World by Tawa J. Anderson, W. Michael Clark, and David K. Naugle
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The Spirit of Early Christian Thought by Robert Louis Wilken
10 Books that Screwed Up the World: And 5 Others That Didn't Help by Benjamin Wiker
Christian View of Men and Things by Gordon Clark
Philosophical Foundations for Christian Worldview by William Lane Craig & J. P. Moreland
Podcasts
Check out my podcast raZe the roof which is on all the major podcasting services.
Breakpoint is hosted by John Stonestreet. The podcast also air on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people.
Christian Worldview Thinking from Summit Ministries. This podcast hasn’t put out new content in several years, but there is some great stuff in the archives.