Teacher: Mr. Smithwick or Dr. Bartlett
MODE: This course can be offered live or via web software. 12 one hour sessions, reading assignments, quizzes, personal journaling, pre and post PEERS evaluation.
REQUIRED STUDENT RESOURCE:
Developing a Biblical Worldview Student Workbook ($35) for live students. Web courseware has this workbook embedded along with all respective position papers and more.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Provides presuppositional and historical knowledge for understanding the modern culture and implementing the Biblical worldview in politics, economics, education, religion, and social issues. Students publish a paper demonstrating the impact of Biblical thinking in their field of interest.
Quote to Ponder: "Karl Marx (1818-83) and Vladimir Lenin (1870-1920), political and economic philosophers advanced the theory that ills extant in any society are the result of imperfect modes of production."
The price for this life changing course is $120 per person or $100 per person for groups of 10 or more. The comparable value for this course at a school or university would be equivalent to a two credit college class at $300, for example, at North Dakota State University . The reference materials would require purchasing beyond that. Therefore the total value of this course is estimated to be $364.
The Compelling Case for
DEVELOPING A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW
Introduction
When I first saw the PEERS Trend Chart (Figure 1 below) presented at an Institute for Creation Science event, I was shocked! Could it be that Christians think like secular humanists and are teaching the next generation to think similarly, even in Christian schools and colleges, without even being aware of it? What a perfect strategy to remove Christianity from the culture and Biblical faith from the Church! Whose idea was this, could it actually be traced to specific philosophies, people, and financial foundations in the past and present? I knew that the Church looked and acted worldly, and differed from what I had read in Church history, but could this actually be rationally explained and improved in our day?
Figure 1. PEERS Trend Chart 1 (Used with permission.)
As a concerned parent, homeschool teacher of four boys, and college professor of engineering, I was convinced that my teaching and learning was either supportive of the Christian worldview or, through my ignorance, was at odds with it. I sincerely desired to acknowledge God in all my ways (Proverbs 3:6), but didn't know how to do so in the subjects I learned from secular sources. My church leaders were, like me, educated mostly through secular institutions and had not learned to acknowledge God in common subjects such as: biology, math, science, education, history, economics, politics, arts, geography, language, law, philosophy, psychology, sociology, engineering and others.
The Problem
Without detailing the PEERS Trend Chart here, it is sufficient to say that worldview testing of Christians in public and Christian schools has undisputedly demonstrated that most Christians have a secular humanism world view and the next generation of Christians are being educated into atheistic socialism. Two of the many tragic indicators of the state of the Church today include: 70% of born again children leave the faith when they leave home, and 27% of born again Christian marriages end in divorce. This divorce rate is higher than for non-Christians by 3%. The compelling need for Christian Worldview education was also evidenced through the Barna Research conclusion that only 5% of born again Christians have a fully developed Biblical worldview. What many Christians do not realize is that their is a distinctly Biblical view of every field of study.
The Analysis
Christian leaders agree that (1) the church is at a turning point, (2) the neglect of Biblical thinking clearly explains how the church descended to this point, and (3) the renewing of Christians minds (Romans 12:2) with a Biblical worldview provides great hope for seeing more of the kingdom manifest on earth.
The steps to recovering the Biblical worldview in the church and culture are for each Christian to: (1) Quantitatively evaluate their worldview according to objective Biblical standards. (2) Educate themselves first in the Christian worldview of politics, education, economics, religion, and social issues. (3) Implement the Christian worldview thoroughly in their sphere of influence.
The Solution
As a response to this critical need of our day, the Developing a Biblical Worldview online course was developed to provide: (1) The quantitative personal worldview evaluation through the embedded Nehemiah Institute 70 Question PEERS test. (2) The knowledge for Christians to learn the Biblical worldview of politics, education, economics, religion, and social issues. (3) Motivation to put this knowledge into action within your personal, family, church, and community life.
This Developing a Biblical Worldview online course is the best starting point for engaging the culture with a fully developed Christian worldview within any field of study.