Christian WorldView (Free Course, Lesson 04)
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Christian WorldView (Free Course, Lesson 04)
A Christian World View of Sociology
Introduction:
A definition of Sociology is that it is the study of the history, development, organization, and problems of people living together as social groups; social science.
A. An Overview of Sociology.
"Sociology is a relatively new field of study. The ‘science’ was founded and named by Auguste Compte in the first half of the nineteenth century. While the study of people in social groups has benefit, the philosophy and underlying principles that are normally brought to the study are often in direct conflict with biblical teaching. "To the great question of the Enlightenment – ‘What shall be put in place of the old traditional order?’ – Compte replied, ‘The scientific study of society and group life,’ by which he meant impartial, unbiased observation." – cited by Donald W. Schanzenbach, Advancing the Kingdom: Declaring War on Humanistic Culture, p. 154.
B. Biblical Christian Sociology
a. "One of the fundamental ways in which Christian sociology differs from the Humanist and Marxist approaches is Christianity’s affirmation of individual free will and individual responsibility." – David A. Noebel. Understanding the Times. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 1991, 474.
i. There is no Christian view of man in society that omits the notion of sin. – Thomas Howard
ii. Man is not a cog in a machine; he is not a piece of theater; he really can influence history. From the biblical viewpoint, man is lost, but great – Francis Schaeffer
b. A Christian should understand that society plays a key role in the history of mankind and the individual’s relationship with God.
c. "Christian sociologists maintain that the individual is more important than any institution in society, and society is important because man was created a social being.", Noebel, 479.
d. "God has established, "says Gary North, "three institutional monopolies: family, church, and state. Each of these is a God-ordained government. Each of these is a covenant…Each of these three governments is to protect the other, and each deserves protection from the other." – Noebel, 481.
C. Christian View of Sociology.
Society should be open to, perhaps even encourage, religious influence on public affairs. Society should not impede or interfere with the development of individual moral character; it should promote personal accountability for moral choices. Society should not rely solely on public arrangements for human betterment. These are intrinsically incomplete and can never reach the essence of the problem, which is spiritual. Rather, society should tolerate human finitude and imperfection. Society should not think collectively. Rather it should strive to recognize the value of each human being, a value that is from God. Government may never make a legitimate total claim on the individual. It must permit him leisure, privacy, time, and opportunity for pursuits of the spirit.
A Christian World View of Economics.
A. Some Christian Perspectives on Money found in 1 Timothy 6:6-10.
a. Throughout the Scriptures money is categorized primarily as silver, sometimes as gold, and then as any number of useful things that include precious metals, clothing, food, gems, etc. – See Genesis 2:10-12 where gold and gemstones are called "good" by God.
b. A debased or unbacked currency is most hurtful to poor and lower income people. i. Isaiah 1:21-26, ii. Amos 8:4-10
c. Dishonest money is the root cause of inflation. It takes more money to buy the same amount of goods.
d. The American dollar is no longer backed by anything…Our coins contain only dross and no silver at all.
e. The borrower is slave to the lender. – Proverbs 22:7
f. One of the most important economic principles implemented by God in Israel was land ownership.
g. A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children. – Proverbs 13:22.
B. Some Biblical Principles of Economics.
The Bible declares that man is sinful (Romans 3:23), and Christians believe this apparently irrelevant fact is crucial to economic theory. Another Biblical precept that seems to have little bearing on economics - the concept of justice - also plays an important role.
The Christian concept of justice differs significantly from that of the other worldviews. Biblical justice implies impartiality in protection of human rights. The world’s emphasis on equality strips man of his other rights because it ignores differences in talent and dedication among individuals. The Christian is more interested in an economic system that protects human rights than in one that enforces equality through the redistribution of wealth.
In this sense, the Biblical concept of justice is closely tied to the concept of man’s fallen nature. The most desirable economic system, for the Christian, would promote justice by protecting the rights of men from infringement by others. If all men were inherently good, one might not have to worry about individuals denying the rights of others; but people are not inherently good. Therefore, Christians believe the best economic system contains basic checks and balances that can guarantee the protection of human rights.
Applying this criterion, the Christian believes free enterprise is more compatible with his worldview. Free enterprise is a market economy that grants man a measure of freedom in his choices regarding consumption and production. This economic freedom protects the individual from coercion by the state. Justice requires that man be free from state coercion in order to use his talents to God’s glory and, with integrity, to work and reap rewards. Further, capitalism is based on private property - the legitimacy of which is affirmed in the Bible - and on encouragement of responsibility and just reward for work. Only a free economic system can provide this type of justice and protect men from coercion by other men.
If the Christian’s beliefs about man’s nature and justice are correct, we should expect Christianity’s resultant view of economics to conform to reality better than that of other worldviews. This is precisely what we find. In the real world, capitalism creates more wealth than any alternative economic system and distributes it more justly. The free market is also better able to respond to the rapidly changing needs and wants of society because of the information conveyed by its pricing mechanism. Thus, it gives rise to a wealthier, less bureaucratic society. Socialism, in contrast, attempts to control all economic decisions through central planning (government) and therefore creates an unresponsive economy ruled by a government without limits to its sovereignty. Property in a socialist society is mistreated because it belongs to everyone and no one at the same time, leaving little incentive to protect it, improve it, or use it productively. Planned economies tend toward poverty and injustice; free markets tend toward more productive, more just societies.
Put bluntly, the Christian view of economics is less concerned with money than it is with freedom, justice, and responsibility. Money does not make any person more human or closer to conformity to Christ’s image. But economic systems that check injustice and grant men responsibility - in terms both of private property and economic decisions - can allow men the freedom to act with all the dignity of beings created in God’s image. This, according to the Christian view, is the important end of economic theory: offering men not riches or luxury but the freedom to seek fulfillment through understanding their role in God’s scheme of things. The Apostle Paul sums up this position when he explains that Christ, not wealth, is the only worthy goal: I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:12-13).
A Christian World View of Education
1. The Metaphysics for education must be God-centered.
(Metaphysics is an attempt to describe all types of reality in their systematic relations and differences. It deals with reality.) Ultimate reality - Genesis 1:1; John 1:1.
2. The Epistemology for education must be Revelation-centered. John 14:6; John 17:17.
3. The Anthropology of education must be Image-centered.
(1) Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26)
(2) When sin entered the race through Adam, the image of God in man was
marred (Romans 5:19).
(3) God has provided a means, Christ's death on the cross, through which man
can be restored to salvation and fellowship with God (1 Corinthians 15:22).
4. The Axiology of education must be Eternity-centered.
A. (Axiology is the study of the value of life.) What are the goals which are truly worth striving for?
B. Titus 2:11-13; James 4:4; Romans 8:23. The values of the cross and the eternal city are not relative values.
5. The Objective of education must be Christ-centered. Colossians 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:15; Ephesians 1.
6. The Curriculum of education must be Bible-centered. 2 Timothy 3:16,17.
7. The Methodology of education must be Interaction. John 16:12-17.
8. The Discipline of education must be Love-centered. Hebrews 5:11; 12:6.
9. The Teacher for education must be Spirit-controlled. Luke 9:35; Galatians 4:18; Ephesians 5:18.
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