Last week, Nathan Sasser, one of the speakers at The Clash in July, shared his answer to the question "what is a worldview?" Here are Nathan's thoughts on the difference between a Christian worldview and a non-Christian worldview.

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In my last post, I said that your worldview is the entire structure of your beliefs, a structure that rests on your ultimate foundational beliefs and supports your ordinary, everyday beliefs. As examples of ordinary, everyday beliefs, I mentioned my beliefs about (a) how to get to Smoothie King, (b) who’s going to win the election, (c) whether that guy over there is Bruce Springsteen.

Then I claimed that ultimately there are only two kinds of worldviews: the Christian worldview, which is founded on the self-revelation of the God of Scripture, and the non-Christian worldview, which is founded on anything else.

Here is a picture of a Christian worldview with God as its foundation:

The alternative to a Christian worldview is a worldview founded upon anything other than the self-revelation of the God of Scripture. Even Christians can have alternative worldviews, because true believers in Christ do not always make revelation the foundation of their worldview. Such people are genuine believers, but they don’t have a fully and consistently Christian worldview, as this picture illustrates:

The first worldview is founded on the self-revelation of the Creator. The second worldview includes a belief in the Creator, but it is ultimately founded on the human mind’s independent, autonomous ability to find out about everything.

Here’s why the difference between these two worldviews is so important. If someone asks you whether Christianity is true, how do you answer? If your worldview is ultimately based on the ability of humans to discover truth about the world without revelation, then you have to try to show how, for example, sense perceptions and science and logic all prove that Christianity is true.

But then, if someone asks you how you know that your own mind is trustworthy and able to discover the truth about the world, you will just say, “that’s the most foundational belief I have. Unless I assume that my own sense perceptions and logical capacities and scientific methods are reliable, then I have no basis for believing anything.”

However, if your worldview is ultimately based on God’s revelation in Scripture of who he is, what his world is like, and what he has done for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ, then you will answer differently. You will say, “my Christian beliefs are the most foundational beliefs I have. Unless I assume that Christianity is true, I have no basis for believing anything.”

On the other hand, if someone asks you why you think your own mind is trustworthy and able to discover truth about the world, you will say, “God created the world, and he created people in his own image with the ability to learn truth—if only they will think about the world in obedience to his word. Sin has corrupted our minds so they’re not obedient or trustworthy. That’s why we need the gospel—so that our minds can be renewed in the image of their Creator (Col. 3:10).”

So the big worldview question is this: who do you ultimately trust? God or yourself?

Check out The Clash on Facebook and Twitter to get updates about the conference, or register to reserve your spot.

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Nathan Sasser is one of the speakers at our upcoming worldview conference, The Clash, and to give you a little preview of the conference, Nathan has agreed to share some of his thoughts on worldview. Here's what Nathan has to say in response to the question "what is a worldview?"

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People disagree about ordinary beliefs all the time: what’s the shortest way to the Smoothie King? Who will win the World Series or some political election? Is that guy in the airport terminal Bruce Springsteen?

When you want to defend your answer to questions like this, you tell people the other beliefs upon which you base your answer. So for example, you might say, “I know this is the shortest way because Google Maps says so.” Or, “I’ve tried both ways and this way took me longer.” Or you might say, “I think the incumbent will win the election because Americans tend to vote for the incumbent.” Or, “I know that’s the Boss because he exactly matches my memory of Springsteen.”

We can keep on asking these “why” questions: why do you trust your memory of Springsteen? Why do you think that Americans will follow the same voting patterns this year as they have in the past? How do you know that the shape of the earth didn’t change since the last time you clocked your route to the Smoothie King? If we keep on pushing the “why do you believe that?” questions further and further back, we eventually reach our most foundational beliefs, the beliefs on which we base all of our other beliefs.

Your worldview is the entire structure of your beliefs, a structure that rests on your ultimate foundational beliefs and supports your ordinary, everyday beliefs. This makes your worldview like a “house” or “pyramid” of knowledge.

If you think about this a little bit, it is probably obvious to you that not everyone has the same foundational beliefs about the world. In fact, if you think about it a little bit more, it may seem like there is an infinite number of foundational beliefs, and that might explain why there are so many different kinds of worldviews.

Some people aren’t sure whether they have any foundational beliefs at all. They are doubtful about all sorts of fundamental claims: is there really such a thing as right and wrong? Am I living in a dream? Isn’t everyone’s perspective biased?

But even the most skeptical among us don’t have a lot of doubts about what will happen if they jump off a bridge, or whether 1+1=2. What this shows is that everybody has some foundational beliefs that they don’t question, even if they’re simple ones like the belief in gravity or arithmetic.

My claim is that there are ultimately two kinds of worldviews: those based on the self-revelation of the God of Scripture, and those based ultimately on anything else—anything created. This changes not just how you think about your spiritual life, but how you think about gravity, math, the sun rising tomorrow, and whether or not you’re living in a dream.

If you want to find out more about the conference, visit The Clash's page on our website and start following The Clash on Facebook and Twitter.

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Calling all 17–23-year-olds!

We’d like to invite you to The Clash, a 6-day conference that will explore what it means to develop a Christian worldview that impacts all of life.

The reason that worldview is so important is that there’s a clash going on in the world right now between rival worldviews. It starts in your heart and extends to the ends of the universe. If this clash between worldviews isn’t something you’ve experienced already, you are sure to experience it soon as a young adult in college or in the workplace.

The Clash is designed to equip you with a worldview that will allow you to worship and bear witness to Christ in every sphere of life and learning. If you choose to attend, we hope you leave with an increased understanding of what a Biblical worldview is and how it functions.

Registration for The Clash is now open to all young adults ages 17–23. The speakers joining us at The Clash are:

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Wayne Grudem

Wayne Grudem is Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary. He served on the committee overseeing the ESV translation of the Bible and was the general editor of the ESV Study Bible.

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David Powlison

David Powlison is a faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation. He has written numerous articles on biblical counseling and on the relationship between faith and psychology.

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Iain Duguid

Iain Duguid is Professor of Old Testament at Grove City College. He has planted numerous churches, most recently Christ Presbyterian Church in Grove City, Pennsylvania.

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Jeff Purswell

Jeff Purswell is the Dean of the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors College and the editor of Bible Doctrine, an abridgment of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology.

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Nathan Sasser

Nathan Sasser holds bachelor's degrees and an M.Div and is a PhD student in philosophy at the University of South Carolina. He also serves as Jeff Purswell's teaching assistant at the Pastors College.

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The Clash will be held at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. Sessions, rooms, and meals will all be on site and included in the registration cost.

To learn more and to register, visit The Clash's page on our website. And start following The Clash on Facebook and Twitter to get video updates, worldview quotes, and more.

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The Gospel Coalition is hosting a National Women's Conference in Orlando, Florida from June 22–24. The conference, with its theme "Here Is Our God," will seek to help attendees fix their eyes on Christ with the goal of seeing him more clearly and serving him more effectively. Main sessions will focus on Scripture passages in which God reveals himself to his people, and workshops will discuss women living out their faith.

In addition to main sessions and workshops from many renowned speakers, Carolyn Mahaney will be speaking from John 21:15–22 at a workshop entitled "The Snare of Compare." The conference website describes her topic:

We'll consider the risen Lord's dramatic confrontation with Peter, in which Peter is called to face a future he would not choose but cannot change. Peter's first instinct is to compare—to look to those around him rather than to his Lord. How do we respond to challenges we don't want but can't change? The human temptation is to measure our lot against that of others. How can we turn this temptation to compare ourselves with others into a heart of gospel ministry to others? Jesus' challenging words to Peter can point the way.

For more information about main sessions, other workshops, and registration, visit The Gospel Coalition's website.

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Together for the Gospel, which is led by Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, C.J. Mahaney, and Al Mohler, upholds a list of affirmations and denials that span multiple theological topics.

The affirmations and denials are now available in animated video format. Below are two of the videos, and all of them are available on T4G's website.

Article I: On The Bible

Article XII: On Justification by Faith Alone

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The extended deadline for Next early bird registration is this Sunday, April 22, so if you're interested in coming, take advantage of this final chance to get the lowest registration cost possible. We hope many of you will join us as we explore the topic of the church and its role in the believer's life.

Some of you may be wondering why you should attend a conference about the church, especially if you've grown up in the church and are familiar with it. C.J. Mahaney recently addressed these questions in a video:

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Together for the Gospel 2012 ran from April 10–12, and this year's messages focused on the theme "The Underestimated Gospel." The general-session audio and video are available, so you can watch, listen to, or download the following messages:

• C.J. Mahaney, "When A Pastor Loses Heart" (audio, video)
• Al Mohler, "The Power of the Articulated Gospel" (audio, video)
• Mark Dever, "False Conversions: The Suicide of the Church" (audio, video)
• Thabiti Anyabwile, "Will Your Gospel Transform a Terrorist?" (audio, video)
• Kevin DeYoung, "Spirit-Powered, Gospel-Driven, Faith-Fueled Effort" (audio, video)
• David Platt, "Divine Sovereignty: The Fuel of Death-Defying Missions" (audio, video)
• Ligon Duncan, "The Underestimated God" (audio, video)
• Matt Chandler, "The Fulfillment of the Gospel" (audio, video)
• John Piper, "Glory, Majesty, Dominion, and Authority Keep Us Safe for Everlasting Joy" (audio, video)

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The early bird registration discount for Next 2012 will now be available through April 22, so you still have time to get the lowest rate if you're planning to come. And with a great line-up of speakers addressing something as vital as the part you play in the local church, we hope you'll consider it. 

C.J. Mahaney recently explained why he's excited to have three men from Sovereign Grace Ministries—Jeff Purswell, Jared Mellinger, and Ian McConnell—teaching at Next 2012:

And also why he invited outside speakers Matt Chandler and Kevin DeYoung:

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Registration for Together for the Gospel 2012 closes tonight at midnight. There won't be on-site registration available, so if you'd like to attend the conference, register now before it's too late.

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If you haven't registered for Next 2012 yet, note that the registration cost goes up beginning April 1. Register now to get the early bird pricing.

For information on the conference, including speakers and topics, visit www.ThisisNext.org. You can also check out C.J. Mahaney's blog for interviews with speakers Matt Chandler and Kevin DeYoung, or watch the video below to learn why he's excited about having them teach at the conference.

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