Worldview Curriculum
Originally, WVE had projected two different types of worldview curriculum: (a) a 13-session curriculum for youth and young adults and (b) a video-oriented discussion-type curriculum based on footage from the program's "Reality Trip." Due to insurmountable challenges in the post-production work of Reality Trip, the current plan is to produce one worldview curriculum that will consist of a resource text, a leader's guide, a student guide, and video resources (e.g. lesson introductions, interviews with various evangelical scholars, and selected video clips from Reality Trip).
The curriculum will be
based on the idea that Christian
youth and adults should not hide
their heads in the cultural
sand as
though they can, or should, be isolated
from non-Christian philosophies
and religions. In the first place,
it just doesn't work, especially
in our media world of easy and instant
access to all kinds of worldview
influences.
It is our belief that Christian youth are simply not being adequately and properly exposed to non-Christian worldviews while they are in the environment of church and home. Youth group games and emotional highs may produce excitement and fun, but they will not prepare young people for what they will inevitably face. As
a result, a high percentage
of church youth are "lost" to
other worldviews when
they are exposed to them after
high school without the "watching eye" of
their youth leaders and parents.
And many Christian
kids who do "stay with the church" are
not adequately prepared to
be effective witnesses with
their Christian worldview.
Writing/Production
Dr. Rich Knopp, the WVE Director, will write the resource text and will develop a leader's guide based on the preliminary drafts of lesson materials that have been written by a panel of youth specialists
and educators (see the picture below - from
left to right):
Tracy
Thomas,
Minister of Youth @ Lincoln
Christian Church, Lincoln,
IL.
Roger Songer,
Campus Minister @ the Christian
Campus House at Eastern
Illinois University, Charleston,
IL.
Greg Taylor,
former Director of Admissions @ Lincoln
Christian University; former
youth minister.
Rondel
Ramsey, Professor
of Youth
Ministry @ Lincoln Christian
University;
former youth minister at Central
Church of Christ, Streator,
IL
J.
K. Stevens,
Headmaster @ Traders
Point Christian Academy in
Indianapolis, IN
Shane Taylor,
Lead Pastor @ Common
Ground Church, near
Seattle, WA; former
campus minister at the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(Not pictured: Bob Monts,
assistant professor of Adult Education,
Lincoln
Christian University.)
Projected
"Lessons" and Format
| 1. "What's
a Worldview?" |
8. "The
Worldview of Existentialism" |
| 2. "How
Can I Identify MY Worldview?" |
9. "The
Worldview of Postmodernism" |
| 3. "Worldviews
in the Bible" |
10. "The
Worldview of New Age Pantheism" |
| 4. "Christianity
as a Worldview" |
11. "Choosing
a Worldview with a Future" |
| 5. "The
Worldview of Islam" |
12. "Applying
a Christian Worldview
to
My World" |
6. "The
Worldview of Secular Humanism:
Optimistic Atheists" |
13. "Living
a Christian Worldview in
My Life" |
7. "The
Worldview of Nihilism:
Pessimistic Atheists" |
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- An informative
resource text that will also acquaint readers with other worldview texts and resources.
- Optional v ideo introductions for each of the lessons.
- Files and graphics to use for PowerPoint
and Apple Keynote.
- A
resource DVD video with interviews
with top Christian scholars (see below).
- A Student
Guide that can be easily adapted for Sunday school, small group studies, home school settings, high school groups, campus ministries, and adults).
- Updates and downloadable Internet resources, including clips from Reality Trip.
UNIQUE FEATURES
Several "worldview" curricula
have been published by
others, but the WVE curriculum
will be unique and especially valuable in several ways.
- Style: It
will especially appeal
to a "younger
audience," using an
entertaining and instructional
video and
other multimedia
resources.
Yet it will balance "lighter
moments" with
contributions from
some of the best
Christian scholars in
the world.
- Structure: It will help students think more about their faith and their culture in terms of competing "isms" (e.g.,
Secular Humanism,
Nihilism, Existentialism,
Postmodernism) rather
than academic "disciplines" (e.g. history, economics, politics). A "discipline" approach to worldviews can be very valuable, but we believe that the "ism" emphasis
will be perceived
as more immediately
relevant and understandable
for a younger audience.
- Approach
to "worldview": It
will offer a more
balanced approach
to the notion
of "worldview" by
emphasizing that
it is not simply, or perhaps even primarily, a "mind" thing. Rather, worldview will be explained as the basic makeup of one's mind, emotions, will, and behavior. It will help Christians see that their worldview is directly connected to their entire life of discipleship--loving God will all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
- Relevance: It will make the idea of worldview come alive by using "pop
culture" for many of its illustrations. This will help students recognize how prominent worldviews are in their own media world and how important it is to respond appropriately and effectively as a Christian.
- Content: It
will deal with many
of the most influential "isms" in
our world, but it
will also teach a
lot about the Christian
worldview in the process.
It will provide a
valuable biblical
background for worldview
study, and it will
guide students on
how to recognize other
worldviews and how to evaluate them.
However, it will not simply
condemn these worldviews
as totally false. In fact,
it will prompt students
to understand the insights and attractions of these other worldviews.
Yet it will also expose
their problems and limitations.
Several lessons will help
students apply
their Christian worldview to
their school life (e.g.
their approach to study,
science, history, extra-curricular
activities), to their work and
future careers,
to their family life, and to their social
behavior.
Video resources will include videotaped
material from a number of
leading Christian scholars. WVE
has already videotaped
interviews with the following impressive
list of notable evangelical
scholars.
- Dr.
James Sire,
author of The Universe
Next Door (InterVarsity
Press) and many other
books.
- Dr.
Nancy Pearcey,
co-author with Charles
Colson of How Now
Shall We Live? (Tyndale,
1999), and author
of Total Truth:
Liberating Christianity
from Its Cultural Captivity (Crossway
Books, 2004).
- Dr.
David Naugle,
author of Worldview:
The History of a Concept (Eerdmans,
2002).
- Dr.
William Lane Craig,
author of Hard
Questions; Real Answers (Crossway,
2003); co-author of To
Everyone an Answer (InterVarsity,
2004); and many other
works.
- Dr.
Millard Erickson,
author of Introducing
Christian Doctrine ,
2nd ed (Baker, 2001); Truth
or Consequences: The
Promise and Perils
of Postmodernism (InterVarsity,
2002); and many others.
- Dr.
Harold Netland, Encountering
Religious Pluralism:
The Challenge to Christian
Faith and Mission (InterVarsity,
2001).
Dr.
Francis Beckwith,
co-author with Gregory
Koukl of Relativism:
Feet Firmly Planted
in Mid-Air (Baker,
1998); co-author
with J.P. Moreland
and William Lane
Craig of To Everyone
an Answer: A Case
for the Christian
Worldview (InterVarsity,
2004); and other
works.
- Josh McDowell, author of numerous books on Christian apologetics, including More Than a Carpenter, More Evidence that Demands a Verdict, and Beyond Belief to Convictions.
Many
of these videotaped interviews
were done with a "green
screen" background,
so a variety of computer
graphics can be added in
post-production.

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Watch an Intro to
the concept of "worldview"
WVE
RECOMMENDS

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