Five Worldviews - by Dennis McCallum Sometimes it seems as if there are more philosophical and religious views than any normal person could ever learn about. In fact, there are more than six thousand distinct religions in the world today. However, some people are surprised to find that the world’s religions and philosophies tend to break down into a few major categories. These five worldviews include all the dominant outlooks in the world today. This chart is adapted from Christianity: The Faith That Makes Sense by Dennis McCallum (Tyndale), and can be found on www.xenos.org. WORLD-VIEW REALITY MAN TRUTH VALUES Naturalism The material universe Man is the chance Truth is usually No objective values or Atheism; is all that exists. Reality product of a biological understood as scientific morals exist. Morals are Agnosticism; is “one-dimensional.” process of evolution. proof. Only that which individual preferences Existentialism There is no such thing Man is entirely material. can be observed with or socially useful as a soul or a spirit. The human species will the five senses is behaviors. Even social Everything can be one day pass out of accepted as real or true. morals are subject to explained on the basis existence. evolution and change. of natural law. Pantheism Only the spiritual Man is one with Truth is an experience of Because ultimate reality Hinduism; dimension exists. ultimate reality. Thus unity with “the oneness” is impersonal, many Taoism; All else is illusion, man is spiritual, eternal, of the universe. Truth pantheistic thinkers Buddhism; maya. Spiritual and impersonal. Man’s is beyond all rational believe that there is no much New Age reality, Brahman, is belief that he is an description. Rational real distinction between Consciousness eternal, impersonal, individual is illusion. thought as it is good and evil. Instead, and unknowable. It is understood in the West “unenlightened” possible to say that cannot show us reality. behavior is that which everything is a part fails to understand of God, or that God essential unity. is in everything and

Theism An infinite, personal Humankind is the Truth about God Moral values are the Christianity; God exists. He created unique creation of God. is known through objective expression Islam; Judaism a finite, material world. People were created revelation. Truth about of an absolute moral Reality is both material “in the image of God,” the material world is being. and spiritual. The which means that we gained via revelation universe as we know it are personal, eternal, and the five senses in had a beginning and will spiritual, and biological. conjunction with rational have an end. thought.

Spiritism and The world is populated Man is a creation of Truth about the natural Moral values take Polytheism by spirit beings who the gods like the rest world is discovered the form of taboos, Thousands of govern what goes on. of the creatures on through the shaman which are things that Religions Gods and demons are earth. Often, tribes or figure who has visions irritate or anger various the real reason behind races have a special telling him what the spirits. These taboos “natural” events. Material relationship with some gods and demons are are different from the things are real, but they gods who protect them doing and how they feel. idea of “good and have spirits associated and can punish them. evil” because it is just with them and, therefore, as important to avoid can be interpreted irritating evil spirits as it spiritually. is good ones. Postmodernism Reality must be Humans are nodes in Truths are mental Values are part of interpreted through our a cultural reality – they constructs meaningful our social paradigms language and cultural are a product of their to individuals within as well. Tolerance, “paradigm.” Therefore, social setting. The a particular cultural freedom of expression, reality is “socially idea that people are paradigm. They do inclusion, and refusal constructed.” autonomous and free is not apply to other to claim to have the a myth. paradigms. Truth is answers are the only relative to one’s culture. universal values.