IML 201: Christian Worldviews

Course Description

Welcome to IML 201! This course is designed to equip you to understand the concept of a worldview and its importance in shaping our beliefs, values, and actions. We will begin by defining what a worldview is and exploring the fundamental questions that every worldview seeks to answer. The primary focus will be on providing a comprehensive overview of the biblical Christian worldview, examining its core tenets regarding God, reality, knowledge, humanity, and morality. We will then compare and contrast the Christian worldview with several alternative belief systems, including Naturalism, Postmodernism, and major world religions. The goal of this course is to foster critical thinking and enable you to engage respectfully and thoughtfully with competing belief systems in our pluralistic world.

Course Structure

This course is composed of five chapters, each building upon the last to provide a thorough understanding of Christian and competing worldviews. Each chapter includes a detailed summary, five in-depth lessons, a chapter test, and an optional “Deep Dive” for further study. The course culminates in a final course test.

• Course: Syllabus + Interactive Syllabus + 5 Chapters + Course Test
• Chapter: Summary + 5 Lessons + Chapter Test + Deep Dive

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Define Worldview: Articulate a clear definition of “worldview” and identify the fundamental questions that every worldview addresses.
• Explain the Christian Worldview: Describe the core components of the biblical Christian worldview, including its understanding of God, creation, humanity, morality, and destiny.
• Analyze Competing Worldviews: Identify and explain the basic tenets of major competing worldviews such as Naturalism, Postmodernism, and key world religions.
• Compare and Contrast: Critically compare and contrast the Christian worldview with other belief systems, noting key points of agreement and disagreement.
• Engage Respectfully: Develop the ability to engage in thoughtful and respectful dialogue with individuals who hold different worldview perspectives.
• Strengthen Personal Conviction: Solidify your own understanding of the Christian faith and be better equipped to provide a reasoned basis for your beliefs.

Course Outline

Chapter 1: What is a Worldview?

• Lesson 1: The Power of Ideas: Defining “Worldview”
• Lesson 2: The Big Questions: What Every Worldview Must Answer
• Lesson 3: Thinking Critically: How to Analyze a Worldview
• Lesson 4: A Map for Reality: Why a Coherent Worldview Matters
• Lesson 5: Introduction to the Christian Worldview

Chapter 2: The Biblical Christian Worldview

• Lesson 1: In the Beginning, God: The Doctrine of the Trinity and Creation
• Lesson 2: The Image of God: A Biblical View of Humanity and Sin
• Lesson 3: Absolute Truth: Understanding Knowledge and Revelation
• Lesson 4: Right and Wrong: The Foundation of Christian Morality
• Lesson 5: The Grand Story: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Glorification

Chapter 3: Competing Worldview: Naturalism

• Lesson 1: The Cosmos is All There Is: The Core Beliefs of Naturalism
• Lesson 2: Humanity in a Material World: A Naturalistic View of Persons
• Lesson 3: Science as the Only Truth: Naturalism’s View of Knowledge
• Lesson 4: Evolving Morality: The Basis for Ethics in Naturalism
• Lesson 5: A Christian Response to Naturalism

Chapter 4: Competing Worldview: Postmodernism

• Lesson 1: The End of Grand Stories: Introduction to Postmodernism
• Lesson 2: The Socially Constructed Self: A Postmodern View of Humanity
• Lesson 3: There Is No “Truth”: Postmodernism’s View of Knowledge
• Lesson 4: Morality as a Social Construct: The Basis for Ethics in Postmodernism
• Lesson 5: A Christian Response to Postmodernism

Chapter 5: Engaging Other Belief Systems

• Lesson 1: An Overview of World Religions
• Lesson 2: Engaging with Judaism and Islam
• Lesson 3: Engaging with Hinduism and Buddhism
• Lesson 4: Understanding Cults and New Religious Movements
• Lesson 5: Living Out the Christian Worldview in a Pluralistic Society

Assessments & Grading

• Chapter Quizzes: Short quizzes will follow each lesson to assess comprehension.
• Chapter Tests: A test at the end of each of the five chapters will review the material covered.
• Final Course Test: A comprehensive final exam will cover the key ideas from all five chapters.
• Passing Requirement: To successfully complete this course, you must achieve a score of 80% or higher on each of the five Chapter Tests and the Final Course Test.