Hidden Worldviews

I continue to be fascinated by the gifts that come to me from the members of my flock. These presents often reveal--as perhaps all gifts do--as much about the giver's perception as about the desires of the receiver. I receive gifts that seem like they came from the "Gifts for Your Pastor" shelf at the local Christian store; there are those that fall into the "I liked this, so I'm sure you must, too," category; there are those that clearly answer my expressed preference; and there are those that serve as catch-all (like money).

I get a good number of books from members of the congregation. The books fall into the first three of the above categories, probably in equal measure. Occasionally, however, one will start in the "I liked this . . ." category and, upon my reading of it, will move into the "right up my alley" category. Hidden Worldviews by Steve Wilkens and Mark Sanford (2009) turned out to be such a book.

Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives observes eight ways that twenty-first century Americans view their world and critically evaluates how those views line up with Christianity.

One of my last courses in seminary was a teaching on worldview, and it opened up my eyes to the power and richness of worldview over against simple points of faith doctrine. My introduction to worldviews gave me a holistic way to view faith and life. Typical of my generation, I was interested in the complete web of connection between personal narrative, metanarrative, ethics, and faith doctrine. I prefer to deal with the big picture rather than any of these in isolation. Wilkens and Sanford step back to look at the big picture of how we make meaning of and live in the world.

Hidden Worldview strikes a beautiful balance. It thoroughly evaluates each of the eight worldviews (for instance: individualism, scientific naturalism, and salvation by therapy), noting both positive and negative features. It refrains from pedantic lecturing, maintaining a graceful voice throughout. It speaks with both gravity and levity in due season. Its conclusion encourages the reader to develop a Christian worldview, naming particular helpful considerations. And it does all these things in 218 pages.

Here is a thorough, useful, and accessible introduction to the possibilities and problems of worldview. Unlike so many books that find their way under my nose, this one won't be given away quickly. Loaned, perhaps, but not surrendered.

Thanks to Steve for this good gift!

~ emrys