Christian Worldview: A Student’s Guide

by Philip Graham Ryken

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2013

Overview

Everything we think, say, and do reflects our worldview. Basic beliefs about God, humanity, history, and the future inevitably shape how we live. Philip Ryken, a prolific author and the president of Wheaton College, explains the distinguishing marks of the Christian worldview, helping us to engage thoughtfully with our increasingly pluralistic society. Based on the notion that ideas have consequences, this accessible resource will help you see life’s “big picture” by equipping you with a well-reasoned framework of Christian beliefs and convictions.

Key Features

• Explains the distinguishing marks of the Christian worldview
• Provides a broad overview of modern academia from the Christian perspective
• Helps students engage with contemporary challenges to their faith in various academic fields

Contents

• What Is a Worldview?
• The Center of Everything
• The Way We Were
• Paradise Lost
• A Work in Progress
• Paradise Consummated

Top Highlights

“Why is there anything at all? How can we know for sure? How did we get here, and what are we here for, anyway? Why have things gone so badly wrong? Is there any hope of fixing them? What should I do with my life? And where will it all end?” (Page 20)

“But for Christians, worldview is less individualistic and more communal. Because it is grounded in divine revelation, the Christian worldview has a fixed reference point in the mind of God, and thus it stands as something that connects all believers everywhere.” (Page 26)

“A worldview—or ‘world-and-life view,’ as some people call it—is the structure of understanding that we use to make sense of our world. Our worldview is what we presuppose. It is our way of looking at life, our interpretation of the universe, our orientation to reality. It is the ‘comprehensive framework of our basic belief about things,’¹ or ‘the set of hinges on which all our everyday thinking and doing turns.’” (Page 19)

“The formation of the heart comes through the transformation of the mind. Therefore, one of the primary ways the Holy Spirit changes the things we love and worship is by changing the way we think.” (Page 28)

“What will transform us is not information for the mind but formation of the heart through the liturgy of the church.” (Page 27)

Praise for the Print Edition

If you are looking for a succinct, marvelously clear, well-illustrated introduction to the phenomenon of worldview, look no further. Philip Ryken has managed what few others in the Reformed tradition could do. He argues for the ubiquity of worldview thinking while respecting the balance between its intellectual component and its most basic attribute: love. And all of it is based on the biblical account of creation, fall, and redemption and its implication for all of life, from the arts, to education, to politics and family life. Required reading for everyone from the educated layperson to students, Christian leaders and gate-keepers.

—William Edgar, professor of apologetics, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia

Philip Ryken thoughtfully explains the ins and outs of a Christian worldview, backed by considerable biblical support and key selections from cultural touchstones. The book is a quick read but is certainly not slight. Thorough and accessible, this is a perfect resource for students who need a solid grounding or a fresh reminder of truths of the Christian worldview.

—D. Michael Lindsay, president, Gordon College

Product Details

• Title: Christian Worldview: A Student’s Guide
• Author: Philip Graham Ryken
• Series: Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition
• Publisher: Crossway
• Print Publication Date: 2013
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 128
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Christianity › Philosophy; Christian philosophy
• ISBNs: 9781433535406, 9781433535413, 9781433535420, 9781433535437, 1433535408, 1433535416, 1433535424, 1433535432
• Resource ID: LLS:CHRSTNWRLDV2013
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-03-27T21:13:22Z

About Philip Graham Ryken

Philip G. Ryken (1966–) has served as the president of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, since 2010. He earned degrees from Wheaton College, Westminster Theological Seminary, and a doctorate from the University of Oxford.

Ryken was the senior minister of Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church (where James Boice and Donald Barnhouse served previously) for about 15 years before he became the president of Wheaton College. He has been ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Ryken has authored over 30 books, including several volumes in the Preaching the Word Collection, the Reformed Expository Commentary, the Crossway Spiritual Growth Collection, Written in Stone, Discovering God in Stories from the Bible, and Exodus: Saved for God's Glory.