Worldview: Do You See What I See?

Ally watched a sermon video that addressed cultural differences between Western society today and the Near Eastern world of Jesus’ day. Then she asked, “Why did Jesus come and preach to Western civilization and not Eastern?” Ally’s question revealed her Western worldview. After all, she had lived all her life in the Western world. Her pastors and Bible teachers communicated biblical truth from a Western perspective. 

Individualist Worldview

Coming of age in an individualist world, Ally’s parents taught her to think for herself. Her dad pushed her into speech classes so she could think on her feet. In matters of religion, her parents exposed her to their understanding of the Christian gospel. And they joined her grandparents in celebrating her decision to commit her life to Jesus. Her knowledge of faith grew out of her exposure to an English translation of the Bible. Yes, the lifestyles of her parents influenced her. And her regular attendance at church surrounded her with other Western Christians.

As a young teen, Ally learned that Paul wrote the New Testament in Greek. Yet, she knew no Greek. Also, the pictures of people in her Bible showed they did not dress as she did. And they lived in houses unlike hers. Though the biblical worldview was not individualist, Ally’s teachers encouraged her to interpret the Bible for herself. Of course, they expected her interpretation to match theirs. As a result, her views reflected her parents’ understanding of Scripture.

Collectivist Worldview

People around the world see life differently. Ally lives in an individualist culture; Aleena lives in a collectivist one. Aleena’s father does not allow individualistic thinking, especially for girls. Her mother and grandmother have taught her the precepts of her religious beliefs. Therefore, she has learned to honor, respect, and obey the male members of her family without question as the strict guidelines of her religion require. Aleena has also never heard her name spoken by a male. Her father’s tribal identity dictates the interpretation of the Quran the family follows. And no one questions the Quran. Finally, everyone avoids anything that might shame the family.

Defining Terms

Worldview affects the way people understand the Bible. Leonard Sweet quotes N.T Wright’s definition of worldview:

The basic stuff of human existence, the lens through which the world is seen, the blueprint for how one should live in it, and above all, the sense of identity and place which enables human beings to be what they are. 

Leonard Sweet, Nudge: Awakening Each Other to the God Who’s Already There, p. 208

In addition, Wright outlined four characteristics of a worldview:

• Provides stories through which human beings view reality
• Explains human existence:
  • Who are we?
  • Where are we?
  • What is wrong? 
  • What is the solution?
• Expresses itself in cultural symbols, including both artifacts and events
• Determines a way-of-being in the world

As Sweet notes, “All cultures cherish deep-rooted beliefs, which can, in principle, be called up to answer these questions.”

We See through Different Eyes

Every thought, each conversation, the way we see, and the way we act rises out of our worldview. Ally’s question exposed her assumption that everyone views the world as she does. Aleena, on the other hand, would have never raised the issue. We must be careful with our conjectures. 

Ally has lived all her life in an individualist setting, which encourages every person to develop a unique view of life. If she boarded a plane in New York and flew to Tehran, she would land in a collectivist society. There she would find Aleena’s collectivist worldview, which considers the views of the group as more important than that of the individual. 

So, the individualist and the collectivist see the world through different eyes. For effective communication of the gospel, pay attention to the worldview of others.