Why studying the Christian Worldview in college matters

As high school students approach the possibility of college studies, options are usually considered in terms of future employment prospects. Students and families choose posthigh-school pathways that will enable them to achieve academic goals, find an excellent job, and pursue financial stability. These are all great ambitions, but for Christian students, the opportunity for spiritual development during one’s college years can often be overlooked. 

In an age grappling with serious questions about truth, humanity, and the meaning of life, Christians must be prepared to provide biblically grounded answers and share their perspective in an attitude of love and grace. We must know how to understand and engage with the diverse beliefs within our culture. Only in studying our own worldview will we as Christians be able to navigate the overwhelming landscape of 21^st-century worldviews. 

Examining the Christian worldview offers an abundance of benefits regardless of one’s major and career aspirations. Whether you are studying biochemistry, English, education, or business, diving deeply into worldviews will affect your life in all aspects, from guiding you to better understand your own spiritual perspective to shaping how you approach important conversations with those around you. Taking the time in college to study the Christian worldview will leave a lasting impact that reaches beyond just a credential on a resume.

Studying the Christian worldview lays a foundation for us to answer the most basic and fundamental questions in life, questions like “Who is man?” and “Who is God?” In the famous words of A.W. Tozer, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”^[1]

The way you answer these questions is reflected in your priorities and outlook in life. Imagine that these basic questions are like building blocks: a block for your view of God, a block for your view of death, and so on. The color and shape of each individual block determines what the end product, the finished construction, will look like – as well as how sturdy it proves to be. 

These simple questions can be taken for granted, but they deserve a closer look. After all, the answers to them vary widely from person to person, and more largely, from religion to religion. For example, the Muslim worldview affirms God’s sovereignty and role as Creator but denies the Christian worldview’s belief in the Trinity. This difference has massive consequences for one’s theology, particularly since Jesus’s divinity is an essential Christian doctrine (see 1 John 2:22).

Christians should be able to answer these simple yet incredibly significant questions with confidence. A study of the Christian worldview, especially in contrast to opposing worldviews, reveals that the most minute details of our beliefs matter. These worldview basics can be built upon to cultivate deep and fruitful discussions in an ideologically complicated culture. 

Studying the Christian worldview encourages a deeper understanding of the gospel. There should never be a limit to the number of times we revisit the truths of the gospel. There is always room for us to cherish God’s grace more, and for us to be moved to even greater love for Him.

The Christian worldview, as a perspective anchored to the Bible, reminds us of humanity’s brokenness in its answer to the question of man’s nature. It tells us that though we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26) and have a special worth as His creation, we are also sinners, deserving of death for our heart-born disobedience to God (Romans 3:23, 6:23). The Christian worldview does not end there, however. In answering the question of who God is, we encounter God’s all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good nature. We see His perfect love and mercy (Psalm 136:1, 86:15) all throughout Scripture, but the most brilliant demonstration of His character can be witnessed in the sacrifice of His Son (John 15:13). Jesus, holy and blameless, bore God’s wrath so that humanity’s sins might be paid for (Isaiah 53:5). He rose again after three days, triumphant over sin and death. Thus, studying the Christian worldview teaches us about the story of man and God, stirring our hearts to trust ever more in our Savior and rejoice ever more in the life-changing hope of the gospel. 

Learning about the Christian worldview brings greater awareness of your own beliefs and the impact they have on your life. A worldview goes beyond written statements of belief; it is the fundamental core of your values, attitudes, and motivations. As you study the basic worldview questions, you may discover areas where your professed belief and your everyday decisions are at odds. You might answer that the purpose of life is to bring God glory or to serve others, for example, and find that the choices you make with your career, finances, or family rarely reflect that purpose. In that sense, studying worldviews can help us to better align ourselves with what we truly believe, even if it may mean difficult conversations or some intentional contemplation in the process. 

Ultimately as Christians, making our study of the Christian worldview a priority helps us to better live in accordance with our beliefs and share them with others. As Christians desiring to fulfill the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 to “go and make disciples of all nations,” we should be leveraging our studies to become more effective, prepared, and Spirit-led evangelists. Through spending time delving into the Christian worldview, we can be ready to share our faith with those around us, no matter what worldview they might hold themselves. 

For those looking for an excellent opportunity to strengthen their faith, the College of Christian Studies at Charleston Southern University offers a variety of courses that will challenge you to explore thoughtfully the Christian worldview. Pursuing a minor, whether in general Christian Studies or the more specific Christian Worldview and Apologetics, is a convenient option for supplementing your major with this course of study. 

No matter how you go about incorporating a study of the Christian worldview into your college years, remember that the end goal is following God faithfully and standing firm for the truth in a culture profoundly opposed to the biblical perspective. As we humbly share with those around us, participating in meaningful discussions about the very building blocks of our beliefs, we can live out the story of God’s love to those yearning for answers. 

Audra Bergevin is an intern in the Office of Marketing and Communication at Charleston Southern University. She is a senior majoring in English with a writing emphasis and minoring in Christian Worldview and Apologetics.

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^[1] A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, Harper Collins, 1992, p. 16. 

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