As noted in the course syllabus, you will be writing a worldview essay in this course. The purpose of this assignment is to help you evaluate and articulate your own worldview. What is a worldview? "Essentially this: A worldview is a set of presuppositions (or assumptions) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously) about the basic makeup of our world" [see James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door, 1976]. These fundamental assumptions provide necessary order to our world. We wonder what "is it that ties everything together, matter and mind, life and death, art and science, faith and learning, and makes this a universe?" [Arthur F. Holmes, Contours of a World View, 1983, p. 3]. A worldview helps us put it all together; it is "the integrative and interpretive framework by which order and disorder are judged, the standard by which reality is managed and pursued. It is the set of hinges on which all our everyday thinking and doing turns" [James Olthuis, "On Worldviews," Christian S!
             cholar's Review, Vol. 19 (1985), p. 155]. Furthermore, differing worldviews lead to tense situations: "As each great civilization, guided and inspired by a different religion, competes to demonstrate its vision of the best way forward for humankind, it is plain that we cannot afford fuzzy thinking and half-hearted living. In today's world, differences can be seen to make a difference. Beliefs have consequences." [Os Guiness, The Call, 1998]. These assumptions may also hinder us in a number of ways. We may be so caught up in our own worldview that we can't see any merit in others or even try to understand them. We may even go beyond this to intolerance. It is obvious that a thinking, educated person needs to be able to describe, analyse, and critique worldviews, including his or her own. Finally, it is imperative that the Christian be able to think clearly about God and the world. Jesus said, in Luke 10:27, "...