Faith and Reason - Ronald Nash

The Major Elements of a Worldview

The following five items are the main worldview elements set forth by Ronald Nash in his book Faith and Reason.  Ravi Zacharias uses four simpler worldview elements: origin, meaning, morality and destiny.

I. Theology (God)

A. Does God Exist?

B. What is God's Nature?

1. Is there just one God?

2. Is God personal or impersonal?

 

II. Metaphysics (Ultimate Reality)

A. What is the relationship between God and the universe?

B. Is the universe eternal?  Or is it created?

C. Is the universe purposeful? Or is it mechanistic?

D. Is ultimate reality spiritual or material?

E. Are miracles possible?

III. Epistemology (Theory of Knowledge)

A. Is knowledge about the world possible?

B. Can we trust our senses?

C. What are the proper roles of reason and sense experience in knowledge?

D. Is truth relative, objective, or a mixture of both?

E. What is the relationship between religious faith and reason?

F. Is knowledge about God possible?

G. Can / has God revealed Himself to humanity?

H. What is the relationship between the mind of God and the mind of human beings?

IV.  Ethics

A. Are there moral laws that govern human conduct?

B. If so, what are these laws?

C. Are these laws subjective or objective? (independent of what anyone thinks)

D. Are these laws discovered or created?

E. Is morality relative to individuals, cultures or historical periods? Or does morality transcend individuals, cultures and historical periods?

V. Anthropology (Nature of Human Beings)

A . Are human beings free or determined?

B. Are human beings only bodies (material beings), spirits (not material) or a mixture of both?

C. Is there a human soul or mind, and if so, how does it relate to the body?

D. Does physical death end the existence of a human person?

1. Is there conscious, personal survival after death?

2. Are there rewards and punishments after death?

3. Are the Christian teachings about heaven and hell correct?

 

 

The above notes were taken from Ronald Nash's book Faith and Reason.  It contains a very nice overview of some interesting apologetics and philosophy concepts.  I recommend you buy it if you want to learn more.