Worldview Comparison Chart

There are eight major worldviews. Other worldviews exist but are based upon one or more of these eight: Theism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism,
Existentialism, Pantheism, New Age and Post Modernism.

Seven propositions are used to broadly compare these eight basic worldviews. They are:
1. What is the nature of God or ultimate reality?
2. What is the nature of the cosmos?
3. What is the nature of humanity?
4. What is the result of human death?
5. What is the basis of human knowing?
6. What is the basis of ethics?
7. What is the basis of history?

The following data was presented in 2013 and 2014 in a worldview series at Moline Baptist Church over multiple evening services. The primary
source for the information was taken from “The Universe Next Door” by James W. Sire; InterVarsity Press, 2004. The primary intention was to
increase understanding about the other worlviews in our society that vie for attention and influence people’s lives. Gaining this fundamental
understanding can aid personal evangelistic efforts, the Christian’s greatest charge. The following chart is a brief synopsis of the most basic
information. To obtain a more thorough description of each worldview refer to James W. Sire’s book, search the internet or pick up another
reference at a Christian bookstore.

BACKGROUND
Deism – Deism evolved in the 17th century as Christian Theism became chaotic and quarrelsome between denominations. Knowledge changes
location and authority from God to humanity. By the 18th century Deism was virtually abandoned because of too many conflicting and untenable
positions. The danger is that Deism proved to be a transitional worldview between Theism and Naturalism.
Naturalism – Naturalism evolved between the 17th and 18th centuries. It is a dangerous contender that endures even today. It’s strongest assertions
are that “matter” is all that matters and reason is the sole basis for truth.
Nihilism – Nihilism evolved in the late 18th century. Friedrich Nietzsche mostly credited with founding Nihilism and he wrote the most damaging
statement that, “God is dead”. Nihilism is the logical conclusion of all worldviews except Theism. It is characterized by the denial of everything,
absence of meaning and nothingness.
Existentialism – Existentialism gained popularity in the mid-20th century and it took Nihilism seriously. Its greatest goal was to transcend
Nihilism. Two major forms are followed: Atheistic Existentialism which is a parasite to pure Naturalism and Theistic Existentialism which is a
parasite to pure Theism. Only the Atheistic form is compared in the chart.
Pantheism – Pantheism originated as a worldview in the mid-17th century, but aspects existed in ancient forms of Hinduism since 1,000 BC.
Philosopher Baruch Spinoza argued against Descartes’ dualist theory of a separate body and spirit. It gained popularity in America in the 1960’s.
New Age – New Age roots trace back to ancient Gnosticism. It appeared in America in the 1960’s with a growing interest in the 70’s and a wide
awareness in the 80’s. By the 1990’s it achieved general acceptance. It is highly syncretic of all other worldviews, especially Pantheism and
Animism (not compared here). It depends heavily upon the notion of and pursuing altered states of consciousness.
Post Modernism – Post Modernism has similarities to Naturalism and Existentialism. It evolved in the mid-20th century and is marked by a
pluralism of perspectives and a plethora of philosophical possibilities. Its defining concepts include relativism, absence of truth and anti-
ideologies. Metanarratives don’t exist but their stories are meaningful and useful. Nevertheless, no story has absolute corresponding truth.

Worldviews
Proposit- Naturalis Post
ions Theism Deism m Nihilism Existential-ism Pantheism New Age Modernism
God God is God is God does God does God does NOT exist God exists The self is the prime God does NOT exist
Or infinite, transcen- NOT exist NOT exist Only two types of God (universe/ reality Matter exists
Ultimate personal, dent Only matter Only matter being: objective nature) is all and The self’s eternally but can’t
Reality transcen- God is exists exists and subjective in all, the totality perception is be fully known
dent, NOT eternally eternally Objective is matter of all and identical reality, including Truth about reality
imam- imam- and is all and is all and law of cause with divinity imagination is forever hidden
nent, nent, there is there is and effect God is NOT a The self creates We are left with
omni- personal, Nothing Nothing Subjective is personal being reality telling stories
scient, omni- comes from comes from awareness, God is the One and The self is God and about reality which
sovereign scient or nothing nothing intellect and ultimate reality a universe unto can be useful but
and he IS sovereign There is no Reality itself freedom itself void of absolute
good God is spiritual is in doubt The subjective is truth
neither element merely a shadow of
good nor the objective
evil Humans are
subjective beings
that control and
create meaning
and value
Cosmos God God The cosmos The cosmos The cosmos is a God is all that exists Each self is a Doubt is cast on the
created created is a is a uniformity of cause Anything that universe unified law of cause and
the the uniformity uniformity and effect appears to exist unto itself effect as objective
cosmos cosmos of cause and of cause and It is a closed system that isn’t God is an The cosmos is two reality
ex nihilo like a effect effect The human illusion realms of visible as It is a closed system
The clock/ It is a closed It is a closed subjective realm is Distinction requires experienced that accepts the
universe machine system system an open system thought, but through ordinary incongruence of
is orderly The No change or No change or The objective world Pantheism awareness and the chance and
The universe reordering is reordering is is eternal but the searches for the invisible as internal reordering
universe is closed possible possible subjective is not oneness in experienced by nature,
is open It’s in its from within from within everything through altered evolution and
normal or from or from states of survival of the
state, it’s outside outside consciousness fittest
not fallen The visible is real,
orderly and open
 to reordering
The invisible is
“next door”, with
different ordering
and laws
The spirit
dimension is
characterized by
brilliance and color
Humanity Humans Humans Humans are Humans are In the objective Atman is Brahman Humans are God; Friedrich
are are only only realm essence – the human soul prime reality Nietzsche
created personal, complex complex precedes existence is the soul of the Increasing critiqued
in God’s intel- machines of machines of In the human cosmos; each awareness propels Descartes’ “I
image ligent matter matter, just subjective realm person’s soul is one toward a
think therefore I
Humans and have The part of the existence precedes God radically
are capacity invention of system essence All roads lead to the transformed being am” by turning it
personal, for com- computers Freewill is an Humans define One The Age of Aquarius around and
limitedly munity fuel their illusion, just themselves by Awareness, bring perfect asked does the
transcen- and position part of the awareness and personality, health, happiness thinking create
dent, creativity Insist that system determinacy knowledge and and transcendent the “I”?
limited Humans humans are Strict Each human is free ethics disappear joy in a utopian Such radical
knowing, do NOT unique due determin- to think, act and when one becomes Nirvana doubt caused
know have to reason ism, mere dream; he is king one with the One radical damage
right deter- and speech pinballs in of his own It’s about to any sort of
from mination Human the machine subjective world techniques not
human certitude
wrong, or indivi- thought and Awareness is belief or faith
desire duality sense of just a part of Waking life leads to
com- apart ethics gives the machine dreaming life, then
munity from the us value looking at deep sleep and
and are machine- above other itself finally awakened
creative ery matter life of pure
consciousness
Death Each Deism Death is Death is the Death is the Death is the Humans are a unity Death is extinction
indivi- offers no extinction of extinction of extinction of an extinction of the beyond physical Only a sense of
dual is explana- personality personality individual’s individual form immortality exists
trans- tion for and and subjectivity The soul can’t pass Death is a transition through progeny,
formed death or individuality individuality The subject returns out of existence to another stage of work in society or
Either what Matter in the Matter to an object in the Karma and life enduring influence
glorified comes body is dis- merely objective world reincarnation rule Near death stories upon others
in an after it organized at returns to Death is the this view or experiences are However, they don’t
eternal It’s a death matter ultimate absurdity valued claim that they can
existence normal Only a sense which creates Believe in past really know
with God part of of immor- anxiety recall, channeling
- or – the tality exists and reincarnation
Condem- clock- through
ned to work progeny,
eternal work in
 existence society or
separate- enduring
ed from influence
God in upon others
hell
Knowing God gives Humans Empiricism, Empiricism, Observation and Knowledge passes Knowing is based in Confidence is lost in
the have reason and reason and experience is the away and is an personal human reason and
ability to intellect experience experience only way to know illusion because it experience ability to know
know but is the only is the only The knower requires dualism The self creates anything
We can Deism way to know way to know assimilates between the reality Nothing we think
know the doesn’t Nothing is Nothing is knowledge which knower and what What one sees, we know can be
universe under- revealed revealed becomes the can be known; imagines and proved by outside
We can stand from outside from outside knower Pantheism insists experiences is reality
know how the closed the closed on oneness in all reality and what is Language is a
God God is system system known human construct,
through and can the cosmos doesn’t
“special only be speak
revela- known We make the self
tion in behind through language,
God’s nature there is no
word Empiri- substantial self
Ultimate cism, Language and
“special” reason stories give power
revela- and to the teller
tion is exper-
found in ience is
Jesus the only
Christ way to
know
Ethics God Ethics is Ethics There is no There is no right Good and evil pass Only the visible Ethics flow from the
created limited applies only right and and wrong in the away because realm of ordinary construct of
every- only to to human wrong in objective world ethics require consciousness language
thing observ- beings nature Action affirms one’s distinction which observes ethical Ethics and truth are
and all ing Value is a Humans have values and is is fundamentally standards what a community
systems nature construct of no morality therefore good, no opposed to The invisible realm agrees upon
including Nature is humans, not in a closed one can choose evil oneness of all of altered states of Truth is whatever
ethics right, of nature system Good is only things consciousness those in power say
God’s (what- There are no Absolutes do measured from transcends ethics it is, there’s no
character ever is, is ethics in NOT exist within one’s appeal to a higher
is good- right) nature subjective world authority
ness and Deism Ethics stem The only evil or Rules are
he is the affirms from wrong is passivity oppression, no
standard Theistic societal and rules or agreed
of ethics ethics situational rules are freedom
– not but NOT experience
human- their Moral
ity basis for absolutes do
 Ethics are them NOT exist
absolute
History History is History is History is a History is a History is a linear Oneness with the History is linear Post Modernists
linear, linear linear record linear record record of cause One passes beyond Humanity is engage in
sequen- It isn’t of cause and of cause and and effect time and space moving toward a revisionist history
tial and leading effect effect It has no direction Time is an illusion higher by creating the
is leading some- It has no It has no or purpose History is transcendent state past in the image
some- where direction or direction or It entails all matter essentially cyclical There’s no proposed of the present and
where It doesn’t purpose purpose with a subset of (consider vantage statement of origin according to the
History have It entails all It entails all humans points along a judgment of the
has meaning matter with matter with History is self- river) historian
meaning It isn’t a subset of a subset of activating without History is These historians
History is import- humans humans explanation disregarded as practice
a record ant in History has a History has a Humans are not the irrelevant subjectivity and no
of God’s itself self- self- goal of history or longer use
involve- History activating activating evolution scholarly footnotes
ment in unfolds origin, i.e. origin, i.e.
creation in no Darwinian Darwinian
and with other evolution evolution
human- way than Humans are Humans are
ity it has not the goal not the goal
of history or of history or
evolution evolution

PROBLEMS
Deism – It is an inconsistent and unstable worldview. Ethical system is illogical since they claim nothing is inherently right or wrong. Knowledge
works outward from the empirical specifics to general, universal truths, however, no human can understand enough specifics to draw confident
conclusion about the general. Humans can’t be significant or have individuality in a closed universe. This is determinism which leads to apathy
and hopelessness.
Naturalism – It is a circular reasoning of complexity of matter. This worldview takes a determinist view based on inexorable cause and effect, but,
insists upon freewill. Without freewill there can be no morality. Extinction at death poses a major problem regarding any sense of purpose.
There is no tenable explanation for the origins of the universe.
Nihilism – Logic and reason are not provable. The closed universe is boxed in (it’s inconclusive without outside measurement or comparison).
Extinction is psychologically unsettling. Chance is offered as a means for freewill but that’s not possible in a closed system. Knowledge, meaning
and ethics are also boxed in and can’t be proven without outside measurement or comparison. Nihilism denies the meaning of everything
including art, yet, its strongest adherents are artists and writers.
Existentialism – Relegating ethics to one’s own subjective judgment leads to solipsism. There’s no answer to death or the concept of eternity deep
within one’s being.
Pantheism – It insists upon an impersonal God and impersonal soul. However, karma acts like a moral personal being that judges an individual
being determining success and failure and what in form a person should be reincarnated. Techniques leading to the One require actions like
chanting and meditation but they are professed illusions themselves and therefore ultimately meaningless. Improving one’s karma is not love for
another’s sake but is self-serving.
New Age – A closed universe denies a transcendent God which also denies the basis for absolute ethics. This leads to solipsism, egoism and
megalomania. They believe in demigods, demons and spiritual guardians that haunt the inner space which must be placated by rituals or
controlled by incantation. Knowledge and truth is based in the self which leads to epistemological nihilism. Proposing the self to be God leads to
infinite regression of “am I the dreamer or the dream”?
Post Modernism – Post Modernism states that too much confidence has been placed in human reason. They state that language is closely related
with power and authority. These points the Christian Theist generally finds agreement. The rejection of any and all metanarratives (overarching
explanation for life and reality) is itself a metanarrative. The proposition that we can’t know reality but only tell stories about it is self-referential.
Using language to claim that language is indeterminate is a paradox. Claiming that human reason and certitude is insufficient rests on the
sufficiency and certainty of human reason. All these positions are contradictory but have increasingly gained acceptance in American society.

Moline Baptist Church

www.molinebaptist.org
Shane Vande Vrede
Sr. Pastor