Theology

What can we make of a worldview? Where does it come from? Why are worldviews important to my well-being? We can get to the root of these questions by observing two factors. The first is culture, the second is spirituality. Along with the fore mentioned aspects, taking a look at what influences worldviews will help explain these questions. First let us take a look at culture. There is a big difference in the worldview of someone that lives in America compared to those that live in tribes in Africa. Depending on where you live, your environment and the culture therein will depict what type of a worldview you will hold. According to J. LaVelle Ingram, Ph.D (Understanding American Worldview) “worldviews are pervasive in one’s society or culture”, thus meaning that our individual worldview weigh heavily in our society before we are even born. So, when we become part of the culture we are born into we begin learning the ways of that particular worldview. The Cultural aspect of our lives plays an intricate role in what we see the world as. The worldview held by the society, country or tribe that we live in becomes a learned behavior. Whether or not we continue to hold these beliefs in its totality or in part, they will still have shaped our worldview in some way. Now to spirituality, depending on what area of the world we live in, there is a religion that saturates that area of the world. Those with a predominantly Christian society will most likely follow those spiritual beliefs. Those in a Muslim culture will follow Muslim beliefs and so on. The beliefs of any particular religion hold a corporate worldview. Basic beliefs create the framework of ones worldview. Leffel (1994) identifies four main concepts that can help identify a basic belief: reality, human nature, values, and truth. The values and truth aspect is where spirituality comes into play. The definition of values is beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment