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Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World

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I grew up in a Christian household that analyzed everything. We analyzed ideas in conversations at the dinner table, during chats in the car on the way to town, and in visits with friends in the living room. During these discussions, a belief would be held up to the light, so to speak, and turned over, examined, to see where (or if) it fit into our system, as if it were a puzzle piece that may or may not fit into a half-done jigsaw puzzle. If the discussions in the living room carried on after I was sent upstairs to bed, I'd listen in from the top of the stairs, following the reasoning as well as I could.

So although we never used the term worldview, since it was not commonly used in Christian circles then, I grew up with a basic concept of worldview thinking. When the Christian worldview bandwagon came along and I read a little about it, my first thought was "ho-hum." I'd been examining other people's worldviews and finding them wanting for years, and I wasn't afraid to ask the sort of questions that showed the incoherence of their systems. Yet, while the exercise was helpful in firming up my own faith, I couldn't point to one person who had come over to my worldview, even when answering my questions tied them up in knots as they tried to make a coherent system out of their incoherent one. And as I understood it from my surface level reading on the concept of worldview, the whole point was to show how my faith made more sense than their ideology in order to bring them over to my side. Well, it hadn't proved to be a sure-fire weapon for me!

This leads me to one of the reasons I like Mark Bertrand's Rethinking Worldview: he takes the concept of worldview thinking beyond the area of apologetics (where I believe it is helpful, but less so than some have made it out to be), into other areas of our lives as Christians. His conviction is that "any treatment of the intellectual dimensions of worldview that doesn't lead into a discussion of how to profitably live and speak in this world is incomplete"

In order to be valuable to us, worldview thinking "must help make us better believers and doers of the truth." This book, then, examines worldview thinking in order to take us into areas every Christian should want to go. We are lead as we read to consider a few things we may not have examined previously in the light of a biblical worldview, like sanctification and suffering and even our reading.

Toward the end of the book there is a section that looks at worldview thinking as it relates to Christian imagination and the art that flows from it. It's clear that as an artist himself, this is an area Mark Bertrand has thought through carefully. This section will be of special interest to you if you enjoy creative work, either as an artist or as someone who values the creative work of others.

Style-wise, Rethinking Worldview is much like a chat over the dinner table. Mark Bertrand makes good use of his storytelling ability in raising his questions and making his points, so you shouldn't be bored or struggle to understand as you are reading. If you are new to the idea of worldview thinking and you're a little scared that it will all be too difficult for you to understand, this book is a good place to start. Or maybe you're more like me: You think you've heard it all before and you're a little jaded. I'd be willing to bet that you, too, will find a few things here to make you rethink what you thought you knew.

(Re)Thinking Worldview is a new book by J. Mark Bertrand which seeks to explain the idea of worldview and how this notion will change the way you live, speak and interact with the world around you. Having learned about "worldview" in high school I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the emphasis on practice that saturates (Re)Thinking Worldview. Bertrand understands worldview as not simply an intellectual checklist but as an outlook on reality that transforms the way you live your life.
Bertrand demonstrates this emphasis on practice even in the flow and argument of the book. (Re)Thinking Worldview divides into three major sections. The first section deals with the topic of worldview in general. In this section he defines worldview as "an interpretation of influences, experiences, circumstances and insight." (p. 26) In other words, your worldview is something which helps you interpret the world around you and which you may not even be fully aware of possessing. Throughout the rest of this first section he comes at the concept of worldview from three different angles to help the reader grasp the fullness of the term. In the chapter describing worldview as a starting point he gives 4 fundamental pillars that form the basis of the Christian worldview. These pillars are creation, order, rationality and fear. Next worldview is described as a system. Scripture presents God's truth as an organized system. This helps us to see the major differences between our view of reality and that of other worldviews. Finally in this section, he describes worldview as a story. In all our systematizing we have to remember our worldview is made up of the gospel story.
The second section of (Re)Thinking Worldview transitions from a discussion of the basic understanding of worldview to the topic of wisdom. At first glance, this may seem like a massive jump, but the transition is quite purposeful. "One of the blind spots of much worldview chatter is the failure to connect thinking and living." (p. 115) The concept of worldview cannot be divorced from the practical outworking of wisdom in the life of a believer. Under the topic of wisdom, Bertrand gives a helpful chapter on what true wisdom looks like. Wisdom is not detached from practice. "Wisdom, then, is the consistent outworking of belief, action, and discernment from worldview." (p. 133) It is easy to see how wisdom fits perfectly into the discussion of worldview. Our beliefs and understanding of the world work themselves out into our decisions and actions. As an example of putting wisdom into practice, Bertrand gives a chapter on the importance of learning to read. Reading must always be done with a critical eye for the purpose of understanding the worldview assumptions of the author. We must not only do a worldview critique of books, but also of movies, music, and television programs in an effort to recognize the author's agenda.
The third and final major section of this book is appropriately titled witness. The progression is intentional. We move from an understanding of worldview to the outworking of that worldview in wisdom to the expression of that worldview in our witness. In the section on witness Bertrand deals with some issues of apologetics and also provides a helpful chapter on unbelief. We must be prepared because inevitably our worldview will clash with other worldviews.
As has already been hit upon, (Re)Thinking Worldview is structured in a very intentional manner to help the reader see the progression from right belief to right practice to right witness. Bertrand also writes in a style which is engaging and easy to read. He mixes didactic sections with interesting illustrations and stories to keep the pages turning and the reader on his toes. I think this would be a great book to open up the discussion of worldview with a group of college students. A proper understanding of the concept of worldview and the basic structure of the Christian worldview are vitally important for believers to grasp. Sometimes, we need to step back and look at the big picture of our system of belief and our notion of reality. A book on worldview is just the tool to help us in that endeavor.

In Rethinking Worldview, J. Mark Bertrand has written an expansive book...a witty book. He has written a literary book, and a provoking book. An erudite book and a fascinating book. I think my brain hurts.

If you didn't catch it, the first lines of this review are a hat tip to the first lines of Peter Leithart's book Against Christianity, which in turn plays off the first lines of Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground. While I hate to be a wet blanket, it might behoove the potential reader of Rethinking Worldview to brush up on literature before taking on this book. Bertrand is not simply comfortable in the literary realm; he inhabits it, as any true writer does. By his own admission, Bertrand is first and foremost a writer of fiction. I am convinced that his vocation as fiction writer is in large part what made reading this non-fiction book so enjoyable.

I am also convinced I cannot do justice to this book in a mere review. Had we but world enough and time, as well as web space, I might be inclined to take a prismatic look at the book: firstly as a Christian non-fiction book of the `Christian Life/General' variety (a catch-all publishing-marketing category I deny Bertrand's book fits neatly into), secondly as an introduction to general philosophy, thirdly as a topical commentary on certain biblical narratives, and lastly but not least, a call to a new view of worldview studies. Bertrand has even sprinkled a generous dash of autobiography into the mix.

If I have given the impression that this book is only for the literati, it's not. And it's certainly not restricted to those who have pre-thought about worldview and are therefore now permitted to re-think it. Truth be told, my personal exposure to worldview, as well as apologetics (both of which figure quite heavily into the book), have been very limited. So while I picked up this book with trepidation, its sweeping sub-titular promise of `learning to think, live, and speak in this world' was ample attraction to crack its spine (I jest) and devour its contents.

Bertrand opens the book claiming an artistic sensibility rather than an academic one, declaring a lack of expertise in any one area. He hopes the book "will open up unexpected vistas" and encourages the reader to ingest the Scriptures alongside Rethinking Worldview, thereby rooting the book squarely in biblical territory. We can therefore be fairly certain that the `unexpected vistas' Bertrand anticipates will not stray from the pages of the Bible. Rethinking Worldview definitely isn't short on doctrine, but it's not the hit-you-over-the-head kind. Bertrand freely admits where his theological and intellectual allegiances lie - be warned, he's not afraid of labels. But there's never an inkling of superiority in the text, which is as it should be, since Bertrand is trying to usher the reader towards a humbler, holistic - and dare I say, humane - approach to worldview. His nudging is always in concert with, and never opposed to, the fundamental doctrines of the faith. The biblical passages he brings to bear on his insights (or more accurately, the biblical passages that have informed his insights) never pop up extraneously; rather, they are seamlessly woven into the text and appear only in appropriate and helpful places. Bertrand never shoehorns a biblical reference into the text for the sake of having a biblical reference.

The book is neatly divided into three sections of four chapters. Each section corresponds with the three concepts of worldview, wisdom, and witness. In the first section, Bertrand provides a cursory history of worldview studies. He points out its successes and its flaws, the major flaw being that worldview study has become pedantic, didactic, simplistic, and overconfident. Bertrand then invites us to consider the topic of individuals' ability to change worldviews, and not only to change, but to metamorphose into an increasingly Christian worldview.

The second section accesses biblical teaching on the kind of godly wisdom derived from faith and obedience. Bertrand insists true God-given wisdom - the type that allows a truly Christian worldview to form - is only available through faith in the one true God. We cannot believe in a generic `God' and claim true faith; therefore we cannot claim true wisdom, and it follows that we cannot claim an accurate, biblical worldview. Chapter 7, my favorite chapter by far, employs the Turkish sack of Constantinople in the fifteenth century as an extended metaphor for strengthening and defending our worldviews. This chapter also exhibits Bertrand's storytelling acumen. Even through crime fiction isn't my shtick, I'm quite tempted to spend some time at ThePatternOfWounds.com reading his most current novel.

The third `W' concept in the book is witness. According to Bertrand, witness is not automatically synonymous with evangelism. Witness always includes the euangelion - the good news - but witness is much more. Close to the end of the book, Bertrand takes the opportunity to present the Gospel in a comprehensive and compelling way, noting that both believing and failing to believe are both faith commitments. Neither is morally neutral. He concludes the book with a call to Christian to regenerate the Arts, because the Arts are no more neutral than beliefs are.

Although I've read and reviewed many excellent books recently, none was quite as enjoyable as Rethinking Worldview. The weave of theology and philosophy and pedagogy and story was a delight, which made wading through the obligatory abstract worldview theory much less daunting. If this review is guilty of anything, it must be the omission of so many fine quotes from the book - which should encourage you to read it for yourself. Locating a truly literary author who writes sophisticated non-fiction is more difficult than one might think (Penguin's A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel comes to mind, and Kris Lundgaard shows literary flair in P&R's Through the Looking Glass), so my only complaint about this book and this author is that there's only one of each.

This is a DiscerningReader.com review.

(Re)Thinking Worldview is a fun read that will challenge your thinking at its deepest level while barely breaking a sweat. J. Mark Bertrand is a bit wordy at many points, my only complaint, but the investment turns out to be worthwhile every time.

I enjoyed this book for several reasons. One, Bertrand finds it easy to be heady without being intimidating. On the surface, the subject of the book seems intimidating. The subject (Christian worldview and its implications) is one with which every Christian needs to be familiar, and Bertrand does well to make it accessible to most readers.

Two, only the first third of the book is actually spent defining worldview. The rest of the book is devoted to the ethical implications of our worldview as Christians. I really enjoyed Bertrand's foray into the Christian's view of art. He manages to embrace the post-modern emphasis on storytelling over dogmatism while maintaining the Christian's responsibility to communicate truth.

Further, I greatly appreciate the way Bertrand shows the reader what it means to be an active consumer of information rather than passive. It makes all the difference in the world when the believer is deciding what it means to simply read a book or watch a movie. It helped me to cement some ideas I'd had about the Christian's view and use of art, and took me a few steps further.

As the subtitle reflects, this is a book about thinking, living, and speaking. Worldview is an exciting subject to me, as a subject that covers all of these elements. I was encouraged to read an author who shares the same kind of passion for these important subject. "(Re)Thinking Worldview" is a great introduction to Christian worldview, sure to get newcomers excited as well. More than that, as the subtitle reflects, it is a book about thinking, living, and speaking as well. Believers would do well do to allow Bertrand to instruct them.

This book is a great analysis of worldview from a fresh perspective, challenging those of us who are weary of ten-point presentations on how to think and act in the world. Mr. Bertrand's observations prompt the reader to carefully consider their worldview, and think independently from the status quo. With its sound theological foundation and classic critical thinking methods, this book would be a good resource for classes or seminars as well as for interested independent readers looking for a modern, unique perspective built on a traditional base. Highly recommended.

Providing a refreshing and non-stuffy take on worldview, Bertrand does a great job of infusing fresh, even snarky humor into the conversation about worldview's ramifications. Among his main points is the value of story, and he uses "story" to articulate and fine tune his points. The third section of the book is by far the best, and I hope it will find its way into the hands of young writers, artists, and other creative persons. A super helpful addition to the ever-expanding catalog of worldview literature.

I must confess at first I felt intimidated by the subject matter of this book, but once I began reading I was hooked. Mr. Bertrand presents the material in such a way as to promote deep thought. Follow the author's recommendation and read this book in tandem with scripture; you will get much more out of both. This is an excellent book for the committed Christian living in our increasingly secular world. Read it, you will be reinvigorated in our Christian call to evangelize.
Matt 28:19-20

I offer the same warning about this book that I once read in an introduction to "Crime and Punishment," stating that it suffered from an "annoying prolixity (verbosity!)" Bertrand is certainly interesting, as you would expect from someone with a Masters degree in creative writing, but his style meanders and digresses so often that some of the chapters are simply incoherent. I like the taste of this, and am glad that I stuck it out as the concluding chapters become more focused, but overall this book just doesn't flow well.

"As a Biblical Counselor, I spend much of my time working with discouraged people. In the past two weeks, I have read Mark's last chapter to most of my adult clients. Without exception, their hearts have been lifted by being exposed to the scene in heaven (Revelation 4 and 5) that caused them to once again be awe-struck with their Savior. Mark puts the information together so beautifully. The connection to "on earth as it is in heaven" has literally given hope to many over these weeks."

This was a big disappointment. I love worldview-thinking, and I had high hopes for this one based on the fact that author is a novelist and that Crossway was the publisher. Had the book been billed as a worldview introduction for youth, I would have less basis to be disappointed. But those that have already read writers like Francis Schaeffer, Nancy Pearcey, etc. will be very disappointed. I feel a bad knocking the book because I really wanted to like it, and he is a gifted writer. Unfortunately this book will likely disappoint anyone who has done much reading on the topic.

The book is very basic, and consciously, or unconsciously it was written for Bertrand's typical high school age audience. It is apparent that Bertrand is a good writer. He would make a good narrative historian, I suspect. His section on the fall of Constantinople was particularly well written and engaging. But a well-written book that doesn't really advance any new ideas or synthesize others, isn't going to win me over, unfortunately.

It is likely a useful book for those beginning to think about worldview, but anyone outside of that category will likely find the book to be too much simplistic. It is ironic that one portion of the book addresses the notion that some books are better left unread, that time is too precious to spend it reading certain types of books. For most readers, this book is precisely that--a book not worth the time spent reading it.

If you doubt me, take advantage of the Amazon preview of the book and look at the index. You'll see names you recognize, but you'll also see how little he actually interacts with any of them. For example, the index references one single page for Augustine!

The last few chapters on how artists engage with the world is useful, but overall this one was a big disappointment. You're better off reading Schaeffer himself, any Doug Wilson book, C. Gregg Singer, Nancy' Pearcey's "Total Truth," or best of all Herbert Schlossberg's "Idols for Destruction."