Customer Reviews

World of Difference, A: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test

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The strength of this book is that it goes beyond merely critiquing or endorsing a particular worldview. Samples explains how to evaluate and compare worldviews based on the criteria of coherence, explanatory power, empirical correspondence, and practicality. He does an excellent job justifying and explaining the criteria, and applies them even-handedly: he shows how each of the worldviews evince favorable and problematic aspects.

The "Putting Christian Truth Claims to the Worldview Test" is an apt subtitle. Samples submits Christianity to the same test he applies to Naturalism, Islam, Pantheistic Monism, and Postmodernism. In the early chapters he goes into a useful, detailed discussion about what a worldview really is in language accessible to the lay reader yet interesting to the expert. The background explanation of the nature of worldview and the nature of the Christian worldview deepen the understanding of the test claims later in the book. The chapter order simultaneously creates a larger argument favoring a Christian worldview while presenting an engagingly wide range of topics throughout the book with clarity and thematic coherence.

One of the things Samples does is attempt to set his book apart from the many other books on worldviews. In this he succeeds remarkably. One distinctive feature of "A World of Difference" is a chapter devoted entirely to explaining logical and informal fallacies. It is like getting a miniature lesson in critical thinking applicable to any topic whatsoever. Samples' vast experience as a college professor of critical thinking shows through in his careful selection of fallacies, and anyone who spends the time to learn what he teaches in a remarkably short span would find much to apply in many other domains. Armed with an understanding of these fallacies the reader becomes a far more effective student of the relative strengths of the arguments posed by various worldviews. I do not know of any other worldview book that so successfully trains the mind of the reader not only to look for logical defects, but to know what the defects are and WHY they are defects.

My favorite chapter was his marvelously concise treatise on Postmodernism. Not only does he clearly explicate the elements of Postmodernist philosophy, he provides a remarkably interesting explanation of how it arose, why it arose, and its effects on culture. For those who "know there's something wrong with Postmodernism" but don't know how to explain it, Samples' chapter on Postmodernism is a perfect primer, easy to read and easy to remember.

Although the book is easy to read and accessible to a lay audience, it is not a book for the intellectually lazy. Samples subject matter demands attention and his writing style makes it interesting. I found the first half of the book somewhat looser reading than the end, which seemed to pick up steam in the final third. Perhaps because the last chapters were more tightly focused on comparison than the earlier chapters, the style seemed to change and become more concise at the end, something I enjoyed.

I also enjoyed the short chapter format. I found it easy to read the book a few chapters at a time and think about them between readings. Unlike books with laboriously long chapters, you can conveniently take on one or two chapters at a time in "A World of Difference" without worrying that you're leaving an important thought halfway. For others like me who are constantly busy, the short chapter format is a mercy.


Easy to read, intellectually challenging, and full of many delights I did not have the time to mention here, "A World of Difference" makes good its promise to put Christian truth claims to the worldview test. It is unique among worldview books in many ways, effective in conveying deep concepts in clear language, and even contains a concurrent real-life story of Samples' near-death reflection on his own mortality and challenges to his own faith.

I strongly recommend buying this book, consuming its contents like a fine meal, and getting others to do the same. With "A World of Difference," you will be intellectually prepared to know and advance the Christian worldview with a confidence and understanding you would not have without it.

Ever since I attended a Reasons To Believe conference in 2000, I have been fascinated with the approach Ken Samples has taken for testing worldviews for truth. The wait is finally over and "A World of Difference: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test" is now published. One of the long-term goals of Reasons To Believe has been to provide a comprehensive, testable Christian creation model, and "A World of Difference" adds a philosophical piece to that testable creation model.

Samples' book is organized into three main sections. The first, short section describes the components that make up a worldview, including theology (view of God), metaphysics (view of reality such as the universe), epistemology (theory of knowledge), axiology (moral values), humanity (human nature), and history (the recorded events of human existence). Included in this section are a suggested means of comparing and testing worldviews for truth. In order to be valid, a worldview must be logically consistent, balanced (not too simple or complex), provide explanatory power and scope, correspond to well-established facts, be verifiable (truth claims can be verified or falsified), be applicable to real life, fill existential needs, provide a cumulative and comprehensive approach, and compete in the marketplace of ideas. The first section ends with a short introduction into logic and logical arguments.

The second section (and longest of the three) examines the Christian worldview in depth. Scripture is cited in detail to formulate a comprehensive, biblically-accurate Christian worldview.

The final section of A World of Difference examines five popular worldviews; Naturalism (a completely secular worldview), Postmodernism (a skeptical worldview), Pantheistic monism (Eastern mystical worldview),
Islam (a radical monotheistic worldview), and Christianity (Christian theistic worldview). Each worldview is examined for its strengths and weaknesses using the nine tests developed in section one. For me, these five chapters were the most interesting in the book, and give insight into ways of witnessing to individuals who hold those worldviews.

A World of Difference is a great resource to help Christians examine the truth claims of the world's popular worldviews. Samples' book has a list of questions at the end of each chapter that can be used in Bible study groups as a take-off point for discussions. Such a study is highly recommended for all Christians, since the evaluation of worldviews tends to be an area that is neglected by most churches.

Ken Samples has done it again. His first text called Without A Doubt was a great resource. This new text is THE primer on worldview thinking. Ronald Nash would be proud of this acccomplishment. By the way, Ken was suffering from a physical illness during the writing and the reader can see that Christianity sustained him and was the real thing during his suffering. The book has a basic primer on what a worldview is and what logic is. This material can easily be used for teaching students and presenting this material in a classroom setting. Ken richly integrates philosophical thinking with reformed theology. THe final section evaluates key worldviews and offers a grid/critique method for evaluation. Definately a lesson in logic and critical thinking. I especially love how he put references at the end of the book. He has rich footnotes, Bible verses, and bibliographies for more study. The amount of work put into this low cost book is worth it. This can be considered either an apologetics work or a theology work. Both fields of study will benefit from this resource. I can't wait for his next book!

Using his recent medical crisis as a talking point throughout the book, Samples takes a hard look at truth, logic, and worldview points-of-view to determine the differences between them all. And I must say, while there are some good books out there on the subject, he hits a home run with A World of Difference. I like the way that the book is laid out, as the format analyzes the different perspectives from a Christocentric viewpoint. I think it's very logical and well structured in such a way that even laypeople should be able to understand it. It won't be something for the intellectual lazy, but for those who are determined to think, it will probably be a good book to both read and then use as a future resource. It's definitely worth having in one's library and, thus, I highly recommend it.

By just beginning to read this book, we affirm two of Kenneth Samples' many contentions--namely, that (a) humans are rational creatures, and (b) as such, they are given to reflect on the meaning of their own existence. If either of these were untrue, we'd simply not care to examine mutually exclusive belief systems that claim to answer "the big questions of life." As it is, we do care, and Samples does us all a service in the pages of this very readable, yet analytical book. He feeds our need to know by examining the essential features of the leading major worldviews and calls us to judge their validity by "using our cognitive faculties to the fullest extent." He writes within the context of his own battle with a life-threatening illness--an ordeal, he says, that simply heightened for him the importance of being solidly grounded in one's beliefs.

An unapologetic Christian apologist, Samples nevertheless applies the tools of a well-versed logician in a way even skeptics couldn't fault. After beginning with a quite useful primer on critical thinking and laws of logic, he introduces the book's unique feature--a tidy nine-question test that equips the reader to consider competing claims from a measured, dispassionate perspective. This examination of "testable truth" assesses aspects like: Coherence--is the view internally consistent? Correspondence--does it match up with known facts and experience? Verification--is it subject to investigation and testing? Pragmatic--does it provide direction for living and solving problems? These and five other questions create a filtering framework that reveals how well the culture war's leading contenders address inescapable questions like: Who am I? Where did we come from? How should I live? What kind of God, if any, exists?

Through the clarifying lens of this test, Samples looks at the truth-claims of Christianity and those of its chief rivals. What he sees is each competing worldview dealing adequately with some of life's big issues, but none adequately addressing them all--except Christianity. A brief "Sampling" shows where the others fall short: Pantheistic monism (think "New Age") can't explain personal consciousness, and its idea that reality is an illusion contradicts the evidence of our reason and senses. Postmodernism, by claiming that reality can't be known and asserting that everything is a matter of perspective, becomes self-refuting. Naturalism's physical determinism cannot explain rational intelligence or purposefulness. Islam's grand revelatory claims about the Qur'an and Muhammad can't be supported historically.

Christianity, according to Samples, suffers from none of these flaws. He shows how it is both intellectually and spiritually viable, actually inviting historical investigation and scrutiny. It makes sense of all our scientific, moral, aesthetic and religious experience. And in its offer of a redemptive relationship with an incarnate God, Christianity stands as the unique source of hope and meaning in this life.

If Samples is right that we are rational beings, he is also right to fix our focus on the "grounding" of the belief system we choose. By his analysis, Christianity abounds in it while the others do not. In sum, his book supplies intellectual assurance for Christians while posing a formidable challenge to those in opposing camps. If inclined to contend with Samples' conclusion that "Christianity answers the crucial questions of human existence far better than its rivals," one faces daunting choices: You must either (a) explain away the logical contradictions, incoherence, and subjectivity in the competing belief systems, or (b) justify a stance that rationality, coherence, and objectivity are irrelevant to a viable worldview. Against Samples' case, either tack is bound to be fruitless.

Having experienced Professor Samples both in print and in the classroom, I can attest that his work is growth-producing in its effect, yet readily digestible in its presentation. His earlier apologetics book, Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions, was a persuasive Exhibit A for this testimony. A World of Difference packs every bit as much wallop as a strong Exhibit B.

Kenneth Samples is a research scholar of theological and philosophical apologetics for the science apologetics organization Reasons to Believe. Earlier he worked at the Christian Research Institute and cohosted the popular radio program The Bible Answer Man. He also teaches related subjects in various Christian colleges in California. A previous book of his, Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions, complements this newest book.

In this book Samples compares and contrasts the major philosophical or religious systems found in the world today. These include naturalism, postmodernism, pantheistic monism (the prominent Eastern philosophy), and Islam. He compares these systems to that of historic Christianity. Rather than taking on details of differences, Samples analyzes the major ideas of each system. The worldview of each system leads to vital differences in understanding, practice, and ethics.

A large portion of the book is an explanation of the Christian system and worldview. He concentrates primarily on those truths that Christians of all denominations hold in common (in a similar manner to C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity). This discussion is facilitated by his analysis of the Apostles' Creed. However, when certain important teachings arise, such as those dealing with the way of salvation, the providence of God, and the authority of the Bible, Samples openly approaches those topics from his own Protestant, Reformed perspective. He is always fair and charitable when discussing topics in which various Christian denominations differ. This is one reason his book is very helpful for all readers, even those who may disagree with his position.

In order to test the various worldviews and seek out the best one, Samples employs what he calls worldview tests. He lists and discusses nine of these tests: coherence (logically consistent), balance (balanced between simplicity and complexity), explanatory power and scope, correspondence (agrees with well-attested facts and experience), verification (verifiable and/or falsifiable), pragmatic (practical, workable), existential (internally satisfying), cumulative (has multiple, converging lines of evidence), competitive competence (competes well with other views). Samples concludes that all the various worldviews do well in some of these tests, but all of them, with the exception of Christianity, fail in others. The Christian worldview is the only major view analyzed that passes all these tests. Samples concludes that Christianity is superior to its competing worldviews, and should be adopted by anyone who thinks through these issues.

An interesting feature of the book is the brief introduction at the beginning of each chapter. Samples himself recently suffered a nearly fatal disease of the brain, and most people thought he probably would die. As it worked out, he recovered fully, for which he gives credit to God. Samples provides here a glimpse of his thoughts and feelings during those trying days, as he discovered personally that his worldview was not simply a mental exercise, but provided him with the encouragement, strength, and comfort he needed.

The book contains a helpful worldview comparative chart in the appendix, study questions at the end of each chapter, extensive endnotes and documentation, and a useful bibliography. I believe it is very useful for Christians, to increase their understanding of the basic, foundational beliefs and implications of their religion. Likewise, it builds confidence and understanding in speaking with those from other philosophical or religious backgrounds. Sometimes "the grass seems greener on the other side." For us Christians it's a blessing to realize that logical, profound thinking reveals that the greenest grass is right here.

In reading the other reviews posted here, I scarcely feel worthy to add much of additional value, yet still I am compelled to comment. After living 32 years as an atheist/agnostic, I can say that this is one of the best-written single works (for average student like myself) on these matters that I have yet seen.

Samples starts out with a fairly thorough examination and explanation of reason, logic, wisdom and philosophy, leaving little room for confusion of anyone willing to do the work of honest thinking. In fact, a person would have to work at being unclear or confused as he lays out reliable methods for grasping truth and reality. In my experience, this is what we see so many people doing in the post-modern relativistic age of information abundance in which we find ourselves. People seem work hard to avoid, and/or obfuscate truth for two main reasons. First, the work of understanding the truth is even more challenging and mentally strenuous than the mental gymnastics and emotional appeals to which we see so many resort. So in essence it is simply easier to be lazy. Second, and more profoundly, the consequences of accepting the truth mean that individuals would have to recognize a need that for many is uncomfortable. Easier (again) from an emotional to attack and disparage truth claims with vague and devious rhetoric than to deal with them in a rational and uncomplicated fashion. Easier still (or at least seemingly so, especially in the short term) to go on living without accountability to the truth that God has made plain for man to know from the beginning.

This book helps to cut through the intellectual clutter, yet in a detailed and organized fashion support sound arguments for knowing truth. Great book for young adults heading off to university to help them understand the world of tenured professors with their elite "understanding" and teaching of selective, anti-God worldviews. An excellent and fundamental resource for anyone searching for a clear, well informed understanding of competing worldviews. I will be recommending this book to many, of whom those who pay attention will also be grateful. Well done, and thank you Mr. Samples.

DR Johnson

John 18:37

"One of my biggest concerns for Christians struggling to make their way through the intellectual challenges of our age is that they often don't have the basic categories to think biblically about their own faith. This is also the case when they interact with competing truth claims. Ken Samples' A World of Difference will give them those categories. Ken Samples is a clear-thinker, a gifted writer, and this is an important and useful book for all thinking Christians."

Dr. Kim Riddlebarger

Senior Pastor of Christ Reformed Church (Anaheim), co-host of the White Horse Inn radio broadcast and author of A Case for Amillennialism (Baker) and the Man of Sin (Baker).

Like the author, I've been an avid reader for well over 40 years. This college-level book is an extremely powerful apologetic tool (actually the best I've found) for both understanding and explaining "worldview" thinking and analysis. "More than just an interpretive lens, a worldview perspective shapes, influences, and generally directs a person's entire life. Because people behave as they believe, their worldviews guide their thoughts, attitudes, values, interpretations, perspectives, decisions, and actions." So often, the public doesn't understand philosophic or religious differences and divisions, or the cause of extreme social fragmentation that exists across America and the West. A World of Difference provides a comprehensive overview of what is likely going on in the mind of your neighbor, your colleague at work, or family and friends, as well as answers a host of "Why?" questions. Each chapter is well organized, includes helpful end-notes, tables, discussion questions, and bibliographies for further study. For those unfamiliar with critical thinking, Chapters 3 and 4 provide refreshers in formal logic and coherent argument/presentation. The third Part of the book contains helpful summary explanations of the four worldviews in competition with Christianity: Naturalism, Postmodernism, Pantheistic Monism, and Islam.

Kenneth Samples is a theological research scholar who is associated with the same Reasons to Believe (RTB) team as Hugh Ross and Fazale ("Fuz") Rana. A World of Difference covers a lot of ground in supporting a Christian worldview with logic, history, an objective critique of competing worldviews, and careful explanation of some of the challenging aspects of the Christian faith. A very accessible study, the style is mainly instructive with a heavy emphasis on scripture. For someone familiar with apologetics, the first half or so of the book might seem a little pedestrian, but the chapters on naturalism and postmodernism in particular are as thorough and credible as anything I have read on these subjects. "(1) Naturalism is very limited in its ability to explain or account for reality ... (2) It miserably fails to provide people with an enduring meaning and purpose in life ... (3) it cannot provide a sufficient and meaningful basis for rationality ..." This would be an excellent book for someone new to the Christian faith or who has encountered contemptuous arguments against the Christian faith. Written in an instructive style, I don't think it would be the apologetic to move the needle for an outright skeptic, but it is full of wisdom and very absorbing.