1. Worldviews and Native People Implications for Living Out Indigenous Faith

2. Worldview Defined Worldview is the way of reasoning a people group uses to explain their perception of the world around them. Three expressed categories of worldview that are helpful to our discussion.

3. Worldview Defined Western worldview Eastern worldview Biblical worldview

4. Worldview Defined “Thinking Christianly is thinking by Christians about anything and everything in a consistently Christian way – in a manner that is shaped, directed, and restrained by the truth of God’s Word and God’s Spirit.” – Os Guinness, quoted in A Mind for God by James Emery White, pg 20-21

5. Worldview Defined “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” - C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, 140.

6. Worldview Defined People function on the basis of their worldview more consistently than even they themselves may realize. The problem is not outward things. The problem is having, and then acting upon, the right worldview – the worldview which gives men and women the truth of what is.” – Francis Schaeffer, Complete Works, Volume 5, 252.

7. Worldview Defined “Apart from a Christian mind we will either be taken captive by the myriad of worldviews contending for our attention, or we will fail to make the Christian voice heard and considered above the din.” – James Emery White, A Mind for God, 16.

8. Western Worldview Western Worldview is based on science, and it denies the supernatural. If not experienced by one or more of the five senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing), then it does not exist. Materialism is at the heart of the Western worldview.

9. Eastern Worldview Eastern Worldview is based on mysticism and spiritism, and it embraces the supernatural. The Eastern worldview would be embraced by those cultures that practice animism.

10. Animism Animism (from Latin animus ”soul, life") is the worldview that non-human entities (animals, plants, and inanimate objects or phenomena) possess a spiritual essence. Animism is used in the anthropology of religion as a term for the belief system of some indigenous tribal peoples, especially prior to the development of organized religion. Although each culture has its own different mythologies and rituals, "animism" is said to describe the most common, foundational thread of indigenous peoples' "spiritual" or "supernatural" perspectives.

11. Biblical Worldview A Biblical Worldview is based on the teachings of the Word of God. A Biblical Worldview accepts the supernatural. How a Christian should view human existence, the natural world, the spirit world, and the relationship between the three is in light of the Word of God.

12. High or Low View of Scripture? –High view of Scripture They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice. –Low view of Scripture It’s not the complete revelation of God to man. It’s not literal. Not without error. Subject to interpretation of the day based on other than biblical sources.

13. C&MA Statement of Faith 4. The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.

14. The Uniqueness of the Individual There are both Native cultures and Native sub-cultures. There are at least three kinds of Native people (Whiteman’s Gospel, pp. 118-122) with worldview influences that differ one from another. Traditional Marginal Assimilated

15. The Assimilation Scale Traditional Marginal Assimilated Language Intentional or unintentional isolation Religion Historic & traditional rituals Bi-lingual Cultural “fence straddler” Religion of choice Urban & “Rezzy” Breeding ground for syncretists Language Relocation Act 1956 Adopted into non- Native families Don’t know own traditions and rituals Dominate society Religions

16. Some Practical Implications for Embracing a Biblical Worldview It affects how I… View my new, biblical relationship with my people… –Depravity of man (Romans 1:18-32 NIV) –Without hope and without God in this world (Eph. 2:12 NIV) –Accountable to the Cross (1 Cor. 1:23 NIV)

17. Some Practical Implications for Embracing a Biblical Worldview It affects how I… View my new, biblical relationship with others in Christ… –Brothers and sisters in Christ (Eph. 2:13-18 NIV

18. Some Practical Implications for Embracing a Biblical Worldview It affects how I… View my new, biblical understanding of God’s provisions for His Indigenous Church (Romans 11:11-18NIV)… –Engrafted branches…

19. Some Practical Implications for Embracing a Biblical Worldview It affects how I… View my new, biblical understanding of Christ’s significance and our insignificance (Rev. 7:9-10NIV)

20. Some Practical Implications for Embracing a Biblical Worldview After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”