BWI & KE

Relating all of life to God &

His Kingdom Agenda

Please complete the BWI Questionnaire

What do you see?

What do you see? Natural Disaster Mother Nature Energy Hot & Cold Molecules & Atoms A Planet in distress God’s little finger God’s Majesty An ‘Act of God’

What do you see? Did God cause this? Did God just let it

happen? What’s the difference

in the above two questions? Active God Inactive God

Deism Evolution (& Theistic)

Theology (WV) doesn’t just impact life it IS life

Which diagram best reflects the relationship between education & school?

1 2

3 4

Education & School What comes to mind when you think of the word

education? What comes to mind when you think of the word

school? Why should the subject you teach matter to your

students? What relevance does the subject you teach

actually have for your students (if this is too easy for you consider the subject of Calculus, Spanish, Ancient History, Chemistry)?

Which of the following do not belong? Dawkins Dembski Hitchens Mann

This question tests your awareness of the influencers of worldviews in society (including schools)

Which of the following do not belong? Dualism Gnostic Secular Spiritual

This question tests your understanding of underlying worldviews regarding the material and non-material aspects of Creation

Which of the following do not belong? Calling Job Vocation Work

This question deals with why you will come here each day for the next 10 months

Biblical Worldview Integration BWI is only necessary because we have adopted

an unbiblical view of reality and life. Claerbaut notes three causes of the secular/sacred dualism; Disconnection of education from the church

Thus the importance of our mission statement Absence of any binding theological standard to regulate

education Thus the importance of developing keen biblical minds

Abandonment of commitment to an evangelical mandate

Thus the importance of continuous evaluation & educating

Biblical Worldview Integration BWI is thus a corrective response to get

back to a proper view of life and reality BWI is a corrective to the secular/sacred;

natural/supernatural dichotomy that has created the dogma of Scientism (reality is only that which is verifiable – can’t see it, must not exist), which has become the leading American Worldview

BWI is a component of a truly KE School because in a KE School it is God’s Kingdom and He is King, thus everything is related to Him, the King

The Problem Clarified “I realize that I hold certain views because

I’m politically conservative, not because I see how they’re rooted in the Bible.”

Historian Martin Marty notes that every religion serves two function; personal salvation & a lens for interpreting the world. Evangelicals have not been good at the

second; typically “leaving men to their own devices to interpret the world around them.”

Our Problem: Compartmentalization Dualism Gnosticism Secular/Sacred Facts/Values Science/Religion Church/Home Work/Home

Discovering Our Worldview

Actions

Values

Beliefs

Discovering Our Worldview

Actions

Values

Beliefs

Science is the same in KE or in Public Schools;

just teach the ‘facts’

Facts are morally neutral or amoral

Some things are just physical

cause/effect

Discovering Our Worldview

Actions

Values

Beliefs

No action needed

25,000 kids die each day due to

malnutrition

Facts are morally neutral

Discovering Our Worldview

Actions

Values

Beliefs

I have a responsibility to act now

25,000 kids die each day due to

malnutrition

Facts are moral

Creation was created with purpose & meaning

Creation shouts that God exists (Ps 19)

Creation is to glorify (lift up) God

Discovering Our Worldview

Actions

Values

Beliefs

Abusive Actions

Lack of Value

Lack of Meaning

or Purpose

We are gods

God irrelevant

Use of creation for ourselves

Discovering our Worldview Why does God reveal himself to mankind?

As a neutral, amoral fact – Just because With the expectation that mankind acts on the

revelation Why did God create?

Neutrally Lacks purpose, meaning, value, etc. (Scientism) Additionally, Scientism implies that if something is

not measurable it does not exist Purposefully

Gives meaning to all He created (which is everything) Infuses everything with a reflective quality

What’s the Difference? Learning is no longer a passive digestion

of amoral facts, it is rather a dynamic pro-active exercise in coming to know the Creator for who He is through His Creation This includes knowing people (part of Creation)

and their responses to the Creator’s revelation in His Creation

Notice the term Creation over Nature, Mother Earth, Physical Universe, etc. Words convey meaning and our goal is to convey God’s intended meaning in a manner that exalts Him. There is no static, left-to-its-own nature but there is a Creator who continuously interacts with His Creation.

Biblical Worldview – Deut 6:4-9 4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is

one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deut. 6:4-9 Implications ALL aspects of life are to be governed by

God’s desires Your Mind Your Desires Your Focus

All aspects of our schools are to be governed by God’s desires His Mind His Desires His Focus

BWI and the Visual Valet

Visual Valet Explained “Biblical integration is not about finding

the "right verse" or "the only" Christian way to deal with every class and every subject. It is about fitting everything we know and teach into the very BIG picture of what God is doing. It is about expressing God-given uniqueness and creativity while being the teachers He has called each one of us to be (Matthew 28:19-20).”

Visual Valet Explained Because everything was created to bring glory to

God, the study of anything in creation should provide glimpses of God. Wherever they look, believers should expect to find reflections of Him.

However, because of the fall, both the creation they study and their own understanding of it have been distorted by sin.

The Bible also reveals how believers can avoid a self-centered and unbalanced misuse of creation as the Holy Spirit guides and teaches them (John 16:13-15, John 14:26).

BWI and the Visual Valet

Creation

FallRedemption

Restoration

Visual Valet in Action

On Purpose T.S. Eliot noted in 1950

“the moment we ask about the purpose of anything, we may be involving ourselves in asking about the purpose of everything.”

Life Experiences

Essential Q’s

Content & Skills

Biblical Principles

11

44

3322Assessment

55

Holocaust MemoirDisrespect, Racism & Discrimination

Love Neighbor, Help All Lev 19:18; Mt 5:43; Rom 13:20

What are some examples of racism or prejudice you have seen or experienced in life?

What’s wrong w/ world?Who’s my neighbor?

BWI at Work

Model adapted from www.closethegapnow.org

BWI at Work

Life Experiences

Essential Q’s

Content & Skills

Biblical Principles

11

44

3322Assessment

55

Love Neighbor, Help All Lev 19:18; Mt 5:43; Rom 13:20

What are some examples of racism or prejudice you have seen or experienced in life?

What’s wrong w/ world?Who’s my neighbor?

Essay Prompt: Write a 750 word essay explaining how a significant part of what’s wrong with the world is the tendency to disregard the dignity of others and how a Christian should respond. Illustrate answer from literature, history, current events & personal experience. Be sure to include the relevance of the “Image of God” & “Greatest Commandment.”

Essay Prompt AnalysisIn order to prepare students to be able to

answer this essay prompt what must the teacher have done besides provide information on the Holocaust?

Essay Answer One student’s answer included the

following statement; “I have no right to choose whether or not I should help . The day I chose to follow my consistent and loving God I threw away the option of apathy.”

How is this understanding of the Holocaust different than most; event than a biblical critique of Hitler?

Implications What does this mean for teachers and

their relationship with God? What does this mean for teachers and

their handling of the Scriptures? The Bible teacher cannot be the only bible

‘expert’ on campus Everyone must (and is expected by God) to be

able to rightly handle/divide the Scriptures 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself

approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Renewing Our Minds The Word of God plus The Spirit of God will

give you The Mind of God so that you will know The Will of God and can thus fulfill The Plan of God for your life. Do not be conformed to this age, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Rom 12:2)

Renewing Our Minds in Philippians Genre of writing

First century Roman Letter (Epistle) Five Main Parts to a 1st century Roman Letter

Introduction with Greeting (From, To, Hello) Thanksgiving (Generally Paul’s Prayer for them) Body Ethical Instruction (Application) Closing

Why does Genre matter? Different purposes Different information expected Different literary devices used

Renewing Our Minds in Philippians Why does Letter Writing Format matter?

Relational Importance of People

Note the various people Paul is always mentioning in his letters (cf. the closing where he often has lists of people as well)

Importance of Structure/Order/Purpose We still use a similar format today Recognition of Format allows us to reflect on, and

determine the Purpose of the Letter Structure alone dictates that there is a purpose

Renewing Our Minds Background

www.fitministries.com www.bibleplaces.com www.bibleatlas.org

Renewing Our Minds

Renewing Our Minds

Resources www.fitministries.com www.theword.net