Seek, Grow, Align: Review & Response to Beyond Biblical Integration

Don’t have time to read? Click play to listen to the audio version!

---

Beyond Biblical Integration by Roger C.S. Erdvig deals with the issue of biblical worldview integration within Christian educational institutions. While these institutions espouse and proclaim the ideals of biblical worldview and tout their students as graduating with a mature biblical worldview, the reality for most institutions is that the integration is not facilitated in an engaging manner, nor is it measured in any meaningful way that is able to signal to the administration that their methods are awry or effective to scale. As Erdvig puts it, “When we {Christian schools} don’t see ourselves clearly… we can develop the unfortunate habit of overpromising and underdelivering.” He posits that the solution is to go a step further than mere integration, and immerse the entire curriculum, facility, faculty, and activities within a framework that starts with biblical worldview, rather than pigeon-holing it in as an afterthought. This method requires a complete reworking of institutions from the ground up to course correct, but is necessary for long-term success in arming graduates with a developed biblical worldview, able to handle the stresses and circumstances associated with “adulting.” 

The longstanding implementation of biblical worldview within educational institutions has been a construct of integration. Integration in practice takes on a variety of forms, but most come across as disingenuous to students who experience a patchwork curriculum full of scripture disembodied from their original contexts and Biblical values tacked onto lessons that are fully formed and functional with absent Biblical themes. If a lesson or section of subject matter could be taught devoid of any scriptural truth, then Christian teachers are doing a disservice to their students and are neglecting the full potential of Christian education. Biblical Immersion instead requires the educator to create a classroom atmosphere wholly dependent upon a biblical worldview, a place where life happens and encourages deep intrinsic learning, with teaching focused on imparting scriptural truth under the guise of academic knowledge. Thus curriculum and subject matter simply become the vehicle of revelation in the immersive model. 

Worldview is an encompassing term that provides a holistic understanding of the way a person perceives, interprets, and lives in the world reflected by the desires, behaviors, and propositions held to be true by the individual. When conjoined with a Biblical approach, an individual’s worldview informs how to mirror and emulate what scripture details on how believers should act, speak, and think in the world. The aim then of having a biblical worldview, is to be consistent with God’s thoughts, desires, and actions as revealed through scripture. Scriptural truth reveals the grand arc of God’s design and situates us within the framework of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. With this contextual perspective, Christianity is more than a worldview; it is a lifeview, where “every single facet of life could be interpreted and lived out within the grand scope of God’s vision for the way life should be.” And within this framework believers are called as active agents to redeem the world in preparation for God’s coming restoration. 

This paradigm is not static, but rather dynamic. While there are formative years where a worldview is largely constructed, our experiences continue to shape and mold a worldview as we persist through life’s circumstances. The focus then should be shifted onto how to develop and continue to develop a biblical worldview. Much like the salvation journey of an individual, receiving Jesus and becoming born-again is not the ending but rather the beginning. One does not simply accept Jesus, sit back, and state “I made it, I can rest now.” Similarly, one must not “develop” a biblical worldview and rest on their haunches, but rather pursue a life of learning, developing their worldview to align more consistently on the continuum of truth – pure truth being God’s thoughts, desires, and actions. 

The majority of Christian educational institutions have a sense that biblical worldview is important for their students, and revolve around the crux of the issue in some capacity, but these same institutions will remain in orbit around this key until they initiate a deep dive into the gravity of the situation. The simple imperative is that possession of a developing biblical worldview is vital for critical growth and processing of our experiences. As the lens through which life is perceived, experienced, and understood, a worldview backed by the truth of God’s scriptures provides a framework and paradigm that can handle our existential extremes. Without intentionally processing the muck and mire that life throws at us, it is easy to become distracted, disillusioned, or dysfunctional in this world – a world begging for renewal, revival, and redemption via purposeful stewards and agents of the Kingdom of God. Without a developing biblical worldview to center us, we fall short of who we were created to be. 

The development process within an educational facility is reliant upon multiple contingencies, interwoven in a cohesive manner in order to cultivate an environment in which students acquire thoughts, desires, and habits that facilitate the never-ending expedition of developing a robust biblical worldview. Most vital to this process are the teachers, who must themselves develop and continue to develop their biblical worldview in the presence of their students. Students who experience the workflow of worldview development as an observer will subconsciously emulate it, producing organic student growth without relying on overt educational practices. While students may not always be aware of this process, it is imperative that the teachers have a firm understanding of how a biblical worldview develops in emerging adults, if they are to lead and guide their classes through this critical maelstrom. Taking it another step further, the educators should strive to create a classroom experience that aids in this process and take ownership over knowing how a biblical worldview shapes their particular subject areas. The most critical contingency that must be in place, is having leadership that equips their staff with the tools, vision and mission of foundational biblical worldview development and disciples teachers (and other staff) to do the same, collaborating as a holistic unit at this pivotal time in the lives of young minds. 

With these contingencies in place, how then is a biblical worldview developed (and continued to develop)? It begins with the heart orientation, setting sights on final restoration rooted in scriptural truth to know and live out God’s plan for His creation. A biblical worldview is shaped by this heart orientation, with the lens of looking at everyday things through God’s eyes and what they could be through His restoration. This perspective creates a cycle of growth and development, as long as we are intentional in this process. The process itself is presented as a complex series of interlocking pieces that work in unison, much like machine gears. The four main gears are Past Influences, Prompts, Means, and Maturing biblical worldview. 

Past Influences is a category used to describe the background of those forming their worldview, as none of us has a blank slate and is shaped by a variety of factors before reaching an age where we can consciously guide our own worldview development. These factors could be the type of family you grew up in, what church you attended or were involved in (if any), what specific spiritual experiences you may have had, prior training in biblical worldview, and the degree of Christian friendships or mentors you had. Most of these influences are outside of the control of students (and without wise decision-making of young adults as well) but comprises mental “baggage” that is carried with us and forms pre-existing biases, notions, desires, and thought patterns. This “baggage” must be sorted through, refined, and understood to take ownership over your own growth. 

The box of Prompts goes hand-in-hand with the gear of Means, and includes both new experiences that will shape us moving forward (Prompts), but also intentional processing of those very experiences (Means). In the critical age of 18-23, young adults (generally) are forced through a series of life-defining experiences and decisions, such as leaving home, encountering new ideas outside of their past home life, engaging in worldview training, facing pain or difficult circumstances, and pondering the big questions about life. Students undergo the Means portion of development through service, reflection, mentorship, study, and conversation with peers. The ways that these decisions and experiences are made, encountered, or overcome layered and intersected with Past Influences informs who a person is, but the critical step in active biblical worldview development is processing – cognitively reviewing and analyzing the experiences, both as they are experienced and dredging up past ones, forming connections to who they are because of them, and attaching meaning and purpose as a result. This meaning and purpose then coalesces into a new layer and lens through which future experiences are lived through, shaped by, and processed, repeating the cycle. Processing can be aided in the classroom by teachers who create situations and circumstances for students to process experiences within a biblical worldview framework, rather than leaving it up to the students to perform this critical operation on their own.

The processing stage culminates in a Maturing biblical worldview. In this final gear there are three dimensions that must be balanced and navigated by three dispositions. A worldview is composed of the starting dimension of heart orientation, then formation of truth propositions, which guides behavioral alignment. The natural dispositions of someone with a maturing biblical worldview requires awareness of the process as it is happening, commitment to each step in pursuing growth, and taking complete ownership of it as it occurs. Intentionally orienting and aligning one’s heart with scripture enables truth to be realized out of our experiences. As we grow, our attitudes will shift when we submit to God’s will, bearing in mind that this is a continuing cycle. A Maturing biblical worldview is never truly complete, but once it has progressed that process lays the foundation for Prompts and Means all over again. It is a dynamic paradigm of lifelong growth, as we are not fully formed until final restoration. Our worldview operates within three parameters – what we know, how we act, and what we desire. When these parameters are working cohesively, our experiences can be properly situated within the narrative framework of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. 

A developing worldview is not without what Erdvig terms “derailers,” or things that cause the cycle to lose trajectory and purpose. Students must be on guard against “apathy, stress, distractions, trials and pain.” Many students today are dealing with constant anxiety, comparing themselves to others, and have a bleak outlook on the world around them. They may claim that due to these negative factors in their lives they are unable to focus or realize the importance of taking ownership over the biblical worldview development process. Ironically enough, the very thing they are reluctant to do is what would precisely position them to overcome those circumstances. Having a Maturing biblical worldview gives us the right attitude (heart orientation), perspective (self-awareness in the grand scheme of God’s plan), and a healthy approach for negating the derailers. This is why teachers must model this development, including all of its intricacies, within the classroom and be honest about their struggles because armed with a Maturing biblical worldview “everything can be evaluated, understood, and responded to.” It is a tool from God for handling stresses, pain, grief and the entire corpus of living within a broken world. 

There are additional ideal outcomes for students taught within a biblical worldview immersion system. In the critical formative years, it is essential that teachers (and leaders) are proactive and not entrusting kids to cultivate their own ideas and desires, because ideas and desires formed outside of a biblical worldview are what leads to sinful habits, heart orientations, thoughts, and behaviors. Conversely, young minds grounded within this immersion will develop “Biblically consistent desires – from wanting to treat others well to wanting to be involved in God’s grand work of redemption of all things.” Desires conform to habits, therefore if proper habits are cultivated and nurtured, then Godly desires will follow. The goal is raising up active agents for God’s Kingdom. 

While Erdvig includes many practical ways to fully immerse students within this paradigm, from classroom setup, differential pedagogical techniques, and a breakdown of how each subject could be applied by teachers, there are larger implications that he dances around but never overtly connects to his immersion paradigm. Of minor note is the idea of design-based learning. The characteristics of the concept are included as a mechanism for transforming the learning space, but not encapsulated as a defined technique. For example, all of chapter 8 deals with “Embracing the Chaos of Engaged Learning,” where the traditional instructional method of “pristine order and structured lectures requiring students to sit quietly and listen can actually work against deep learning.” Erdvig elaborates on this concept and breaks down various methods of engaging students to fully leverage deep learning to emphasize his point “if we expect our students to take ownership of their worldview development, we need to help them take appropriate ownership of their learning now.” Taking appropriate ownership over their learning and empowering students is precisely what design-based learning is all about. As John Spencer and A.J. Juliani state in Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning, “we need to shift our mindset from compliance (students must follow our rules) and engagement (getting kids excited about our chosen content, curriculum, and activities) to empowerment” because “when students engage in design thinking, they own the entire creative process.” 

In chapter 9, “Teaching from a biblical worldview,” Erdvig lists out what he terms “micro-propositions” for the main subject areas, including Literature/English/Language Arts, Math, Science, History, Fine Arts, and Athletics. These micro-propositions are specific to each subject area, such as “Literature can reveal the inner workings of a human’s soul like perhaps no other medium” and “History is essentially the record of man’s interactions with God and His purposes.” Micro-propositions work in tandem with the macro-propositions, “answers to the biggest questions about life,” such as “Who is God,” “Is there a fixed moral standard for human behavior,” and “What happens after we die?” While these lists of macro and micro-propositions are illuminating and firmly situate the immersion theme with application in each subject area, what is troubling to me in the field of EdTech is the absence of technology as a subject area. Discussion of faith and technology is lacking within the educational sphere and may be one of the most difficult areas to immerse students Biblically alongside Math (which is elaborated upon due to its abstract nature). Technology educators may need to lean on micro-propositions (in addition to developing their own) from a variety of subject areas for a starting point, such as “The structure and function of every facet of the universe is dependent upon the reliability of mathematical truth” and “Scientific principles enable human beings to cure what is broken in cultures, organizations, and individuals.” Restated as a micro-proposition for EdTech – Technology is built upon mathematical principles and consists of tools that are innovated to fix what is broken (redemption) in the world arc of creation, fall, redemption and restoration. 

The terminology of life-long learning is also included throughout Beyond Biblical Integration, but is only situated as a sub-part of the development process. While Erdvig points out that it is the student’s job to pursue knowledge, and the teacher’s job is to create the experience and environment that facilitates that pursuit, there is a key implication missing from a life of continuing to develop a biblical worldview. That key is life-long learning. The pursuit of life-long learning exposes us to new ideas and thoughts and is an attitude of seeking knowledge of who God is through the world around us. These new ideas and thoughts are both considered by our worldview, but also can shape and continue to shape it. This is why Erdvig situated life-long learning within the cycle as part of Prompts, but in reality it deserves its own stage of a larger circuit. 

Holistically taking the paradigm of Biblical worldview development and immersion as a whole, its essential components are comprised of a cycle of intentionally processing past and present experiences to shape new truth propositions, being cognizant and self-aware of the complete framework, and then living out the call to be agents in God’s Kingdom with a Maturing biblical worldview based upon those truth propositions (which are aligned with God’s heart). If the goal is to have a perspective and worldview situated by a heart orientation towards and aligned with God’s heart, then is not that ultimately a description of the process of sanctification?  Biblical worldview immersion then is a natural and critical step within the larger life of all believers, in Jesus sanctifying our hearts to become more like Him. One could say this is implicit throughout Erdvig’s work, but the work of sanctification is so monumental in the arc of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration that it should be firmly and directly stated if that is the case. 

Thus I situate Erdvig’s immersion concept within a larger circuit, one I define as seek, grow, align. Seek can be broken down into the concept of life-long learning, grow as biblical worldview development, and align as the ultimate goal of sanctification. As we pursue learning, it shapes and aids in developing our Biblical worldview as we intentionally process what we are learning. Seeking  to learn (and seeking Jesus via learning) can take many forms, such as reading books and articles, watching and listening to media, receiving feedback, traveling around the world and being exposed to various cultures. Growth occurs by processing this learning in light of scripture, internalizing it to produce the truth propositions Erdvig outlines, and by discussing and sharing what we are learning with others. We cannot truly grow isolated in the ivory towers of our minds. In turn, the process of developing our biblical worldview shifts our perspective and attitudes, loosening our hearts and opening the door for Christ to continue the process of Sanctification. Being aligned with God’s heart makes us more susceptible to His work of restoration into who He sees us as.

These parts are able to operate independently, but when intentionally performed as a cohesive, holistic circuit, the growth is amplified and the process repeats at a faster rate, transforming us into holy agents better equipped for His Kingdom. Intentionally orienting our lives around seasons of this circuit and developing a biblical worldview, we will have agency in the process of sanctification. Our hearts will become more attuned to Christ and malleable to His Will. As we become aligned and attuned to the heart and will of God, we will seek to know Him more, perpetuating the circuit in our thirst for Him in the ultimate goal of being set apart from the world’s desires and aligned with the heart of Jesus, for “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, ESV). Simply developing and continuing to develop a biblical worldview is not sufficient, but it is a critical step of the process. Seek. Grow. Align. Be Transformed. 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download