What Are The Major Worldviews?

I am drawn to share some information on the major worldviews with you in a series of blogs. What is a worldview? According to a small pamphlet I received from RBC Ministries called "Windows on the World: A Comparison of Major Worldviews," a worldview is

"our assumptions about what makes up our world. We are often prompted to ask 'why' questions...how we answer those questions is likely to reflect our personal philosophy of life and our worldview."

Below are the different worldviews I want to discuss in the following blogs:

1. Monotheism
2. Deism
3. Naturalism
4. Nihilism
5. Existentialism
6. Pantheism
7. New Consciousness
8. Personal Combinations

Today's Discussion: MONOTHEISM

Monotheism: One God exists who is separate from but involved with the universe.

The three great monotheistic world religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Together, they believe that God is an eternal Spirit who brought our material world into existence and enables it to operate according to natural law. Their shared beliefs include: the story of the rebellion of the human race against God, His providential guidance of human affairs, His desire for reconciliation, and the promise of ultimate peace and justice. All of these monotheistic systems believe in one God who exists separate from but is involved with the universe.

But despite their similarities, they are marked by some profound differences. The major beliefs of Judaism are drawn from the first five books of Moses, often called the Pentateuch. Members of the Jewish faith believe that God has uniquely revealed Himself to them through Moses and the Prophets. Obedience to God's law is central to their faith. Their hope lies in the anticipation of a Messiah who has not yet come but will one day usher in a time of world peace and righteousness.

The second great monotheistic religion is Christianity. Building on the Jewish Scriptures, Christians believe that the long-awaited Jewish Messiah has come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. His followers point to His fulfillment of prophecies as well as a series of very public miracles. According to the New Testament, His mission on earth was to keep the law of God perfectly and then die upon a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. His miraculous resurrection from the dead is seen as a basis for providing eternal life for all who believe in Him. Just prior to His supernatural ascension into heaven, this same Christ promised to return and to rule over a new heaven and earth. The authoritative Scriptures of Christianity include the Old and New Testaments.

Islam, the third great monotheistic religion, claims to build upon and supersede the Scriptures of both Jews and Christians. Its central authority is the Koran, which presents itself as the infalliable word of Allah (the Arabic word for God.) According to Islam, the world we see was created by Allah for His own sovereign reasons. Like Judaism and Christianity, it affirms the rebellion and sin of the human race and the hope of an afterlife. Muslims, as followers of Islam are called, believe that reaching paradise is possible if one submits to the laws of Allah. Although Islam affirms that Jesus was the Messiah, it does not believe that He was equal to God or that He died on a cross as a sacrifice for our sin.

(RBC Ministries called "Windows on the World: A Comparison of Major Worldviews,"