A World of Difference

Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test

Kenneth Richard Samples, Baker Books, 2007

Introduction

Using examples of terrorism, political division, right-to-life issues and his own health crisis, he points to areas where worldview makes a critical difference in one's life. States that most of book would represent a historic Christian worldview, accepted by most Christians. More distinctly protestant evangelical in Ch 7, and Augustinian-Reformed in Ch 9.

Very logically organized. Of value as a text or reference work because of the ease with which you can find different parts and ideas.

Part I: Developing a Worldview Perspective

1. Shades of Reality

Discussion of what makes up a worldview

p21 12 big questions of life

p23 Components of a worldview

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2. Testable Truth

p32 Start of series of elements involved in testing the truth of a worldview. They include Coherence Test, Balance Test, Explanatory Power and Scope, Correspondence Test, Verification Test, Pragmatic Test, Existential Test, Cumulative Test, Competitive Competence Test.

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3. Logic 101 and Christian Truth-Claims

p42 Three foundational laws of logical thought

• The Law of Noncontradiction
• The Law of Excluded Middle
• The Law of Identity

p44 Four logical relationships

p46 Self-referentially absurd statements

p48 TRACK for reasoning: True, Relevant, Adequate, Clear, Knowledgeable support.

p49 Deductive logic: classic, Affirming the Antecedent, Denying the Consequent, Denying the Disjunct (syllogism),

p50 Inductive logic

p52 Abductive logic

4. Straight Thinking

p56 Ten ways to avoid fallacious reasoning. Excellent summary of the standard logical fallacies.

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Part II: Exploring the Christian Worldview

5. A Christian Vision of Truth, Knowledge, and History

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6. A Soldier's Creed

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7. God's Written Word - Scripture

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8. The Historic Christian View of God

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9. God's World - Creation and Providence

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10 The Historic Christian View of Man

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11. The Historic Christian View of Moral Values

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12. Naturalism: A Secular Worldview Challenge

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13. Postmodernism: A Skeptical Worldview Perspective

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14. Pantheistic Monism: An Eastern Mystical Viewpoint

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15. Islam: A Radical Monotheistic Challenge

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16. Testing the Christian Theistic Worldview

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