The Biblical Worldview Series
By David Closson
According to a recent survey, the proportion of American adults who have a biblical worldview dropped to 7 percent in 2018, the lowest on record. The data confirmed what has long been known—a large majority of Americans are biblically illiterate and don’t understand Christian convictions. This is especially true regarding morally weighty topics such as abortion, religious liberty, and sexuality. Significantly, even professing Christians often struggle to defend a biblical ethic when it comes to these politically contentious issues.
This widespread biblical illiteracy explains why Christian beliefs are increasingly dismissed as outdated or seen as “hateful.” Perhaps more than ever before, Christians need to be grounded in the truths of God’s Word and be prepared to articulate the core beliefs of the faith in a winsome manner.
The vision behind the Biblical Worldview Series is captured in a well-known verse from 1 Peter where the apostle writes: “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
This is why the Biblical Worldview Series exists—to help Christians and Christian leaders apply the teachings of the Bible to difficult moral questions. In every publication, fidelity to the authority of God’s Word, attention to church history, and clear-sighted application to the realities of the present moment will guide the discussion.
Publications in this series will address a wide range of issues—including voting, religious liberty, abortion, marriage and sexuality, and others—with the goal of providing faithful biblical analysis and application.
Biblical Principles for Human Sexuality: Survey of Culture, Scripture, and Church History
The rapidly changing moral landscape of the twenty-first century presents a daunting challenge for Christians committed to biblical sexual ethics. In a relatively short amount of time, the moral framework undergirding Western culture has been upended, and a revolution in morality has overturned centuries of norms concerning the family, marriage, and human sexuality.
But secular culture is not the only challenger of Christian sexual ethics. Increasingly, theologically liberal churches and denominations are raising objections to the church’s historic teaching on marriage. These denominations insist that the Bible allows for a wide range of interpretations. As a result, Christians—and especially pastors—face mounting pressure to compromise or at least downplay the Bible’s teaching on human sexuality.
The moral revolution has raised questions and challenged long-standing presuppositions about sexuality. How should Christians who are committed to God’s Word and a biblical sexual ethic respond? What responsibility do pastors and those called to shepherd the church have when it comes to these contested issues? What does the Bible teach about marriage and homosexuality? How can Christians practice a biblical ethic that is marked by both truth and love?
This publication will help today’s Christians answer these questions by surveying key passages of Scripture that speak directly to human sexuality, as well as consulting the wisdom of pastors and theologians throughout church history.
Biblical Principles for Political Engagement: Worldview, Issues, and Voting
We live in a time of acute political polarization, exacerbated every election cycle by a 24-hour barrage of candidate advertisements on every communication platform. Unfortunately, the toxic tone and extremely partisan nature of our political system discourage many Christians from studying what the Bible teaches about government and considering how faith should inform one’s view of politics. Thus, it is no surprise that withdrawing from the political process has become a temptation for many Christians. After all, if God is sovereign and controls the heart of the king (Prov. 21:1), do we really need to get involved in the messy world of politics? Because political engagement can be divisive, shouldn’t Christians abandon politics and direct their energies toward more spiritual pursuits?
Christians are called to honor God in every area of their lives. Therefore, we should seek to submit everything to the Lord, including our political engagement. Engaging in politics is not only unavoidable, it is also an opportunity to obey God and show love to our neighbors. American Christians, with our right to vote, have a unique opportunity and duty to affect the political process. To that end, the goal of this publication is to help Christians filter all issues, candidates, and party platforms through a biblical worldview and encourage God-honoring, faithful political engagement.
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Biblical Principles for Religious Liberty: Evidence from Scripture and Church History
In this publication, it will be argued that the Bible supports an expansive view of religious liberty. This is seen in the Bible’s use of persuasion, not coercion, as the means of drawing followers to Christ. Moreover, the Bible presents faith as a spiritual reality that cannot be forced on people if it is to be genuine. This is why the Bible envisions a society where religious liberty is respected and individuals make their own choices when it comes to religion.
These ideas will be unpacked in two primary areas: (1) key biblical texts that support a broad understanding of religious freedom, and (2) key theological arguments based on those texts—specifically those made by Roger Williams, which help illustrate how Christians applied the Bible’s teaching on religious liberty during an era when this freedom was denied to religious minorities in the American colonies and around the world.
Biblical Principles for Pro-Life Engagement: Personhood, Scripture, and Church History
With the continued prominence of abortion in American politics and popular culture, it is crucial for Christians to know what the Bible actually says about the issue of abortion. Does the Bible teach that life begins at conception or birth? Is abortion murder? On these questions and others, we believe the Bible has a clear word. Therefore, it is the goal of this publication to present the Bible’s teaching on the issue of abortion. Furthermore, and perhaps surprising to many, the church has grappled with this debate for centuries, and thus has resources from which to articulate a faithful response.
This publication presents an examination of the relevant passages in the Bible that inform how a Christian should think about abortion, the question of “personhood,” and a survey of how prominent church leaders have interpreted these passages throughout history.
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