Sire explained the basics of worldviews in concise, easy to understand language. This fourth edition, published in 2004 by InterVarsity Press, refines the definition of worldview itself, incorporating Sire’s thinking and teaching over the past three decades. It demonstrates his continued growth and the increasing demand for this vital information.
The Universe Next Door has been translated into several languages and has been used as a text at over one hundred colleges and universities in courses ranging from apologetics and world religions to history and English literature. The Universe Next Door was not written for everyone. It was written for a self-selected audience, an audience that has chosen the Biblical Christian worldview. These worldviews are then contrasted against the backdrop of a Biblical worldview. Sire works hard at not revealing his biases however they do come through in his handling of the material. He defines competing worldviews and their implications.
If individuals are not familiar with the works of James W. Sire, it is vital that reader take time to read the preface of this fourth edition. Sire discusses his background, limitation, and biases. I appreciate that he acknowledges the religion of Islam as a worldview. He also recognizes his limitations to address this worldview adequately.
The structure of the book is made of ten chapters with 250 pages. Perhaps two parts to the book would have provided the reader a smoother transition. This would have provided Sire the opportunity to change his established rhythm and give him freedom to explore fully the New Age thinking and Postmodernism. New Age worldview and Postmodernism are broad and eclectic, I did not appreciate how Sire transitioned and approached these lofty subjects. His established rhythm seemed disrupted. To be fair, Sire does acknowledge his limitations for adequately dealing with the postmodernism.
According to Sire, a worldview is a fundamental orientation of the heart that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presumptions, which we hold about the basic constructs of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live.
Sire provides a practical framework for understanding the differing worldviews. The Universe Next Door also provides a good understanding and resource for evaluating and examining competing worldviews. He addresses seven questions to provide the reader meaningful and consistent standards to evaluate each worldview. These seven questions are:
1. What is reality?
2. What is the nature of the external world around us?
3. What is a human being?
4. What happens to a person at death?
5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?
6. How do we know what is right and wrong?
7. What is the meaning of human history?
Sire uses the above seven questions to develop readable summaries and introduction to the worldviews. He further defines theism, deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern pantheistic monism, New Age and Postmodernism.
“Christian theism is primarily dependent on the concept of God, for theism holds that everything stems from him.” (p44). God is good and the foundation of values. (p73). Theism is the standard for which all other worldviews are judged.
Deism does not see the universe as fallen but rather as normal and do not see the God in the scriptures but rather in nature. “God is distant, foreign, alien.” (p49).
In naturalism only “matter eternally exist and is all there is. God does not exist.” (p61). The universe is seen as a closed system and the Creator is negated to nothingness.
“Nihilism is the negation of everything – knowledge, ethics, beauty, reality. In nihilism, no statement has validity; nothing has meaning. Everything is gratuitous, de trop, that is, just there.” (p87).
Existentialism holds that reality for humans appears as subjective and objective. “The first sort of being is the objective world – the world of material. Of inexorable law, of cause and effect, of chronological, clock-ticking time, of flux, of mechanism.” (p115). “The second sort of being is the subjective world – the world of the mind, of consciousness, of awareness, of freedom, of stability.” (p115).
“Pantheistic monism is distinguished from other Eastern worldviews by its monism; the notion that is only one impersonal element constitutes reality.” (p144). Everything is good and everything is evil. All rationale appears circular. For the westerner, eastern pantheistic monism holds the promise of everlasting peace.
The New Age worldview is eclectic and not confined to one narrow viewpoint. Within New Age, the self is seen as the prime reality. “The core experience of the New Age is cosmic consciousness, in which ordinary categories of space, time, and morality tend to disappear.” (p188).
Under Postmodernism, there is no truth about reality because it is hidden. “Truth is whatever we can get our colleagues (our community) to agree to.” (p221). The power is within the narratives and language. Individual self is derived from the stories individuals tell about themselves.
Sire points out that we may be unaware of our own worldviews. Nevertheless, we display them within our behaviors. The Universe Next Door challenges today’s Christian to re-exam their worldview. It offers an interesting discussion to a world that is otherwise unacknowledged or spoken about.
The competing worldviews are insidious. They have a way of infiltrating core Christian beliefs to the point of opposing the Biblical worldview. Like it or not, there is a war for the mind and hearts of the world. The lack of understanding has cause too many casualties among Christians. One of the first steps of defending and arming ourselves is self-awareness. I venture to say many Christians are not aware of the war for their mind and thoughts.
It would have been nice if The Universe Next Door contain a section with practical examples of how we may see these worldviews portrayed. The entertainment industry provides countless examples to draw from. Nonetheless, I recommend The Universe Next Door as a starting point. Individuals desiring more in-depth material and discussion need to seek additional, scholarly materials. Sire’s thorough use of footnotes aids in further research. However, for general awareness, The Universe Next Door is an excellent read.
