Worldview Engagement

This chapter presents the idea of a “worldview” as a comprehensive explanation of the important phenomena of life and the world—such as mind, morality, and personhood—and it is expanded into a discussion of various major historical worldviews. There are alternative explanations of reality—actually, different worldviews competing in the intellectual marketplace of ideas. Given his early loss of faith, Lewis embarked on a journey, both philosophical and personal, to find the most adequate worldview—beginning with atheistic materialism, moving through various forms of idealism (sometimes lapsing into pantheism and cosmic dualism), and then coming to basic theism (belief in an omnipotent and moral creator), before accepting Christianity. The intellectual part of his journey was marked by key books and close friends who helped Lewis along the way. The personal part of the journey was characterized by Lewis’s deep need to find an explanation for his longing for joy and meaning, which he found in Christian faith.