Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change »

Paul G. Hiebert (1932-2007) was distinguished professor of mission and anthropology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and previously taught at Fuller Theological Seminary. He also served as a pastor and missionary to India. He received his PhD from the University of Minnesota and was the author or coauthor of numerous articles and books in the fields of anthropology and missions.

In the past, changes in behavior and in belief have been leading indicators for missionaries that Christian conversion had occurred. But these alone--or even together--are insufficient for a gospel understanding of conversion. For effective biblical mission, Paul G. Hiebert argues, we must add a third element: a change in worldview. Here he offers a comprehensive study of worldview--its philosophy, its history, its characteristics, and the means for understanding it. He then provides a detailed analysis of several worldviews that missionaries must engage today, addressing the impact of each on Christianity and mission. A biblical worldview is outlined for comparison. Finally, Hiebert argues for gospel ministry that seeks to transform people's worldviews and offers suggestions for how to do so.

List of Figures 7

1 The Concept of Worldview 13

2 Characteristics of Worldviews 31

3 Worldviews in Human Contexts 71

4 Methods for Analyzing Worldviews 89

5 Worldviews of Small-Scale Oral Societies 105

6 Peasant Worldviews 123

7 The Modern Worldview 141

8 The Worldview of Late Modernity or Postmodernity 211

9 The Post-Postmodern or Glocal Worldview 241

10 Toward a Biblical Worldview 265

11 Transforming Worldviews 307

Appendix 1 A Model for Worldview Analysis 335

Appendix 2 A Comparison of American and Indian Worldviews 337

Appendix 3 Modern/Postmodern Shift 345

References Cited 347

Index 359