Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change

Abstract

The late Paul G. Hiebert gives us an excellent, must-read introduction to “how people change” in Transforming Worldviews. As a comprehensive introduction to world-view theory, it possesses many flashes of brilliance and is the high point of his long, out-standing career as a missionary anthropologist.  First, he defines and analyzes the concept of worldview as it has been developed by the social sciences.  Next, Hiebert summarizes and critiques several worldviews that missionaries must engage today, from the world-view of small-scale societies, to peasant worldviews, to modernity, postmodernity, post-postmodernity, and the emerging glocal context of twenty-first century ministry. Hiebert addresses the impact of each on Christianity and mission and then lastly gives a brief out-line for developing a biblical worldview in order to engage, critique, and help transform non-Christian worldviews. Finally, he argues for a gospel-based mission that seeks to transform the worldviews of its recipients and offers suggestions for how to do so.