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The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog
Voted one of Christianity Today's 1998 Books of the Year! For more than thirty years, The Universe Next Door has set the standard for a clear, readable introduction to worldviews. In this new fifth edition James Sire offers additional student-friendly features to his concise, easily understood introductions to theism, deism, naturalism, Marxism, nihilism, existentialism, E...more
Paperback, Fifth Edition, 293 pages
Published
October 21st 2009
by IVP Academic
(first published 1976)
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A closed-minded book advertising itself as open-minded.
The author openly admits he is a Theist, discusses Theism. So far, he's doing fine. Then, he lays out several goals for what he feels a good worldview should be. Still doing fine....Until he subjects every world view mentioned to scrutiny EXCEPT Theism.
His goal is not to catalog other worldviews, but to attempt to disprove them. He does this by presenting the work of 2 philosophers within each religion/world-view whose beliefs about the reli...more
The author openly admits he is a Theist, discusses Theism. So far, he's doing fine. Then, he lays out several goals for what he feels a good worldview should be. Still doing fine....Until he subjects every world view mentioned to scrutiny EXCEPT Theism.
His goal is not to catalog other worldviews, but to attempt to disprove them. He does this by presenting the work of 2 philosophers within each religion/world-view whose beliefs about the reli...more
I particularly appreciate The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog's regular updating (including the charts). If you haven't kept up with this text or read it previously, be sure to dig into the most recent edition (5th Edition, 2009).
Personally, I think it is helpful to couple reading this book w/Sire's Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept (IVP, 2004) and Rim of the Sandhills (just e-published, 2012).
To dig more into Worldview, I recommend David Naugle's Worldview: The History...more
Personally, I think it is helpful to couple reading this book w/Sire's Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept (IVP, 2004) and Rim of the Sandhills (just e-published, 2012).
To dig more into Worldview, I recommend David Naugle's Worldview: The History...more
This survey of world views is a great summary of many common theologies. It's failure to deal with a Jewish and a Muslim world view are among its most serious deficits, but its coverage of major philosophical viewpoints from deism to post modern nihilism is comprehensive. It is interesting if at points somewhat academic and beyond my ability to parse well.
The author makes no pretense about his Christian world view and that bias is present throughout the entire book. I find it welcome, but some m...more
The author makes no pretense about his Christian world view and that bias is present throughout the entire book. I find it welcome, but some m...more
Theism (infinite-personal God) ->
Deism (impersonal creator-god; clockwork universe) ->
Naturalism/humanism (biological animals/machines; deterministic) ->
Nihilism (meaningless relativity -- "what is, is right") ->
Existentialism (irrational faith in meaning) ->
Eastern Pantheistic Monism ~(God is cosmos is self) ->
The New Age (transcendent consciousness) ->
Postmodernism (isolating linguistic self-constructed truths)
Very well organized and well-grounded research. Recommended for...more
Deism (impersonal creator-god; clockwork universe) ->
Naturalism/humanism (biological animals/machines; deterministic) ->
Nihilism (meaningless relativity -- "what is, is right") ->
Existentialism (irrational faith in meaning) ->
Eastern Pantheistic Monism ~(God is cosmos is self) ->
The New Age (transcendent consciousness) ->
Postmodernism (isolating linguistic self-constructed truths)
Very well organized and well-grounded research. Recommended for...more
I have to admit that I struggled through this book a little, particularly with descriptions of worldviews and ideologies that were completely foreign to me (the chapter on Eastern Pantheistic Monism in particular stands out as a difficult chapter to get my head around!), but I feel this was a useful introduction to different types of worldview. In particular, I appreciated the author's returning time and again to the idea that we, as humans, have a desire to know and understand, and rightfully c...more
Apr 09, 2007
John Wick
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ethics,
philosophy
AMAZING Book! a very nice catalog of worldviews. It is a little biased from the theistic point of view but if you can ignore the bias and just take a good look at the views that really reflect your being its a great book. This book also stresses the importance of knowing and refining your worldview. I highly recommend this book. Its not one of the best books but its a really good one.
Typical Christian introduction to philosophy. A lot of generalizations, a lot of misinterpretation, and a lot of hostility. My primary problem with this waste of paper is that Sire doesn't once say that a "worldview system" besides Christian theism has anything positive about it. He even makes Christian existentialists out to be bad guys (and for the record, Barth was not an existentialist). Beyond the normal critiques I have for Christian philosophy, this book spends nearly 50 pages on New Age...more
5th edition. Good analysis of main worldviews. Sire’s changes in the 5th edition concerning the concept of worldview make the book even better by expanding the concept of worldview from simply focusing on the cognitive (a network of presuppositions). Here he weaves in the helpful concept of story (for the Christian: Creation/Fall/Redemption/Consummation) as well as how one leans into the world, as they live out and apply their worldview practically and consistently.
His definition:
“A worldview is...more
His definition:
“A worldview is...more
This review focuses on the revised 5th Edition which adds a Chapter on Islam in addition to many revisions throughout the book.
This book is been one of the most influential that I've ever read. Sire, though writing from a Christian perspective, does a good job of "compare & contrast" among competing contemporary worldviews.
The new Chapter on Islam, to my surprise, seems to downplay the differences between Islam and Christianity. For example, do Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Si...more
This book is been one of the most influential that I've ever read. Sire, though writing from a Christian perspective, does a good job of "compare & contrast" among competing contemporary worldviews.
The new Chapter on Islam, to my surprise, seems to downplay the differences between Islam and Christianity. For example, do Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Si...more
Way too biased for my taste. It reads almost as an apologetics text. The author lumps disregards all non-Christian monotheistic worldviews, though his argument for theism in the last chapter is as valid for any of the others as it is for the Christian one. He says the only logical conclusion of naturalism and secularism is nihilism, and implies that nihilism is unacceptable. The book makes only a passing reference to Buddhism and Chinese traditional worldviews (Taoism/Confucianism), lumping them...more
This is a Christian man relating how 10 different worldviews hang together in their attempts to answer life's questions and be internally consistent. He examines the assumptions and implications of each view. I appreciate his thoroughness and fairness. His treatment of views that are internally inconsistent, for example, is generous and kind. His personal view is one in which morality and agency are fundamental. I love philosophy. I found this fascinating. I listened to it and thought it so good...more
The author has a gift of simplifying philosophical constructs which makes this highly readable. He briskly moves through several worldviews and has an obvious bias towards his own (theism) which he uses as a barometer throughout the book to measure other worldviews.
After reading this work, it became clear to me that American culture is even more absurd than previously thought. Stuck between worldviews, ignorant of the concept, ripped from our foundation, drifting thoughtlessly towards an end un...more
After reading this work, it became clear to me that American culture is even more absurd than previously thought. Stuck between worldviews, ignorant of the concept, ripped from our foundation, drifting thoughtlessly towards an end un...more
This work is a true benchmark for understanding the competing worldviews of our times. The fifth edition is a welcome expansion - especially since it includes a chapter on Isalm.
Cataloguing the worldviews of our times (as the subtitle states), Sire does a superb job of writing with an understandable style, a gentle tone, and an articulate logic - all without leaving his firm Christian convictions.
After the first chapter as an introduction he goes one-by-one through the current major worldviews a...more
Cataloguing the worldviews of our times (as the subtitle states), Sire does a superb job of writing with an understandable style, a gentle tone, and an articulate logic - all without leaving his firm Christian convictions.
After the first chapter as an introduction he goes one-by-one through the current major worldviews a...more
In transparency, I did not read this book cover-to-cover. I skimmed most of it, because I found that pretty much all of the material has been covered (much better, I might add) elsewhere. I struggled, not so much with Sire's definition of a worldview ("a set of presuppositions which we hold about the basic makeup of our world") but with how that played out (the setting forth of 8 dominating "world views" in the world today). Sire is correct in asserting that "We could multiply world views to fit...more
A great introduction to worldviews. Sire defines worldview as: ". . . a set of presuppositions (or assumptions)which we hold (consciously or subconsciously) about the basic makeup of our world." It involves what we think about life, death, the afterlife, morality, ethics, absolute truth, etc. In a Christian worldview, we adopt the presuppositions of the Bible. There are other worldviews and Sire does a good job summarizing them. It's a good book and I recommend it.
Like most primers, this book is completely superficial. But, since the average person's sphere of consciousness begins and ends at the tip of their nose, I'd definitely recommend this book because, as a primer, it does it's job quite well.
Many will be turned off by Sire's unabashed Christian "lens" but I felt it actually enhanced the book despite my personal bent toward atheism. His bias is clear, but, that is exactly it, he is upfront and forward about it.
More than anything, I think Sire shoul...more
Many will be turned off by Sire's unabashed Christian "lens" but I felt it actually enhanced the book despite my personal bent toward atheism. His bias is clear, but, that is exactly it, he is upfront and forward about it.
More than anything, I think Sire shoul...more
A easy to read introduction to the current worldviews of our time. The main worldviews are thoroughly and systematically analysed and compared in the framework of their historical developments. Sire concludes with a practical way to choose a worldview which compells one, after all his sober and sometimes whitty arguments, to opt for the "Christian Theism" worldview.
James Sire’s The Universe Next Door explains the basics of theism, deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern monism, and the new consciousness. Nicholas Wolterstorff, author of Art in Action: Toward a Christian Aesthetic says, “If you are looking for an introductory exposition of prominent worldviews, I know of no better book.”
Many consider this to be THE book on worldviews from a Christian perspective - and it's certainly very accessible - but I find that it doesn't really deal properly with God from a trinitarian perspective, and so the foundation from which the other worldviews are critiqued is not quite sturdy enough. Not a bad introduction, though.
This book covered the basics of various worldviews and offered critiques of each from a Christian theistic perspective. For the fifth edition, which is the one I own, it covers the following worldviews:
Christian Theism
Deism
Naturalism
Nihilism
Existentialism (treating first the Sartre/Nietzsche types and then that of Kierkegaard, with Karl Barths developments.)
Eastern Pantheism - Hinduism and then Buddhism
The 'New Age' Spirituality, covering from 1960's to the early 1990's.
Postmodernism
Islamic Thei...more
Christian Theism
Deism
Naturalism
Nihilism
Existentialism (treating first the Sartre/Nietzsche types and then that of Kierkegaard, with Karl Barths developments.)
Eastern Pantheism - Hinduism and then Buddhism
The 'New Age' Spirituality, covering from 1960's to the early 1990's.
Postmodernism
Islamic Thei...more
A very good book that introduce me to different major worldviews. It offers the reader to look into the major premises of each of these worldviews and then the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Christian Theism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Eastern Pantheistic Monism, New Age, Postmodernism, and Islamic Theism are presented here.
The author uses seven (he added the eighth question in the latest edition of this book) questions to compare the different worldviews. However, I found th...more
Christian Theism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Eastern Pantheistic Monism, New Age, Postmodernism, and Islamic Theism are presented here.
The author uses seven (he added the eighth question in the latest edition of this book) questions to compare the different worldviews. However, I found th...more
A comprehensive look at the intellectual basis for what each of us bases our life upon, this book is difficult in its detail, compelling in its arguments. Before we dismiss God out of hand as just too ridiculous to seriously consider, maybe we need to analyze just why we have come to this point of view.
This book is very informative, but not for the average person. It takes some external sources to grasp the scope of what the author is actually saying. It is geared for Christian thinkers, and helps reveal the mindset of those that think differently. Because of the comprehensiveness in readability, I gave the book 4 stars.
Not exactly a fun read, but a good one. A good explanation of basic philosophy and worldviews (although some might complain because it has a clear Christian Theist bias) but he states it up front. Probably a good read for high school students, good preparation for college.
An incredibly well written book that gives an overview of the movement of philosophy in the West. It is approachable enough that any thoughtful person can read it, but also provides enough depth that one can enter into intelligent conversation about the subject matter.
Exactly what you would hope for picking up this book. A marvelous and pretty fair treatment of worldviews. The author's honesty about his own views is helpful as well. I would have liked to see a side by side of the answers to all the worldview questions, but that is easy enough to create on my own. This essentially serves the purpose of introduction and explanation of the worldviews which exist today (I think the author would argue any future worldview would be largely a derivative of one of th...more
This is an excellent introduction to philosophy and Christian apologetics. The chapters on postmodernism and New Age are increasingly relevant today. Overall, a great look at the various worldviews and how they relate to the Judeo-Christian worldview.
Truly a standard. Compares Christian Theism to Deism to Naturalism to Nihilism to Existentialism to Eastern Pantheistic Monism to Postmodernism, etc. The author is a Christian, formerly professor of English at Northern Illinois University.
Apr 18, 2013
Shaun
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Shaun by:
ebf53555@opayq.com
Great introductory book in regard to what a worldview is, giving a good objective definition to the general categories of the different worldviews. If one is interested in learning more about worldviews, this book is the place to start.
I read the fifth edition earlier this year. This is an effective comparison of various worldviews: Christianity, deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, postmodernism, pantheism (Eastern religions), and Islam.
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