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Conversion and Worldviews

Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.

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What is a Worldview?

A commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions which we hold about the basic construction of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being. (Sire)

What is a Worldview?

The framework of ideas and beliefs through which an individual interprets the world and interacts with it.
A worldview can be considered as comprising a number of basic beliefs which are philosophically equivalent to the axioms of the worldview considered as a logical theory.

Axioms and Dialogue

Axioms cannot be proven logically from within the worldview.
However, their coherence can be explored philosophically and logically.
If two different worldviews have sufficient common beliefs it may be possible to have a constructive dialogue between them.

Why Worldviews Resist Change

Filter does not let in information that is fundamentally incompatible with worldview (fishnet analogy – small fish don’t exist).
When discordant information does get attention, it is subject to cognitive dissonance - “the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time.”

How Deal with Dissonance?

The human capacity for self-protective rationalization is almost limitless.

Conversion

Conversion represents a change in worldview, a change in one’s fundamental axioms, or “ruling propositions.”
But worldviews resist change.
So how does conversion come about?

How Does Conversion Happen?

One’s worldview is not “delivering” – stress, unhappiness, disillusionment.
This causes one to become open to the range of worldviews in the spiritual marketplace, to become a passive if not an active seeker.
One may “shop” the spiritual marketplace, but it is so big, settling on a worldview involves an interaction of many factors, including chance.

How Does Conversion Happen?

A particular worldview may “fit” one’s needs (e.g., Christian who is looking for a more “alive” church may not wander too far theologically)
A compelling inner experience may rattle one’s axioms and open one up to “transformation” – the adoption of a new set of axioms based on a radically different worldview (e.g., materializing guru)

How Does Conversion Happen?

Group reinforcements encourage one to accept the new worldview and to adjust one’s behavior in accordance with it.
Changing behavior reinforces changing cognitions and vice versa. Practice makes perfect.

How Does New Worldview Relate to Old?

Depends upon the relative coherence between the two. The more coherence between the two, generally speaking, the easier to have dialog.
Also depends upon the existence of ruling propositions in the new worldview that lead to isolating behaviors, i.e., that call for break with old.

Changing Another’s Worldview

Frontal attacks, especially attacks on corollaries derived from different sets of axioms, not likely to be effective.

Example

Old Ruling Proposition (axiom): “I love my family” leads to corollary, “Family gatherings are important.”
New Ruling Proposition (axiom): “Pastor Bob knows God’s will” leads to corollary 1, “God says avoid demonic influences,” and corollary 2, “God says people outside the group are demonic.” These lead to dissonance with old corollary and cause person to act according to the belief that family gatherings are demonic and should be avoided.

Know Which Worldview Filter is Operating

If a family member interprets a family gathering according to his loved one’s old worldview (i.e., pre-conversion), he runs the risk of stimulating avoidance behavior instead of dialog.
Understand the other person’s worldview, if you want to communicate effectively.

Discussion

Analyze Worldviews