Harris sets out his goal with this book in the preface…
The Big Picture explores the big building blocks of a Christian world view, hopefully helping to correct the shallow understanding of faith that is so widespread. 220-221
Harris’ approach is a bit different than most books I have read on building a Christian world view. As Dr. David Crutchley says in the foreword,
For Harris, the contours of a Christian world view are not some restrictive straitjacket, but rather broad lines of faith where the Christian ought to live with nurture, love, faith and hope amidst the messiness of life. Harris’s world view is earthed in Scripture and the life of Christ.
The book is organized so that it focuses just as much on orthopraxy as orthodoxy and seems to me to be a more practical approach to the issue of Christian world view. He begins by asking the question about why Western Christianity is having so little impact on the culture and then proposing 15 orienting biblical passages and then discusses how these are applied to cultural issues. The second section applies the passages to the major building blocks of Christian faith: creation, humanity, grace, Trinity, and eschatology. The final section discusses world view and Christian practice with chapters on hospitality and work.
The faith is far too rich and profound to neatly tuck it away into a few tidy boxes that purport to capture all that Christianity is about. 173-174
A firm understanding of our own faith is our greatest asset when we enter a world of differing beliefs and perspectives. 181
My plan is to tackle a couple chapters a week. You are welcome to join me as I read through the book.
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