Belhaven University Home
Site Map |

Worldview Curriculum

The fragmented landscape of the secular educational system has left many students with a shattered worldview. The modern liberal arts core curriculum contributes to this problem through its scattered approach to the core curriculum: students often take their core classes in any order, perhaps studying ancient Greek civilization, Renaissance literature and 20th century Modern Art concurrently. To add to the incoherency, they are often taught from varying worldview perspectives in each of these classes.

In 1999, concern for students to grasp a biblical, holistic view of the world prompted Belhaven to create its own core curriculum. Belhaven created the Worldview Curriculum (WVC), a core curriculum that focuses on the grand narrative of history, with the humanities woven together and taught chronologically from a Christian perspective. The WVC focuses on integrating the arts, literature, history, and philosophy into a seamless, chronological study that hinges upon a biblical worldview. This holistic approach to education stands in stark contrast to most colleges and universities today.

Belhaven's Worldview Curriculum (WVC), which is required of all entering freshmen and sophomores, helps students to see the "big picture," with classes historically related to one another. For example, when students study the Renaissance time period in the WVC, they read Renaissance literature, view Renaissance art, and relate them to the historical context of the Renaissance. This enables the students to understand that all of history has a meaningful context. The philosophy portion of the WVC engages students to think critically through the lens of the biblical worldview. Through this presentation of history's major themes, students understand how ideas and events fit together, how conflicting worldviews have developed and how a Christ-centered understanding of our world has remained consistent throughout the ages.

The core curriculum should be more than an aggregate of loosely connected courses taken over a period of four years. The Belhaven Worldview Curriculum (WVC) seamlessly intertwines literature, history, art, music, and philosophy in a Biblically centered course of study for all freshmen and sophomores. By teaching these subjects in the context of one another, the grand story of humanity and our place in it is understood. The classes are taught chronologically, so the first two years of college progresses from ancient civilization to modern times. For example, as the Renaissance is studied, a greater appreciation for the art, music and literature of the period is gained while learning to apply a Christian perspective (philosophy) to all of it. Viewing literature, history, art, music, and philosophy as an organic whole sharpens our image of God's overarching design. Belhaven's Worldview Curriculum merges the various pieces of our world into a coherent whole.

For real-life perspectives on this uniquely Christian curriculum, check what our students and alumni have to say about the worldview curriculum at Belhaven University. Hover your mouse over each photo to read student comments.