Terms to Remember
Define secular.
Pertaining to the world and not religion; non-religious.
What does the two-story view divide the world into?
The sacred (private faith) and the secular (public facts).
How should Christians respond when secularists say, “Keep your faith out of public life”?
With civility, but insist that God created all realms and faith must guide all of life.
Why did René Descartes fail in finding a neutral foundation for reason?
He assumed human reasoning was trustworthy apart from divine revelation.
Why do many Christians separate life into a “sacred” realm and a “secular” realm?
To protect religious things from secularist pressure or contamination.
Define dualism.
Dividing life into separate categories (sacred vs. secular).
Why is the two-story view considered a lie about the world?
It claims there is a neutral zone where God is not King.
What attitude should Christians prepare for when living out God’s creational design publicly?
Expect possible persecution, but rejoice in being faithful.
Why is the secular two-story view bad at handling evidence?
It treats facts as value-free, ignoring that all facts are interpreted through presuppositions.
According to the secular list (p. 35), where would secularists place abortion and human trafficking—upper story or lower story?
Upper story: abortion (personal choice); lower story: trafficking (public moral issue).
Define two-story view.
A worldview that separates public facts from private faith.
What is one major inconsistency of the secular two-story view?
It treats some moral issues as private but others (like trafficking) as public.
What happens if Christians fall into the “other ditch” of mixing things God intends to keep distinct?
They confuse creational good with fallen perversions.
What guides your decisions and values, making worldview unavoidable?
Your principles and assumptions.
What distinction must Christians maintain, even though the two-story view is flawed?
The distinction between the reverent/pure and the profane/impure.
What are the three ingredients of a biblical worldview?
Head-heart system, master story (CFR), and cultural action.
How does the Christian version of the two-story view misunderstand the Fall?
It forgets sin comes with us everywhere—even into the “upper story.”
According to CFR, what should Christians do in every sphere?
Identify creational good, recognize fallenness, and apply God’s redemptive plan.
Why can the two-story view never be applied consistently?
Because every decision—public or private—involves values and beliefs.
What framework helps Christians understand the world correctly instead of using the two-story view?
Creation, Fall, Redemption (CFR).
Summarize CFR (Creation–Fall–Redemption) in one sentence.
God created everything good, sin corrupted every part of life, and God is restoring all things through Christ.
How do Christians accidentally support secularism by living in a two-story view?
They push their faith to the margins of life, limiting Scripture’s influence.
What must Christians clarify when speaking about public policy and biblical truth?
What true tolerance means (not affirming all beliefs, but loving others while upholding truth).
Explain why your future job should be done in a God-honoring way (open-ended for students).
Because all work belongs to God and should reflect His creational design.
When Christians abandon the two-story view, what paradigm should they use to accurately live out a biblical worldview?
God’s creational design—seeing every sphere under His rule.