Why a Christian worldview is uniquely relevant to news

About the Author

Lars Dahle

Lars is the Lausanne Catalyst for Media Engagement, as well as being a member of the Lausanne Communications Working Group. He is Associate Professor in Systematic Theology at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication, NLA University College (Norway). He lives in Kristiansand, Norway, and is married to Margunn Serigstad Dahle, who is Associate Professor in Communications and Worldviews at NLA Gimlekollen. See all Lars’s articles on EngagingMedia.info.

News media play a significant role in the everyday lives for most of us. Therefore we need to actively engage the news by asking key questions. In 12 Questions to Ask When Watching the News, I suggest the following question as the final one:

How do a classical Christian view of humanity and the world help us to understand the wider context of the major news stories?

There are at least three dimensions to this key question:

A classical Christian view of truth and humanity as a foundation opens up for exploring the view of humanity expressed in the various news stories:

Is the specific media image of humanity consistent and coherent? Does it cohere with a biblical view of creation, fall, redemption and hope?
Does the specific media image of humanity correspond to reality? Does it present both the glory and the tragedy of humanity?
Does the specific media image of humanity give space for real change and transformation, including forgiveness and character formation?

Many news stories display the complexity and ambiguity of our humanity. A classical Christian view of humanity uniquely affirms and explains both our real greatness and our deep selfcentredness.
Professional journalism at its best has human dignity as its defining value. A classical Christian view of humanity provides a unique intellectual foundation for all journalists (regardless of personal belief) and a personal motivation for committed Christian journalists.