What Is Your Theological Worldview?

[AletheiaRivers]

Well whadya know? Looks like I'm more likely to be at home in an Emergent Evangelical church, an Orthodox church or even a Roman Catholic church than I would be in the UCC or the United Methodist church. Guess I'll have to get more books from Brian McLaren and maybe one from Karl Barth?

 

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern.

 

You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

 

Emergent/Postmodern - 82%

 

Neo orthodox - 71%

 

Roman Catholic - 57%

 

Classical Liberal - 54%

 

Modern Liberal - 46%

 

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan - 39%

 

Charismatic/Pentecostal - 32%

 

Reformed Evangelical - 18%

 

Fundamentalist - 4%

 

 

Click here to take the quiz and please please please post your answers! QuizFarm.com

[FredP]

It's hard to put too much weight on this, as I answered the vast majority of the questions dead center -- meaning, in most cases, either 1) the question itself is misguided, or 2) who gives a flying ****. (Hoot, that means hoot!) Of course, when most of the questions are about whether I take the Bible literally, I'm going to sound like I'm a Spong fanatic. But there weren't any questions about, now that we know you don't take it literally, what do you actually do with it?

 

But Aletheia wanted our results, so here they are.

 

==========

 

You scored as Modern Liberal.

 

 

 

You are a Modern Liberal. Science and historical study have shown so much of the Bible to be unreliable and that conservative faith has made Jesus out to be a much bigger deal than he actually was. Discipleship involves continuing to preach and practice Jesus' measure of love and acceptance, and dogma is not important in today's world. You are influenced by thinkers like Bultmann and Bishop Spong.

 

Modern Liberal

68%

Emergent/Postmodern

64%

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

61%

Neo orthodox

61%

Classical Liberal

57%

Roman Catholic

39%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

36%

Reformed Evangelical

14%

Fundamentalist

0%

[BeachOfEden]

Thanks for posting this, Ath! I had beem searching for just such a quiz..but had not been able to find it myself! Here's my results:)

 

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

 

 

82% Emergent/Postmodern

 

 

75% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

 

 

50% Classical Liberal

 

 

43% Modern Liberal

 

 

43% Neo orthodox

 

 

29% Charismatic/Pentecostal

 

 

29% Reformed Evangelical

 

 

25% Fundamentalist

 

 

21% Roman Catholic

[BeachOfEden]

Aletheia, do you know how to create these quizes? Maybe you can create one so people can find out what type of XJW they are;) PS. What IS

 

75% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan????

[curlytop]

Here's how this catholic girl scored . . . (see below)

 

The test is flawed because it doesn't allow you to qualify your "agree" or "disagree" statements. For example, I may think the concepts of trinity and incarnation are important, but not in the traditional sense that this test is probably intending them.

 

Anyway, I bet most of us here, regardless of denomination or affiliation, are going to score high on "emergent / postmodern."

 

Twas fun anyway, thanks!

--Mary

 

 

You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

 

Emergent/Postmodern

82%

 

Classical Liberal

79%

 

Modern Liberal

75%

 

Roman Catholic

57%

 

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

54%

 

Neo orthodox

50%

 

Charismatic/Pentecostal

46%

 

Reformed Evangelical

32%

 

Fundamentalist

0%

Edited December 22, 2005 by curlytop

[FredP]

For example, I may think the concepts of trinity and incarnation are important, but not in the traditional sense that this test is probably intending them.

EXACTLY! I deliberately answered according to the intent of the question, or else our answers would have been more similar.

[AletheiaRivers]

The test is flawed because it doesn't allow you to qualify your "agree" or "disagree" statements.

 

Huh. I thought just the opposite. With each question you have the chance to answer across a 5 point spectrum. In my mind, the spectrum could represent, starting at the left: Strongly disagree, Mildly disagree, Neutral, Mildly Agree, and Strongly agree.

 

So for the Trinity and Incarnation, choosing the second in from the right would be basically saying that "I mildly agree that the Trinity is central ..." Which in my mind would qualify the answer enough to skew the results towards a church that, while not being dogmatic about the Trinity, at least considers it (unlike, for ex: JW's).

 

Although I might mean something a bit different by "Trinity" than what most churches mean, I am probably going to be more at home spiritually in a church that at least emphasises it to some degree, even if I can't agree with the details 100%.

 

 

Anywhoo, I thought it was fun. Keep them coming!

Edited December 22, 2005 by AletheiaRivers

[FredP]

I think an obvious deficiency in the quiz was the complete absense of sifter questions for anything remotely resembling a mystical or contemplative approach to Christianity. Obviously we're going to notice that deficiency more here than in your typical slice of culture-at-large, but still, it's a deficiency. There's too much of it going on out there to completely ignore it as a perspective.

[FredP]

The test is flawed because it doesn't allow you to qualify your "agree" or "disagree" statements.

 

Huh. I thought just the opposite. With each question you have the chance to answer across a 5 point spectrum.

Well, a spectrum of importance isn't sufficient for this type of qualification. You really need another question to qualify it. The problem is, based on the way these quizzes are usually scored -- that is, way to simplistically -- each question simply contributes some number of points to a total for each category, and at the end you just sum everything up. To really get an accurate sense of where people are coming from, I think you need to plot different types of questions against each other, and your answers to some questions need to affect how the answers to other questions affect your score. Even plotting not important <-> important against literal <-> symbolic would be a step in the right direction.

 

In all my free time, maybe I'll see what I can come up with.

[AletheiaRivers]

I think an obvious deficiency in the quiz was the complete absense of sifter questions for anything remotely resembling a mystical or contemplative approach to Christianity.

 

I viewed the "inner experience" questions as perhaps pointing in that direction. I admit that I may have misinterpreted the intent of the question however.

 

Mystical experience and contemplation ARE a big focus for the Emergent movement, btw.

[AletheiaRivers]

Aletheia, do you know how to create these quizes? Maybe you can create one so people can find out what type of XJW they are;) PS. What IS

 

75% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Unfortunately I don't have a clue as to how to create these quizes. Sorry.

 

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan generally fits into the Methodist group. You might have scored high in this area by answering "Agree" to the questions about Grace and "total depravity." The idea of total depravity and prevenient Grace were theological ideas that John Wesley focused on.

 

Google "John Wesley Total Depravity Grace" to get more information and see if it actually gels with you.

[AletheiaRivers]

To really get an accurate sense of where people are coming from, I think you need to plot different types of questions against each other, and your answers to some questions need to affect how the answers to other questions affect your score. Even plotting not important <-> important against literal <-> symbolic would be a step in the right direction.

 

In all my free time, maybe I'll see what I can come up with.

 

Perhaps you could make a "How metaphorically do you view God and the Bible" quiz (named differently of course).

[flowperson]

OK:

 

Before you get my results, I have a thing or two to say about tests and quizzes.

 

First I try to scrupulously avoid being categorized, statisticized, and labelled. I tend to believe this process is one of the downfalls of civilized societies since it inherently tends to homoginize us as a species, and suppresses our tendencies towards creativity and individuality through the use of the results by "authorities".

 

Second, it is virtually impossible to use these things to paint pictures of reality for us to use and contemplate since everyone's world view is so different and interesting. I especially found the questions on this one particularly archaic and stilted. Religious and spiritual beliefs are inner emotional reactions to materials presented for our evaluation. Other than brain scans, there is no realistic way to measure that. IMO, if you do not ask the "right" questions, you certainly will not get viable answers, or "garbage in, garbage out".

 

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern.

 

 

 

You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

 

Emergent/Postmodern

89%

 

Classical Liberal

75%

 

Modern Liberal

64%

 

Roman Catholic

61%

 

Charismatic/Pentecostal

50%

 

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

50%

 

Neo orthodox

43%

 

Reformed Evangelical

43%

 

Fundamentalist

7%

 

Well, at least the test realistically classified and labelled most of us as miscreant and rebellious members of a like group; and, since 2,ooo years ago the earliest Christians were classified as such by their supposed betters, I suppose that's all right by me.

 

flow....

[BeachOfEden]

Of all the religious quizes I have seen..this one seems to be the best of them all..thus far....as for this quiz being flawed....well, I was wondering how the quiz creator concludes what is "fundamental" or not. Like I was wondering, if the quiz creator created this quiz in such a way that if you answered that you thought the mircles in the Bible WERE REAL instead all symbloic..if THIS would cast you as a 'fundamentalist'.

 

Also, if you were like me and voted yes, that you though all races and women WERE 100% equal..then shouldn't this have a giant bearing on how LESS fundamental you are? In other words, if this quiz is saying that if you believe that mircles are real then you are a fundamentalist..then this would unforuantly explain why I still scored 25% fundamental...

 

However, if this quiz were to judge you as being fundamental based on how highly you believe in equality for all..then I should not have scored a 'fundamental' at all...But each of you likely might have been thinking the same thing with your own results.

[AletheiaRivers]

The whole reason I posted the quiz is because it offered options (unlike beliefnet quizes) such as "Emergent," "Neo-Orthodox," "Classic Liberal," and "Modern Liberal." Most other tests tell you if you are Catholic or Protestant and that you should attend a UU church. I just thought it was nice to find a test that used categories that are different, for a change.

 

Beliefnets "belief-o-matic" is perhaps more detailed, but it needs to be updated. There are options out there, for mystically inclined, free-thinking individuals besides the UU church.

[minsocal]

Hi all,

 

I'm a member of a Progressive IUCC church in Orange County California ...

 

Emergent/Postmodern - 79%

Classical Liberal - 68%

Modern Liberal - 64%

 

The label "postmodern" bothered me at first, but I admit it makes sense IF it

means "critical" as in critical thinking and NOT "critical" as in putting down.

 

[AletheiaRivers]

Hi minsocal, welcome to the board! Please stick around and by all means, post!

 

Emergent/Postmodern - 79%

 

I'm starting to get the sneaky feeling that this test has "Emergen/Postmodern" and "Classic Liberal" where beliefnet has "Unitarian Universalists" and "Liberal Quaker."

 

Oh well. Tis still fun.

[flowperson]

Ahhhhh ! What's in a name my sweet ?

 

flow....

[Cynthia]

Ok, my turn... not much of a surprise! This was fun Alethia - thanks! It does remind us that we are made in the image of God... I guess we would agree at this point that ineffable is a part of that

 

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern.

 

 

 

You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

 

Emergent/Postmodern

 

96%

Classical Liberal

 

68%

Modern Liberal

 

68%

Roman Catholic

 

54%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

 

50%

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

 

43%

Neo orthodox

 

25%

Fundamentalist

 

21%

Reformed Evangelical

 

18%

Edited December 23, 2005 by Cynthia

[AletheiaRivers]

Hey Cynthia, I was hoping you'd take the test (and DARBY! )

 

Boy, you REALLY scored as an Emergent - even higher than me! I wonder why I scored so high on the neo-orthodox part? Probably the "strongly agree" answer I gave to the issue of the Trinity.

[darby]

Alethia-

 

I reluctantly took this, after being duly scolded.

 

Like the rest of you, I've got problems with this type of test. I know what the test maker thinks he will figure out about me by my answer to a particular question, when I know that's not what I mean. I found myself wanting to qualify over half of the questions.

 

That said, here are the results:

 

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

 

79%

Neo orthodox

 

75%

Fundamentalist

 

71%

Reformed Evangelical

 

61%

Emergent/Postmodern

 

50%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

 

50%

Classical Liberal

 

46%

Roman Catholic

 

25%

Modern Liberal

 

14%

 

On a side note, when I took the Myers-Briggs test a few years ago, I ended up towards the middle in several categories. The test giver said that can be an indication that you are answering some questions as you want to think of yourself...not as you really are. Anyone else heard that?

[FredP]

On a side note, when I took the Myers-Briggs test a few years ago, I ended up towards the middle in several categories.  The test giver said that can be an indication that you are answering some questions as you want to think of yourself...not as you really are.  Anyone else heard that?

Yes, it can mean that, but not necessarily. I usually score closest to the middle on the thinking-feeling scale (ironically enough, being the cold, heartless philosopher type J/K), but close to unanimous on the others. I always enjoy comparing results, and seeing how well the compact descriptions of the various types apply or don't apply in individual cases. Most descriptions of INTP fit me pretty well, but I definitely have strong INFP leanings as well. You should start a Meyers-Briggs thread in the cafe.

[AletheiaRivers]

Alethia-

 

I reluctantly took this, after being duly scolded.

 

Darn tootin' there mister! Crap, I've lived out west too long.

 

Like the rest of you, I've got problems with this type of test.  I know what the test maker thinks he will figure out about me by my answer to a particular question, when I know that's not what I mean.  I found myself wanting to qualify over half of the questions.

 

Thanks for taking it anyway. I didn't intend for the test to pigeon-hole any of us. I know that is impossible. But still, it opened up some good conversation (for a while), which is what I'd hoped for.

 

That said, here are the results:

 

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

 

You seem to be pretty "balanced" between Wesleyan, Neo-orthodox and Fundamentalist beliefs. Do you feel that is somewhat accurate?

 

On a side note, when I took the Myers-Briggs test a few years ago, I ended up towards the middle in several categories.  The test giver said that can be an indication that you are answering some questions as you want to think of yourself...not as you really are.  Anyone else heard that?

 

I started a thread in the Cafe on Jung typology, but yes, I have heard (and experienced) that. Even taking the test today I had to constantly tell myself: Answer how you are Aletheia, and not how you'd like to be. On the other hand, scoring in the middle could also indicate a true "balance." Like for myself, I always score down the middle in the "Thinking/Feeling" category.

[darby]

You seem to be pretty "balanced" between Wesleyan, Neo-orthodox and Fundamentalist beliefs. Do you feel that is somewhat accurate?

 

Don't really know...I'll need to go back and see what they mean (the importance of words, ya know!)

 

For instance, if one means "fundamentalist" like I think someone like Beach means, i.e., hateful, bigoted, non-caring, holier than thou, etc,. then a resounding NO. If, OTOH, one means taking scripture very seriously, as one thinks it was intended (fact for fact, miracle for miracle, parable for parable, etc), and thinks the church should hold fast to the Bible for guidance, then I can answer yes.

[BeachOfEden]

Actually this is a good point Darby brings up that I was thinking of....when a person creates a quiz or survey and and it is trying to determine whether one is fundamental or liberal..we must ask, in what sense, do they mean, fundamental? In the sense that one believes that Christ REALLY DID raise from the dead? Or...in the sense that they do NOT allow women to be preachers? For example, if you were a moderate Luthern you would most likely belive that Christ DID raise from the dead but would also likley believe that women SHOULD be allowed to be preachers. I don;t think it fair to lable a person a Fundamenbtal christian simply because they believe in mircles of the resurrection...and thus place such a believer on the same level as a bigot. Maybe start a new thread on this very subject?