Brad Alles

This month’s blogs focus on the Christian worldview regarding sociology. What is meant by “sociology”? Sociology is defined as the study of social behavior. More specifically, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships; the systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of organized groups of human beings.”

When one thinks about “organized groups of human beings,” three basic social institutions come to mind: the family, religious groups like the Christian Church, and the state or government. The

Bible teaches a traditional family, church, and state, where the “structure and interaction” are determined by God. In other words, the family, specifically the father and mother, trains children in proper behavior according to God’s will. The Christian Church has the task of speaking God’s Law and Gospel, so people can see their sin and see their Savior. Finally, the state keeps order in a world populated with sinful people, so right acts are condoned and wrong acts are punished. More on these institutions and the Christian worldview of sociology next time.