World View Comparison- Carl Christenson

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Hurston, presented a predominantly New Age Pantheist worldview that becomes remarkably apparent through the comparison of the actions and beliefs of her protagonist, Janie, and a Christian theistic worldview. Although, this would seem to be the overriding worldview, one must be academically honest and admit that Hurston seems to diverge, presenting a naturalistic worldview as well, therefore creating a hybrid of two worldviews. Examining several idealistic worldview questions, and contrasting each of them against a Christian theistic worldview, the New Age Pantheistic worldview is exposed as the primary worldview.

By examining textual evidence, both spoken and implied, Janie’s answer to the fundamental question, “who am I?” becomes readily apparent. “Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches” (pg.8). Throughout the novel Janie’s attempt to attain personal identification with nature is apparent. She believes that nature is flawless, and that self-fulfillment, or rather personal identity, is only attainable through the unhindered pursuit of nature-imbued feelings. In her continual quest for perfect communion with nature, she despises the attempts of others to mold her life. Her answer to the question ‘Who am I?’ would reflect the New Age Pantheist worldview which blurs the line of distinction between mankind, the animal kingdom, and the rest of creation, and further claims that “All life has a spark of divinity. In stark contrast, the Christian worldview adamantly affirms that man is a creation of God, formed in his own likeness. Basing their worldview upon the belief of the inerrancy of the Scriptures, the basis for the Christian theistic conviction of identity comes from Genesis 1:27, which states “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”.

A similar question often asked when evaluating a worldview is, “where did I come from?”. Janie seems to follow a New Age Pantheistic belief system, but when examining the question of “Where did I come from?”, a response from the naturalistic view is the surprising answer. Although, the text never seems to address this point of ‘personal origin’ specifically and seems to avoid any implications as to the belief of the author or protagonist, it could be extrapolated by the unspoken actions of Janie that she was reflecting a naturalistic response, but this is still left to personal interpretation. It is possible that Janie was convinced that she was merely the result of a horrific animal-like raping. She was certain that her appearance was a result of an evolutionary tendency: stronger beast imposing its will upon another. "But one day she didn't come home at de usual time and Ah waited and waited, but she never did come all dat night....Dat school teacher had done hid her in de woods all night long, and he had done raped mah baby and run on off just before day." Stoically listening to her grandmother’s recollection, Janie seems to accept this tale as the only basis for her existence, dismissing the influence of an omnipotent Creator. Unlike this naturalistic reasoning for existence, the Christian Theist proclaims the purposeful hand of God in the existence of man. “God created mankind, male and female, in his own image with dominion over all the creatures” (The Shorter Catechism, Gen. 1:28).

’Where am I going?’ is an oft-asked question whose answer is indicative of one’s resulting outlook on life. Janie strives to achieve communion with self and a perfect harmony with nature.
“She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom, and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid” (pg. 11).
This Pantheistic desire of having marriage imitate a union found in nature was Janie’s ultimate goal. Throughout the novel she struggled to attain this very notion (pg 192). Likewise, Janie believed that her ultimate destiny was to attain self-efficacy. She would not allow this pursuit to be hindered by anyone else’s standards. “Yo’ papa and yo’ mama and nobody else can’t tell yuh and show yuh. Two thins everybody’s got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves” (pg 192). Learning to live for herself and achieving perfect accord with nature were Janie’s fundamental ambitions. This is where she believed her life was destined to go. Conversely, the Christian theist recognizes that their final destiny is heaven, and therefore strives for a more perfect unity with God through His son, Jesus. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The Christian theist focuses upon heaven as their ultimate destiny, while the New Age Pantheist focuses upon harmony with nature and self-fulfillment.

Identifying the standards for truth is a telling trait of a worldview. Janie determines truth through personal interpretation. She governs her own morals, destiny, and boundaries and is truly fulfilled when she becomes her own god. “Then you must tell ‘em dat love ain’t somethin’ lak uh grindstone dat’s de same thing everywhere and do de same thing tuh everything it touch. Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets and it’s different with every shore”(pg 191). As Janie proclaims this personal proverb to Pheoby, she asserts the absence of absolutes. Using love as an example, Janie claims that the basis of truth is different based upon the individual. Unlike the New Age Pantheist who determines truth based upon a personal emotional response in reaction to nature-imbued feelings, the theist is assured of the truth through the written word of God. “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10).

The foundation for morality is a personalized shifting standard for the Pantheist. Janie mirrors this irregular standard, determining the correctness of her actions based upon whatever brings her a sense of self-fulfillment. “There was nothing to do in life anymore. Ambition was useless. And the cruel deceit of Janie! Making all that show of humbleness and scorning him all the time! Laughing at him, and now putting the town up to do the same” (pg 80). As Janie’s husband, Joe, lies in anguish, unwilling to forgive Janie’s slur, Janie feels that her actions were vindicated. While assessing her own actions as acceptable, she berates Joe for his similar treatment of her (pg86). This shifting moral standard is based upon a New Age Pantheistic worldview whose very capstone is the belief of no absolutes. Rather than distinguishing clearly, they shun logic, claiming that two separate and contrasting ideas can simultaneously be true. While the moral standards are an unpredictable set of ever shifting and capricious rules, Christian theism is founded upon a set code of standards given through the prompting of the Holy Spirit and precisely recorded in the Scriptures (Matthew 19:17).

In the New Age Pantheistic worldview, existence of God is claimed to reside in all things. While Janie never denies the existence of a supreme God, she believes that God is irrelevant and his existence, if he exists, is inconsequential because she herself is god. “She looked hard for something up there to move for a sign. A star in the daytime, maybe or the sun to shout, or even a mutter of thunder…The sky stayed hard looking and quiet so she went inside the house. God would do less than He had in His heart” (pg 179). After looking, Janie dismisses any possible action upon God’s part and believes that only her personal actions will result in the final outcome. The very foundation of the Christian theistic worldview is founded upon the existence of an involved God. This worldview can be summed by the Apostles’ Creed:
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.”
This story ends with Janie satisfied with her life, feeling that she has achieved that which she has struggled to attain. Since the novel was written from pantheistic/naturalistic hybrid worldview, the application that the author wishes to convey is that living for one’s self will ultimately lead to personal satisfaction. However, as a Christian theist would recognize that Janie’s actions, despite their portrayal as, not only understandable and necessary but good, were a result of a lack of moral parameters and will not contribute to happiness in the long run. The novel presented Janie’s divorce to her first husband and gross disrespect to her second as vindicated actions that ultimately resulted in personal happiness. Recognizing and rejecting these subliminal messages that advocate pantheistic ideals is a necessary ability for a Christian theist. Likewise, the Christian theist should cognitively assess Janie’s the sinful actions and recognize that “there is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 16:21).

Ultimately, when one compares the foundational questions of ‘Who am I?’, ‘Where did I come from?’,’ Where am I going?’, ‘What is true and false?’, ‘How should I conduct my life?’, and ‘Does God exist, and, if so, what is my response to Him?’ from the perspective of Hurston’s protagonist, Janie, and a Christian theistic worldview, the New Age Pantheistic worldview becomes remarkably exposed as the predominant worldview in Hurston’s novel. While this seems to be the prevailing belief system, Hurston presents a hybrid worldview, answering most questions from the ideas of a pantheist, but others from the standpoint of a naturalist. Most importantly, one should not merely read a novel, accepting the subliminal messages that advocate other worldview ideals, but rather examine the work for each theme and weigh it against a personal Christian theistic worldview to expose the erroneous principles.



Works Cited:

Their Eyes Were Watching God Hurston, Zora
Worldviews Solomon, Jerry
The Holy Bible