How We Know What We Know

How do we know what is true? How can we tell the difference between evidence, assumptions, opinions, and reliable knowledge?

How We Know What We Know introduces young readers to the foundations of thoughtful Christian thinking through an engaging detective style approach. As the first volume in a 25 volume encyclopedia, this book helps children discover how the way we see the world influences the way we understand evidence, science, history, creation, and everyday life.

Guided by Detective Bea, children learn to ask good questions, look carefully at clues, recognize assumptions, understand confirmation bias, and examine claims before accepting them as true. The book introduces important ideas about evidence, reasoning, observation, and different approaches to understanding the past.

A central theme of the book is the concept of a worldview. Children discover that everyone sees the world through a particular set of beliefs and assumptions. From a Christian perspective, the book explores how the Bible provides a foundation for understanding creation, humanity, morality, truth, and the world around us.

Young readers are also introduced to the difference between operational science and historical science and learn how observations and evidence can be used to investigate questions about the past. Along the way, they encounter questions about creation, science, Scripture, evidence, and how we can develop a strong and thoughtful mind.

Each chapter includes Bible verses, Big Ideas, interesting facts, vocabulary, discussion questions, activities, memory verses, and quizzes. A glossary and answer key provide additional support for learning and review.

Children will learn how to:

• Ask thoughtful questions instead of accepting every claim automatically

• Recognize assumptions and different worldviews

• Examine evidence and clues like a detective

• Understand the difference between observations and interpretations

• Learn how operational science and historical science approach questions

• Identify confirmation bias and other thinking mistakes

• Explore the relationship between faith, reason, science, and evidence

• Develop a Christian foundation for thinking about truth and the world

• Apply critical thinking skills to everyday questions and ideas

How We Know What We Know is designed for young readers who are beginning to explore some of life's biggest questions. It can be read independently or together with parents, teachers, homeschool educators, Sunday school groups, and Christian learning communities.

This book encourages children not only to learn answers, but to understand how we know what we know and to develop the tools needed to think carefully, ask meaningful questions, and seek truth.