Interpretations, evaluations, conclusions, or predictions about the world that we endorse as true.

principles, propositions, and ideas held to be true

Assumptions about what is true or false that can be testable (family preservation works) or not testable (God exists) (Gibbs & Gambrill, 1999).)

( be·LIEFS). Specific cultural conventions concerning true or false assumptions shared by a particular group held as factual or true. People make sense of their world through their belief systems. Their beliefs consist of the conclusions, evaluations, interpretations, and predictions about the world that people hold as factual and true ( Chaffee 1991:187). By forming and reforming their beliefs they seek to know, to understand, and to explain their world and why it is the way it is. A belief becomes a fact when there is conclusive evidence that the belief is accurate. Ideally people would seek to develop beliefs that are as accurate as possible, but unfortunately, the constraining quality of culture mitigates against their doing so. The problem in developing accurate beliefs is one of epistemology—what can be known and how can it be known? This is an important, controversial, and divisive matter in biblical study.