Pew Survey Discovers Serious Flaw In Religious Education

Perhaps you have heard the news. A recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has revealed that American Christians, whether they be Evangelical, Mainline, or Catholic, have less knowledge of basic religious concepts than American Atheist, Jews, and Mormons. The survey asked 32 questions related to the core teachings, history, and key figures of the major world religions with atheists and agnostics getting an average of 20.9 questions correct, while White Evangelical Protestants (the highest scoring Christian group) answering only an average of 17.6 questions correct.

In addition to these general findings, the survey also revealed information on specific religious knowledge held by most Americans. For example, 89% of Americans know that public school teachers cannot lead classroom prayer, while only 23% know that the Bible can be read in public classrooms as a source of literature. Also, 82% of Americans know that Mother Teresa was Catholic, however, only 16% know that salvation through faith alone is traditionally a Protestant and not Catholic teaching. 72% of Americans see Moses as the leader of the Exodus, while only 8% even knew that the medieval philosopher Maimonides was Jewish. That one got me too...

The reality is that as people of faith, this survey should disturb us and serve as a wake up call for how we address religious education in our communities. In our increasingly global and pluralistic age, Bible stories told from a flannel board or movies depicting the blonde-haired and blue-eyed British Jesus will no longer cut it. Our churches must begin to rethink how they go about communicating the basic elements of our faith and their peculiar teachings that might make up their denominational identity. However, as the Pew survey has shown, not only do American Christians have little knowledge of their own faith, but they comprehend the faith of others even less. Because if this, we must begin to see Sunday school, or whatever form education might take, to no longer be limited to simply instruction on the Christian faith. Knowledge of world religions, their basic teachings and practices must become a serious aspect of Christian education in the local church if we are to maintain any relevance in the 21st century.

A sample quiz that mirrors the one used in this survey can be taken online at www. pewforum.com.

Article originally published in the tablet