Almost everyone agrees that Americans are not very religiously literate. While lacking basic knowledge of the world’s great religions, Americans typical know more about Christianity.
Last week the Barna Group reported on research it undertook for a noteworthy client: the American Bible Society. The following snapshot shows how people responded to some basic questions about Christianity:
So What?
John 3:16 has been among the most popular signs at American professional football games since my earliest memories of watching the sport on television. Only 6 in 10 (61%) American adults between the ages of 18 and 27 know to what the number three on those signs refers. Interestingly, respondents in this age group scored the lowest on each of the questions included in the snapshot.
- Why do you think the youngest group had the lowest scores on each question included in the Christian religious literacy snapshot?
- What are the implications of declining Christian religious literacy for your local congregation?