Author and scholar Stephen Prothero
speaks on religion and politics
 Sept.
7, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.
Reynolds Alumni Center, The Columns Room
University of Missouri-Columbia
Free admission
Aug. 19, 2007 - Stephen Prothero, author of Religious Literacy:
What Every American Needs To Know - and Doesn't, will speak
at MU on Sept. 7, 2007, about "Religious Literacy and
American Politics."
• Read
article in The Maneater
• Read
article in The Missourian
Read articles in MyMissourian:
• "Speech
on Religious Ignorance"
• "Is
America Religiously Ignorant?"
• Event flier
Prothero asserts that while the U.S. is one of the most religious
places on earth, many people know very little about religion.
He will talk about the crisis in religious illiteracy in the
United States, and how it imperils the nation's politics.
"Religious literacy is a civic necessity, something we
all need in order to participate fully in politics at home and
to understand the global world in which we live," Prothero
said. He also challenges voters to hold elected officials to
a higher standard in terms of knowledge of Christianity and other
world religions.
"We need a religious test for the U.S. presidency," he
argued. "Not that someone adheres to a specific faith but
that they understand many of them."
Prothero's presentation is part of a yearlong theme of events
on
"Religion & Politics" hosted by MU's Center on
Religion & the Professions. Events include lectures, faculty
forums and a film series.
"Stephen Prothero has put his finger on one of the greatest
educational failures of our time: a devastating lack of religious
literacy across the country,"
said Dr. Debra Mason, director of the Center on Religion & the
Professions. "Although religious turmoil has plagued us
for both this century and last, our basic knowledge of our own
faith and that of our neighbors is embarrassing."
In his book, Prothero points out that only 10 percent of American
teen-agers can name the five major world religions and that 15
percent can't name any. Though nearly two-thirds of Americans
believe the Bible is the source of answers to life's basic questions,
only half can name one of the four gospels.
Prothero believes illiteracy of religion is a pressing civic
problem. For example, how can people understand the religious
rhetoric used in political speeches and arguments if they do
not grasp its source and meaning? How can Americans comprehend
what is happening in the war in Iraq without a basic knowledge
of Islam? Religious literacy also informs debates over stem-cell
research and gay marriage. Knowledge of the religious overtones
of civic affairs empowers citizens - both religious and non-religious
- Prothero says.
Prothero argues that because Americans know little about their
own faiths and others, religion should become the "fourth
R" of education. He takes the sometimes controversial view
that academic study of the Bible and the world's religions be
mandatory in high school and higher education.
In 2007, Religious Literacy was named an Editor's Choice
in the New York Times Book Review, was nominated for a Quill
Book Award, and was on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller List,
Catholic Bestseller List and New York Times Bestseller List.
Publishers Weekly deems Prothero's book a "valuable
primer... a must-read not only for educators, clergy and government
officials but for all adults in a culture where, as Prothero
puts it, 'faith without understanding is the standard' and 'religious
ignorance is bliss.' "
"Prothero's book is appropriate (to our Center) given the
Center's mission of improving the understanding of religion among
professionals, students and the public," Mason said. "Religious
Literacy even gives us a roadmap showing the basics of the major
faiths that everyone should know."
Articles by and featuring Prothero have appeared in Newsweek,
Time Magazine, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chronicle
of Higher Education and USA Today. Prothero's TV
appearances include The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Oprah
Winfrey Show, Tavis Smiley Show and BookTV on CSpan2. He also
is a featured panelist/blogger on The Washington Post/Newsweek's
"On Faith" Web site.
Prothero will speak in the keynote address of an Open House
hosted by MU's Center on Religion & the Professions. The
Open House will introduce the Center's recent work and familiarize
attendees with its mission. The event is at 6:30 p.m. Sept.,
7, 2007, at Reynolds Alumni Center at University of Missouri-Columbia.
The lecture will be followed by a book signing and reception.
The event is open to the public and all who are interested in
hearing Prothero and meeting others interested in religion and
public life.
More about Stephen Prothero and Religious Literacy:
What Every American Needs to Know - and Doesn't
See more information about the Center here. |
