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Religious literacy key to civic participation, global understanding
Sept. 7, 2007 - Stephen Prothero is not a minister or a theologian. But he is the author of a bestselling book, "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - And Doesn't." Prothero addressed a crowd of more than 200 people on Sept. 7, 2007, at a lecture on "Religious Literacy and American Politics." The event was hosted by the MU Center on Religion & the Professions and kicked off a yearlong schedule of events on religion and politics. It was held in the Reynolds Alumni Center at University of Missouri-Columbia. After the lecture, Prothero answered questions, talked with audience members and signed copies of his book.
In his lecture, he talked about history, the problem of religious illiteracy and some solutions. "The U.S. is one of the most religious countries, but Americans don't know much about religion," said Prothero, who is chair of Boston University's Department of Religion. This is ironic, considering "(according to surveys) 95 percent of people (in the U.S.) believe in God or a higher power," he added. "Most believe the Bible is the word of God." Prothero also cited a survey of his own students at Boston University and other surveys. "Most surveys done on religion are about what they believe or what they do," he said. "But very rarely are they about what they know." What they don't know is surprising, he said.
"Most Americans cannot name a single one of the Gospels," Prothero said. "Half cannot name Genesis as a book of the Bible." Many students surveyed could not name Hinduism or Buddhism as major religions of the world, he added. It is important to know about religion in American civic life to understand its influence on politics in the United States and abroad; including issues such as foreign policy and stem-cell research, the environment, capital punishment or the lottery, Prothero said.
"It is difficult to find an issue where religious reasoning is not being used (for or against)," Prothero said. Searching the Congressional Record, one can find many religious arguments made on the floor the House of Representatives and Senate, he said. Most are Christian and biblical, he said. Another example that makes "this depth of religious literacy more palpable," includes the fact that at one point in recent years only six of 1,000 employees working in the U.S. Embassy in Iraq could speak Arabic, Prothero said. "We don't know anything about religion, and it imperils us at home and abroad," he said. Prothero traced much of this lack of knowledge to a historical shift during the Second Great Awakening (1880-1830s) in the United States, when there was a shift "from intellect to feeling," in how people understood and experienced religion - "a shift from doctrine and narrative to morality." Religious institutions began to depend more on sermons than scripture, he said.
That was only part of a shift that has downplayed the distinctiveness of religions and denominations; and removed knowledge of ones' religious traditions and those of others from the canon that makes up core knowledge, he said. A solution to today's religious illiteracy would be to have academic study of the Bible and the world's religions be mandatory in high school and higher education, Prothero said. Joan Eisenstark of Columbia came to hear Prothero's presentation after being impressed by his appearance on C-Span. She was thankful for the opportunity to see him locally, she said. Isaac Francisco, a staff member at University of Missouri-Columbia, described the lecture as a "smart, necessary, timely presentation." Prothero's lecture was one of several 2007-08 events sponsored by the Center on Religion & the Professions on a theme of "Religion & Politics." Events include lectures, faculty forums and a film series. More about Prothero: • Read
article in The Maneater Read articles in MyMissourian: • "Speech
on Religious Ignorance" |
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