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PDF versionStemming rampant religious illiteracy
Mar. 06, 2010
(Pat Marrin)
Jesus was born in Jerusalem. Moses parted the Red Sea to let the Christians through. “God helps those who help themselves” is in the Bible.
These are just a few of the obviously incorrect answers I heard from students in last semester’s Introduction to Religion class.
It gets worse.
In a religious literacy pre-test I gave to my students (most of whom are adults and nontraditional undergraduates), less than half could name all four Gospels; about the same number got at least five of the Ten Commandments. Only a handful knew that pop star Madonna was named after the mother of Jesus.
They knew even less about non-Christian faiths. One-third could name the Quran as the Muslim scripture, a few guessed that the religion yoga is associated with is Hinduism, and not one student could name any of Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths.
Sadly, my students’ answers are representative of rampant religious illiteracy among college and university students. And it’s not much better at Catholic institutions. Anecdotal evidence from colleagues who teach in Catholic higher education suggests that graduates of Catholic high schools also are fairly ignorant in the nuts and bolts of their faith, not to mention other religions.
The implications are more serious than a “D” in my class. How can Americans evaluate U.S. foreign policy if they don’t know the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite Muslim? How can citizens understand biblical references when cited by political leaders? How can Christians be so sure they have “the truth” if they aren’t even aware what other religions believe?
They can’t.
What’s surprising is that often it’s the most religiously active folks who know the least, according to Stephen Prothero, chair of the religion department at Boston University and author of Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know -- And Doesn’t (HarperCollins, 2007).
“That paradox is this: Americans are both deeply religious and profoundly ignorant about religion,” he writes. “They are Protestants who can’t name the four Gospels, Catholics who can’t name the seven sacraments, and Jews who can’t name the five books of Moses. ... One of the most religious countries on earth is also a nation of religious illiterates.”
Prothero blames the emphasis on emotionalism that began during the Second Great Awakening, which also provided the roots of evangelical Protestantism. In other words, if Jesus is my best friend, it doesn’t matter that I can’t name his 12 apostles.
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Prothero’s solution is to add mandatory public school classes in religion to those in reading, writing and ’rithmetic. To maintain separation of church and state, such classes should focus on spreading knowledge, not inculcating values, he says.
I don’t disagree that some formal education about religious matters would be a good start. But I refuse to jump on the blame bandwagon that berates religious educators of the past generation for not forcing Catholic teens in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s to regurgitate the Baltimore Catechism. Memorizing the books of the Bible is not the only way to become religiously literate.
Rather than pump students with religious facts, I’d rather see educators, parents and churches teach students how to think critically about religion -- and in general.
I believe that religious illiteracy is indicative of a wider lack of such critical-thinking skills among college and university students -- and the American public as a whole. If Bill O’Reilly ranting on FOX News and Ed Schultz raving on MSNBC is what passes for critical discourse on the most important issues of the day, we can hardly be shocked that most Americans cannot maintain an intelligent conversation about fine theological points.
In my introductory religion class, students were required to know the Four Noble Truths, the Five Pillars of Islam and the seven Catholic sacraments. But they also had to put religious history into context; compare and contrast how religions answer basic human questions about evil, suffering and death; and examine how religious institutions deal with contemporary issues such as the role of women and global warming. Most importantly, in this journalist’s opinion, they were required to dissect and evaluate how the media covers religion.
They did so, for the most part, rather enthusiastically. For their theological ignorance was matched, if not exceeded, by a keen interest and desire to learn more about religion. I didn’t have to convince them of its relevance, as many of them wrote in required journal entries about the importance of their faith, uninformed as it was. Their belief had sustained them through children’s illnesses, the deaths of loved ones, even a relative’s abuse by a Catholic priest.
Not surprisingly, many of them taught me a thing or two.
A die-hard Baptist children’s minister proved that closed minds can be opened. A pious Filipina woman showed me that not everyone who is given a second chance will take advantage of you. And a number of them reminded me that idealism does not have to end in your 20s.
It was Ben Franklin who said, “God helps those who help themselves.” But I do think the Divine looks favorably on students who work hard to increase their religious literacy. This professor does.
[Heidi Schlumpf teaches communication and religion at Aurora University in the Chicago suburbs.]
The Internet and cellphones
The Internet and cellphones are technological advances that provide kids (and adults) with unlimited information. They also contribute to the fact that we are becoming a society that retains a limited amount of retained knowledge. Hence the lack of religious and general literacy. People no longer remember basic telephone numbers; how would we expect them to remember the names of the Twelve Apostles? 'Tis very sad.
There are only four
There are only four religioius truths one needs to know: Muslims do not recognise the Jews as the Chosen People; Jews do not recognise Jesus as the Messiah; Protestants do not recognise the Pope as the head of the Church; Mennonites do not recognise each other in the liquor store.
Amazing! The author rightly
Amazing! The author rightly points out the shambles of of modern day religious education in the Roman Catholic Church, yet absolutely rules out of hand returning the a proven method of passing on the faith, the Baltimore Catechism. It worked for decades, yet Ms. Schlumpf is convinced that returning to a tried and true method will not work again. Where is the logic in that? The liberal bias against all things traditional will never admit the errors of the the modern time.
One would hope that the
One would hope that the "religiously illiterate" students in question are also being taught about the increasingly ultimate IRONY in the etymological derivation of the very word RELIGION itself:
http://hss.fullerton.edu/comparative/on_rel.pdf
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=religion
Perhaps a large part of the professorial perceptions of "cognitive disconnect" as expressed in this article are based on young peoples' own perceptions of the growing "affective disconnect" between that which mainline religions pay dogmatic and homiletical lip-service to, and that which they incarnate in their daily lives.
More and more people of all ages are saying:
"These Christians [Jews, Muslims, Buddhists or whatever] SEE HOW THEY LOVE - and we want absolutely NO part of it...."
University students are like: "Just give me my 3 credits dude, and get off my case!"
While every religion probably
While every religion probably has some set of core beliefs and myths, I also think it is extremely difficult to speak for most people in even your own religion. For example, as a Catholic, I never feel that someone else's summary of Catholicism does justice to what I feel my religion is.
How can we avoid injustice trying to represent our own or other religions to others? At the very least, we must make sure to cover the variance in how the core beliefs and myths are are interpreted and relatively valued among believers. (You only have to browse the posts at NCR to know that this variety is a fact of life.) Then we can avoid the danger inherent in assuming about another group, "They all think that."
I don't think Mr. Prothero's
I don't think Mr. Prothero's idea of religious training could ever work. It would be difficult to find a teacher who would show no bias, one way or the other, and most religions would suspect the course anyway. I remember back in college when I wanted to take a course entitled "The Bible as Literature." Our chaplain said we could not take it as it used the King James bible. That thinking still exists today.
On the other hand, I was just reading where up to 90% of the new recruits into the Iraqi police force and military cannot read or write, do sums, or anything else requiring an education for all they ever learned was how to memorize verses from the Koran. The girls didn't even get that much education.
Maybe if I know the Golden Rule, the Greatest Commandment, and a few other key beliefs, naming the Seven Deadly Sins isn't all that important?
Quick Test: When I was in Catholic school we had to memorize the Six Commandments of the Church. They were very important at the time. Can you name them today? Have you ever even heard of them? Has it negatively affected your faith in any way?
Ed claims: "On the other
Ed claims: "On the other hand, I was just reading where up to 90% of the new recruits into the Iraqi police force and military cannot read or write, do sums, or anything else requiring an education for all they ever learned was how to memorize verses from the Koran. The girls didn't even get that much education."
Where were you reading this, Ed?
Could the fact we have brought nothing but war and blockade to the nation since the darkest days of Papa Bush have anything to do with it at all?
Do you practice the Golden Rule as well as memorize it?
Where were you reading this, Ed, as it is more difficult to discover than the Six Commandments:
This from
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04154a.htm
=============================================================
The Church in her supreme authority has defined nothing regarding the form and number of the Commandments of the Church. The Council of Trent while recommending in a general way in its twenty-fifth session the observance of these precepts says nothing regarding them as a particular body of laws. Neither is any specific mention made of them in the "Catechismus ad parochos" published by order of the council and known as the "Catechism of the Council of Trent" or "Roman Catechism". We have seen that St. Antoninus of Florence enumerates ten such commandments while Martin Aspilcueta mentions only five. This last number is that given by St. Peter Canisius. According to this author the precepts of the Church are: To observe the feast days appointed by the Church; to hear Mass reverently on these feast days; to observe the fasts on the days during the seasons appointed; to confess to one's pastor annually; to receive Holy Communion at least once a year and that around the feast of Easter. Owing undoubtedly to the influence of Canisius, the catechisms generally used at present throughout Germany and Austria-Hungary have adopted the above enumeration. The fourth precept has, however, been amended so as to allow of confession being made to any duly authorized priest.
In Spanish America the number of church precepts is also five; this being the number as we have seen, set down by Aspilcueta in the sixteenth century. Here, however, the First and Second commandment in the table of Canisius are combined into one, and the precept to pay tithes appears. It is to be noted, also, that the precept of annual confession is more specific; it enjoins that this confession be made in Lent, or before, if there be danger of death. (Synod of Mexico, 1585, Lib. I, tit. i, in Hardouin, Conc., X, 1596.) French and Italian catechists reckon six precepts of the church, the enumeration given by Bellarmine. According to this writer the Commandments of the Church are: To hear Mass on Sundays and Holy Days; to fast during Lent, on prescribed vigils, and the ember-days; to abstain from meat on Fridays and Saturdays; to go to confession once a year; to receive Holy Communion at Easter; to pay tithes; and finally not to solemnize marriage during the prohibited times.
The French catechisms, following that of Bossuet, omit the last two precepts, but retain the same number as that given by Bellarmine. This they do by making two Commandments cover the obligations to observe Sunday and the Holy Days, and two also regarding the obligations of fast and abstinence. It will be readily observed that the omission by French writers of the Commandment to pay tithes was owing to local conditions. In a "Catechism of Christian Doctrine" approved by Cardinal Vaughan and the bishops of England, six Commandments of the Church are enumerated. These are:
* to keep the Sundays and Holy Days of obligation holy, by hearing Mass and resting from servile work;
* to keep the days of fasting and abstinence appointed by the Church;
* to go to confession at least once a year;
* to receive the Blessed Sacrament at least once a year and that at Easter or thereabouts;
* to contribute to the support of our pastors;
* not to marry within a certain degree of kindred nor to solemnize marriage at the forbidden times.
This list is the same as that which the Fathers of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore (1886) prescribed for the United States.
Thank you for your much
Thank you for your much needed comments of the religious illiteracy of Americans. This illiteracy has led to something close to religious warfare in this country. We need to find commonality not search for that which divides us but that which unites us.
Very interesting, religious
Very interesting, religious ignorance more than I suspected. THE INTRODUCTORY COURSE CITED WOULD BE WORTHWHILE FOR MOST OF US - INCLUDING BILL O'REILLY & ED SCHULTZ.
"Only a handful knew that pop
"Only a handful knew that pop star Madonna was named after the mother of Jesus."
Ma donna = from the Italian for MY LADY.
Actually, she was named after her OWN French-Canadian Catholic mother:
http://absolutemadonna.com/?page_id=1907
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-109777.html
Ah, yes, I realize that
Ah, yes, I realize that Madonna is named after her mother, who is also named Madonna. But who is her mother named for? "My Lady" is a title for Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Thank you Professor. If I
Thank you Professor. If I had one more "educated" Catholic tell me that Jesus was raised Cathoic and went to Mass every Sunday, I thought I would scream. Your article will now help me to continue to explain to people that Jesus was Jewish and did not ever use the words Catholic Church.
Thank you, Ms. Schlumpf, for
Thank you, Ms. Schlumpf, for your excellent article. My first reaction was, "Ah, here's someone who's saying what I've been pontificating on for some time now. But let's go past the "youth/younger" element. I feel that we "older"(I'm 69) Catholics are in the same situation. Although we are not attending the higher institutes of learing at this time in our lives, we also are not continuing our education much beyond the diocesan newspaper and occasional parish discussion groups. Growing up we didn't discuss the Pillars of Islam or the Four Noble Truths let alone Hindiuism or Judaism. We've gained some knowledge from TV and articles we've read, but this is not enough to make us better Catholics, Christians, Muslims etc. There is a need to continue to study, seek truth and understanding of the world around us. Hopefully this will help us to open our minds and hearts in acceptance of those who are different than we, not less. The truth will set us free.
Also very sad is the decision
Also very sad is the decision by many Community Colleges to drop Religion courses because of funding.
Great article, Heidi! As a
Great article, Heidi! As a high school teacher of Theology in a Catholic school I am duly challenged by your challenge. Ah, yes, to think critically about religion is essential--and it DOES NOT BORDER ON HERETICAL!
Very good Article Heidi, you
Very good Article Heidi, you are correct it is critical thinking about religion that is so important. I am not surprised that those with the strongest belief seem to know the least about historical facts. I find this to be true in life and death, social justice, scientific and issues about women in our Catholic faith. I also see so many people arguing deductively with partial facts (factoids) and using them as deductive truth- this mistake is one often used by those in very high leadership positions. It seems to me that so many Bishops use simple factoids and refuse to look at the observations of truth in the present that they can not be either thinking critically nor listening to the Holy Spirit. This type of non critical thinking is a defensive mechanism of people trying to protect structure rather than use God's truth. Memorization of a catechism is a lot like gross anatomy - a lot of facts that may not be useful unless thought about very critically before any action is taken and of course only the beginnings of what a person needs to take into consideration. It is my impression that western society, once again led by our Church is entering a darker age in thinking and it is deadening so many to critical thinking.
I was happy to read your solutions!
R. Dennis Porch, MD
Well, then, here is a true
Well, then, here is a true story. I know a judge, a man with impeccable educational credentials, who believed that Mary's virginity was incontrovertible because St. Luke was a doctor, and he would have known Mary's condition. The worst (or best) example of religions illiteracy I have ever encountered.
Since when is yoga a
Since when is yoga a religion? It is a discipline and maybe you are not as well versed in religion as you think you are.
Obviously coursework in
Obviously coursework in analytical reading (or simply passing that day with Leopold Bloom for the rest of your life) and precision writing might also serve American humanity, as the embedded while dangling preposition in "a few guessed that the religion yoga is associated with is Hinduism" also gave me pause.
Heidi wrote that few students guessed that yoga is associated with the religion Hinduism (if Hinduism, and even Buddhism, are, in fact, religions). The camouflaging apposition of religion and yoga may deceive upon a cursory reading; a more analytical reading renders the author's sense.
At no point does Schlumpf intend to call yoga a religion.
It is nevertheless in every way a very healthy thing to do.
But maybe you are not as well versed in reading anonymously as you think you are?
You're right: Yoga is a
You're right: Yoga is a discipline that is associated with the religion of Hinduism. I never said yoga was a religion.
Heidi makes a crucial point
Heidi makes a crucial point regarding education in test driven American Schools slaving under the Baby Bush-era NCLB mandates when she writes: "Rather than pump students with religious facts, I’d rather see educators, parents and churches teach students how to think critically about religion -- and in general. I believe that religious illiteracy is indicative of a wider lack of such critical-thinking skills among college and university students -- and the American public as a whole."
Bring on Bloom's Taxonomy!
We fill small minds with unconnected trivia cards while denying the kind of environment which would develop critical thinking skills. Nevertheless, it is this low-level "lizard" thinker which the owners of our consumer driven economy prefer.
Who wants consumers thinking: "Do I really want that third ten dollar doughnut? What has led me to think that I do? Would some other delicacy, such as an orange or an apple, have done as well, and more fillingly, from the first? Whatever became of prayer and fasting?"
To teach to think is a dangerous, a revolutionary activity, which is why I do it. The revolution will not be televised.
Learning to compare and to contrast might lead us to discovering the unity of our separate religions rather than feeding our resource wars in religion's name.
Love thy enemy means what?
And they say what?
All that rises must converge.
As Cardinal George said,
As Cardinal George said, "it's not good enough to tell Catholics what is correct, they also need to know what is truth and not truth"
Outside of devotion,
Outside of devotion, Catholics see little need to read the Bible, especially to ensure that what their church teaches infallibly is indeed truth.
“The intolerance of the Church toward error, the natural position of one who is the custodian of truth, her only reasonable attitude makes her forbid her children to read or to listen to heretical controversy, or to endeavor to discover religious truths by examining both sides of the question.” “The reason of this stand of his is that, for him, there can be no two sides to a question which for him is settled; for him, there is no seeking after the truth: he possesses it in its fulness, as far as God and religion are concerned. His Church gives him all there is to be had; all else is counterfeit.” ( John H. Stapleton, Explanation of Catholic Morals, p. 35, 1904; Nihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, Censor Librorum. Imprimatur, John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York )
If she does say so herself. The reality is that rather than relying upon Scripturally substantiated preaching, typically with manifestly Divine supernatural attestation in seeking to establish their veracity and persuade souls,(Acts 17:2; 2Cor. 4:2; 6:1-10) Rome declares that it is infallible when speaking according to an infallible formula, which formula it infallible defined, and which renders its very declaration that it is infallible to be infallible. Thus according to her interpretation, only her infallible interpretation can be correct in any conflict.
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