How to Handle the Decline of Biblical Literacy
TEASER
Have you ever been in a conversation with a group of people who all had the same shared experience – except you? Maybe it was a TV Show or a movie, or a sport or a job. Those are tricky moments to maneuver in, not because you're not capable of carrying on a fun conversation, but because you're not well versed in the topic at hand. You just have nothing to add, and every thirty seconds, you feel yourself needing to ask, "what does that mean?"
The reality of our religious climate is that when you start talking about faith – that's how many people are feeling. Often no matter how simple you start, you'll notice that more people are "behind" where you might expect them to be when it comes to their biblical literacy.
So, if you'd like to help others get to know Jesus and prevent them from feeling like an awkward outsider in conversations about faith, then stick around. The Church Helper Podcast is starting right now.
INTRO
Hey there, and welcome to another edition of the Church Helper Podcast. Our Mission here at Church Helper is to help churches make every decision on purpose. My name is Mike, and I'm excited to help you and your church today, so let's get into it.
THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY
And I'd like to start with a short story.
A few years ago, I was at an engagement party, and I found myself making small talk with friends-of-friends and family members about 'what I'd been up to.' I started chatting with a guy in his mid-twenties, and after quick introductions, the conversation (as it often does) moved to "So, what do you do?" As concisely as I could, I explained that I was a youth pastor part-time, and I helped churches make intentional decisions about ministry the rest of the time. And I promise I kept it simple. Still, his follow-up question caught me a little off guard. He said,
"I think there is a special school somewhere that you can learn how to be a youth pastor. Did you go there?"
As a church leader or elder, you might laugh at this question, thinking, "Really? Who doesn't know what a Bible College or Seminary is?"
And the answer is a lot more people than you'd think.
We're living in a culture that is as post-Christian as ever, and with that trend comes a lack of general understanding about Christianity, God, faith, church, the Bible, and all that surrounds it.
Gone are the days where the general populous knew the most basic Scriptures like Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark or even the Christmas story. Today most children, teens and young adults struggle to identify Biblical narratives against popular fiction like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games.
In 2012 (remember, that's almost ten years ago), The Bible Society in the UK published a study surveying 1,000 children between the ages of 8 and 15 (Millennial and Generation Z) and found that a large percentage had almost no Biblical literacy. Here are the stats from that study.
29% of children didn't realize that the Nativity story came from the Bible.
19% didn't recognize Adam and Eve as a religious story
23% had never read, seen or heard Noah's Ark
25% had never read, seen or heard the Nativity
38% had never read, seen or heard Adam and Eve
And 43% had never read, seen or heard of the Crucifixion
20% didn't identify Noah's Ark as a religious story.
I want to break here for a moment and mention something. As the father of a Pre-schooler and an infant, my unintentional discovery of the Wiggles song "Uncle Noah" is an excellent example of this. It surprised me the first time I heard it. After listening to the song more times than any new parent would care to, these stats made a lot of sense. I've popped a link to the song below if you're interested.
The survey also looked at Biblical literacy among parents (Millennial Generation) and found that:
46% failed to identify Noah's Ark as a Biblical story
31% could not identify David and Goliath as a Biblical story
30% could not identify Adam and Eve as a Biblical story
34 % thought the plot line from the Harry Potter books might be a Biblical narrative
54% thought the plot line from the Hunger Games trilogy might be a Biblical narrative
Although the Bible Society in the UK completed this study, the general trends and lack of Biblical literacy are the same in North America. According to a study conducted by Barna and the American Bible Society, 62% of non-Christian millennials have never read the Bible. Millennials who hadn't read scripture were asked to describe the Bible, and most use words like "story" (50%), "symbolic" (36%), or "a fairy-tale" (30%).
Nineteen percent (19%) said the Bible was "an outdated book with no relevance for today," and twenty-seven percent (27%) said it is "a dangerous book of religious dogma used for centuries to oppress people."
These Bible descriptions from non-Christians show us that their view of scripture is skeptical at best, hostile at worst.
When I talk with church members and leaders about the lack of Biblical literacy among younger generations, many people are confused, disappointed and angry that it's come to this point. It's easy to feel a bit uneasy about these trends, but we can do something about them!
Here are Three Quick Thoughts.
#1. DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING
People like to poke fun at younger generations and their lack of experience or knowledge of things that happened in the past, and it's usually meant to be just that, fun. You might not believe that younger people have made it this far into life without seeing M.A.S.H. or Leave it to Beaver. Without listening to The Rolling Stones or Beatles. Or without knowing that bed bugs were actual bugs that lived in mattresses made of hay?"
And you know what, poking fun at pop culture is okay under the right circumstances. But this approach will shut down a conversation fast when we're talking about our faith. When you come into a conversation with the "how can you not already know this?" attitude, you've already put the person you're talking to in a defensive posture.
And it happens so quickly or unintentionally. It can be as simples as
when you make a face when someone doesn't know the difference between the Old and New Testament
when you're quick to correct a mispronounced name
when someone doesn't know, a common saying comes from the Bible like "an eye for an eye," "being a Good Samaritan," or "turning the other cheek."
The reality is that many Millennials aren't going to know much, or anything, about Christianity - and I'm here to remind you that it's going to be okay. We all learn something new every day, and for many millennials and Gen Zers, this isn't on their radar yet.
Take time on your own to consider the research above, then ask a few people in your friend group or family what they know about the Bible. As you begin to see the culture for what it is, your assumptions will begin to disappear, and you'll have a better conversation about faith with everyone.
#2. ASK MORE QUESTIONS
Millennials and Gen Z'ers are quick to identify when someone is trying to sell them something. Remember, these are people who online ads had targeted since before they were even in high school. That's why it's crucial when you engage them in a conversation; you ask more questions than you answer. It's tempting to try to give a response that steers them towards an answer - after all, you have so much to teach them, right?! But when you give unsolicited answers too fast, often people tend to shut down quicker.
Instead, take time to listen to their thoughts, insights, questions, and yes - even their criticisms. When you do this, you allow them to level the playing field, and you give the message that you're not trying to sell them on anything.
So lean in, ask another question. If you ask enough questions, eventually they'll ask one back, and then you'll have yourself a conversation.
3. KNOW YOUR OWN STORY
It seems so obvious that sometimes we forget to think about it.
In a conversation about faith, it's good to make sure you know where your faith comes from.
We can't assume that the people we interact with every day understand the Scriptures that we cherish, and they probably don't share our understanding of who Jesus is. So rather than leading with the authority of scripture or the church's historical significance, consider leading a conversation with why your faith is important to you. Those other things are important too, and you can get there. It just might not be step one in the process – at least not right now.
So think about this: What is it about Jesus that gives your life meaning?
How is your faith genuine in your everyday life? Bring the Biblical truths and stories that you've held dear for years into the conversation by highlighting how God has been real and faithful to you.
When you take this approach to the conversation, you might be pleasantly surprised with how much further a conversation will go.
So Remember:
We live in a world where more people than ever don't know much about faith, Christianity, or their bibles. Don't Make Assumptions, Ask More Questions and always lead with your story first.
OUTTRO
And that's it. Hopefully, today's podcast helped you better understand what biblical literacy in today's culture looks like.
Make sure you like and subscribe to the podcast or our youtube channel, and if you think someone needs to hear this content today but aren't a person of the internet, you can go to our website, churchhelper.ca/podcast, to print out a full transcript of today's episode.
Make sure you go back and check out more ideas on approaching things intentionally by watching or listening to our podcast on the topic of Mission and Methods. That's episode #1.
If you've ever got any questions, please reach out to us through email at hello@churchhelper.ca or go to the Get Help Today tab of our website.
Thanks for taking a few minutes to help your church make every decision on purpose today. I'm Mike, and I'll talk to you again real soon.
