A new study from the University of Chicago reveals that, while religious parents often teach their children about the importance of the Bible in shaping their beliefs, they often don’t teach their kids about its own religious roots.
The study, conducted by anthropologists David E. Whelan and James J. Pritchard, shows that the Bible’s influence is often diluted in our culture, as people learn more about its secular origins.
Whetstone University professor of anthropology David E.” says the study shows that when it comes to reading the Bible, people are more likely to rely on the story of Moses, a person who was not religious at all.
Wethstone University anthropologist James P. P. ” says the results are “shocking” and “disturbing.”
The study found that students who grew up in an urban, industrialized environment were less likely to see the Bible as an important source of information about the world than those who grew out of the family tradition.
They were also less likely than their peers to be exposed to the biblical teachings of the early church and church leaders.
But when asked to relate the Bible to their religious beliefs, the study found only one in six students who came of age in an American suburb were willing to accept a direct link between the Bible and their religious identity.
That was a far cry from what was common among people in rural areas, who often relied on the stories of saints and prophets and often saw their own beliefs as part of their faith.
The authors say the study’s findings suggest that religious families may not be telling their children what to believe about the Bible.
They say this “suggests that the family may not have a solid grasp of the relationship between the Scriptures and their own religious identities, and that a religious family may be reluctant to discuss the relationship with their children.”
Whetstones study, titled Religion in America: Understanding the Relationship Between Religion and Education, was published online today by the American Journal of Anthropology.
Witherington and Pritchards findings came from a survey of more than 10,000 U.S. students conducted in 2017 and 2018.
Wethers students were asked questions about their religious and secular backgrounds, their personal experiences with the Bible (including their own experiences with Moses), and the influence of religion on their daily lives.
Pits and wells of religious education, the researchers found, did not play much role in the students’ religious identity or belief.
Wherson and Pitherson said their study is not an “anti-religious study,” but it does show that religious schools are not adequately teaching their students about their own religion’s origins and influence.
“The problem of religious illiteracy is a serious problem,” Witherson says.
But it is a problem in older generations, who have not had a religious experience in their youth.” “
This may be a problem for young people, because it means they’re less prepared to be religious.
But it is a problem in older generations, who have not had a religious experience in their youth.”
The authors also found that, although people in industrialized countries have had more exposure to the Christian scriptures, religious families in those countries tended to have more faith-based education.
“Religion has always been a core part of people’s lives,” Pritches said.
“So this finding suggests that religious parents may be doing the best they can to ensure that their children have a meaningful exposure to both the religious and the secular aspects of the religion.”