Lack of biblical knowledge an academic setback for teens

Was Moses one of Jesus’ 12 apostles? One out of 10 teenagers erroneously thinks so, according to a report that argues lack of biblical knowledge could be a huge educational disadvantage for the nation’s youth.

According to the nonprofit Bible Literacy Project, 98 percent of the country’s “best” high school English teachers said students need to know about the Bible to fully understand numerous religious references in Western literature.

Marie Wachlin, the report’s author, calls the Bible “the most important single source of all our literature.”

The complete works of Shakespeare have more than 1,300 biblical references, according to the report. “Call me Ishmael,” the introductory line of Herman Melville’s nautical tale “Moby Dick,” is lost on most students who do not know Ishmael was a famous castaway in the Bible.

The Fairfax, Va.-based Bible Literacy Project is dedicated to research and public education on the academic study of the Bible in public and private schools.

Its new study was conducted in two parts. The first interviewed 41 recommended English literature teachers from 10 states. The second analyzed a 2004 Gallup survey which asked 1,002 teens ages 13-18 what they knew about the Bible.

Only 8 percent of the public school students surveyed said their schools offered elective courses on the Bible, compared to 51 percent of private school students.

“We believe this research will show the need to include more study of the Bible as literature, and that this will open the door to more freedom to discuss all kinds of ideas in the classroom,” said John Templeton Jr., president of the foundation that funded the report.

“After fighting about this for over 150 years I think it’s about time for public schools to move past the controversy and include study of the Bible,” added Charles C. Haynes, a scholar at The Freedom Forum’s First Amendment Center. “If we care about education we must.”