The United States of America is marking its 250th year of independence. But in the face of growing ignorance about the religious influences that shaped the country, some worry that many Americans might not appreciate what’s being celebrated – or be prepared to keep it going.
Recent studies and reports from the frontlines of American education and society indicate that religious illiteracy is on the rise. The terms refers to a lack of understanding about the history, beliefs, and practices of major religions, including Christianity.
For instance, basic biblical questions such as “What are the names of the four Gospel accounts?” or “What was Jesus’s hometown?” appear to be increasingly hard for the average American to answer.
The issue isn’t one of religious belief, but of civic competence. Given the centrality that Christian thought played in shaping America’s founding institutions and ideals, some worry that the rise of religious illiteracy imperils American’s understanding of their own national story — and even their ability to fully participate in the political experiment that the Founding Fathers kicked off two and a half centuries ago.
“[I]t is hard to appreciate even basic truths about the Western political inheritance without grasping the ways in
