America: the land of the free and home of the brave. However, Stephen Prothero, author of Religious Literacy, might describe it as the land of the religious and home of the religious illiterates. Prothero begins his compelling case with the opening statement of Americans today being both “deeply religious and profoundly ignorant about religion” (Prothero 1). Throughout his book, it is transparent that Prothero fervently believes that religion matters- it is an essential factor of culture, played a fundamental role throughout history, and should no longer be neglected in the classroom.
While the United States is one of the most religious places in the world, it is also a nation of surprising religious illiteracy. In order for readers to better understand Prothero’s paradox, he defines religious literacy as “the ability to understand and use in one’s day-to-day life the basic building blocks of religious traditions” (Prothero 12). Throughout this book, the author publishes his belief that the majority of Americans do not have that basic knowledge of religion necessary to participate in public conversations. In Prothero’s opinion, possessing a general knowledge of religion is …show more content…
“Once upon a time… Americans didn’t just believe in the Bible, they knew what it said” (Prothero 59). The Bible was also “a manual of law, literature, history, as well as a primer for reading” (Prothero 62). In early America, religion was introduced within the household, reinforced in the church, taught in the classroom, and read out of the textbooks. However, even though this time period’s version of religious literacy was limited to Christianity, the gradual shift from theology to morality within the church along with the introduction of non-denominationalism in the schools eventually led to a fall in overall religious traditions and loss of religious
While the United States is one of the most religious places in the world, it is also a nation of surprising religious illiteracy. In order for readers to better understand Prothero’s paradox, he defines religious literacy as “the ability to understand and use in one’s day-to-day life the basic building blocks of religious traditions” (Prothero 12). Throughout this book, the author publishes his belief that the majority of Americans do not have that basic knowledge of religion necessary to participate in public conversations. In Prothero’s opinion, possessing a general knowledge of religion is …show more content…
“Once upon a time… Americans didn’t just believe in the Bible, they knew what it said” (Prothero 59). The Bible was also “a manual of law, literature, history, as well as a primer for reading” (Prothero 62). In early America, religion was introduced within the household, reinforced in the church, taught in the classroom, and read out of the textbooks. However, even though this time period’s version of religious literacy was limited to Christianity, the gradual shift from theology to morality within the church along with the introduction of non-denominationalism in the schools eventually led to a fall in overall religious traditions and loss of religious