By Rev. Michael Waters – Special to Dallas South News

This past week, I read two articles of particular interest regarding Bible literacy among Americans. The first article by Thomas J. Sheeran of the Associated Press was entitled, “When Obama, Bush use Bible rhetoric, does anybody catch it?”. The second article, by Angela Abbamonte of the Religion News Service, was titled “Poll: Americans Pin Poverty Passage on Obama, Not Bible.” Both articles suggested that few Americans today possess even a rudimentary knowledge of biblical stories and Scripture passages that were once a ready part of the American lexicon.

From a historical standpoint, the Bible has a rather dubious reputation. Faulty biblical interpretation can be credited with the Crusades, the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, Manifest Destiny, the Holocaust, Jim Crow, the oppression of women and girls…this tragic list goes on and on! It’s understandable that so many people approach the Bible and biblical interpretation with caution, skepticism, and suspicion.

On the other hand, the Bible and righteous biblical interpretation has inspired great movements of history towards causes of justice and freedom. The impact of Dr. King’s I Have A Dream speech would have been significantly lessened without echoes from the Old Testament Prophet Amos that “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream’ (Amos 5:24).”

Furthermore, the Bible can claim great cultural and artistic value, having inspired noteworthy contributions to the Arts for many centuries. Nineteenth-Century poet-laureate Lord Alfred Tennyson once called the Book of Job “the greatest poem of ancient or modern times.” Likewise, the influence of the Bible on the celebrated works of Shakespeare is well documented. 

Some significant questions can now be posed regarding the importance of Bible literacy:

What should be the role of the Bible in our present-day society?

What value does Scripture hold, not just to adherents of the Christian faith, but to the greater community at large?

My response is three-fold. As one of the greatest inspirations of artistic creativity, the loss of Bible literacy would bring about the loss of truly transformative works that do more than entertain, but cause introspection and give rise to change. As one of the greatest inspirations of moral obligation, such as care for the poor, protection for the weak, and freedom for the oppressed, the loss of Bible literacy would mean the loss of moral consciousness in America, lending towards a selfish society.

Finally (and most importantly) as the primary inspiration of Christian faith, the loss of Bible literacy would result in the emergence of a Church possessing “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5). Unfortunately, I think we are already here – a Church lacking the inspiration and power to make a real impact within the communities in which they are located. Prayerfully, with a recommitment to the consistent study of Scripture, the Church will also recover a commitment to the words of Jesus:

“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me…I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

Matthew 25:35-40

So then, what is the value of Bible literacy? Quite possibly, it is no less than the survival of inspiration and goodwill in American society!

The Rev. Michael W. Waters is the founder and Senior Pastor of Joy Tabernacle A.M.E. Church in Dallas, Texas and was named among America’s top young leaders by Ebony Magazine. He can be contacted at pastormwaters@yahoo.com

Edited by Shawn Williams

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