Stephen richard prothero department of religion work. American scholar of religion, stephen prothero, suggests that all individuals should. In his introduction to religious literacy, prothero 2007 writes that religious illiteracy is more dangerous because religion is the most knowledge is power 9 volatile constituent of culture, because religion has been, in addition to one of the greatest forces for good in world history, one of the greatest forces for evil p. This book is a mustread not only for educators, clergy and government officials, but for all adults in a culture where, as prothero puts it, faith. May 18, 2007 by posing the problem as one of religious literacy and illiteracy, prothero very selfconsciously puts himself in the line of e. One thing that i noticed when i moved from atlanta to boston. This article presents analyses of curricula in religious education re for public. A religion is a system of stories, and there is no better way to engage with the worlds religions than through the stories that animate their beliefs and practices. Abilene christian university tim sensing religious literacy. Historical events, like the american revolution and the civil war, cannot be understood in a religion vacuum p.
How strange then that a significant fraction of the book reads much like a sermon. Building religious literacy through the greatest stories ever told, religion matters, stephen. Many american believing that america has become secular but in fact is very religious, just not well versed. First, he seeks to avoid the danger of relativizing the religions, so that the distinctions are muted. We are one of the most religious nations on earth, but americans. Prothero s religious literacy is unique in that it avoids two extremes. In addition to the complete book you can read an exclusive author essay, take a quiz, receive a course guide and watch an exclusive author video where stephen prothero describes his spiritual journey. It may, however, inspire you to pray for a quick end to the book. Manual or the letter left behind of the september 11 hijackers see lincoln. Jun 10, 2007 so it was with smug anticipation that i opened religious literacy, stephen prothero s jeremiad about declining religious knowledge. Prothero avoids the trap of religious relativism by addressing both the core tenets of. Best nonfiction books of 2007, washington post for religious literacy. His work has been featured on the cover of time magazine, the oprah winfrey show, the daily show with jon stewart, the colbert report, npr, and other top national media outlets.
Prothero chairs the department of religion at boston university. He argues further that high schools and colleges should offer required courses in the study of religion in order to help students reach that baseline literacy. What every american needs to knowand doesnt, stephen prothero 2007 has referred to religious literacy as. Stephen prothero, the chair of boston universitys religion department, proposes not. Download religion matters ebook pdf epub or read online free. What you dont know according to stephen prothero desks. Barker, calls religious literacy a critical addition to the debate about americans civic education. Stephen prothero believes that religion should be taught in the public schools. What every american needs to know and doesnt harpercollins e books, february 2007 iv298, we find a discussion of the paradox that americans are both deeply religious and profoundly ignorant about religion pg. Stephen prothero is a historian of american religions and author of the book god is not one. The united states is one of the most religious places on earth, but it is also a nation of shocking religious illiteracy.
The eight rival religions that run the world and why their differences matter. Analysis of stephen protheros religious literacy 1170. Resources and tools for religious literacy and competency. Protheros book can be recommended for its readability. The books argument, she adds, is compelling and persuasively presented and its dictionary of religious literacy readable and sometimes entertaining. I see that our cultural knowledge of religion is poor, i know. Religious literacy in the curriculum in compulsory. Mar 25, 2007 prothero views the 20th centurys much sharper decline in religious literacy as a product of changes in both religion and society. Teaching for religious literacy gallagher 2009 teaching. He is a professor of religion at boston university and the author of ten books on religion in the united states, including the new york times bestseller religious literacy.
This book will do very little, if anything to improve your religious literacy. Apparently many people reacted to this book by telling prothero the same thing i thought when i finished reading that book. What every american needs to knowand doesnt kindle. Although that book is not online, the companion volume, the new dictionary of cultural literacy, by e. Stephen prothero s religious literacy makes a strong case that minimal religious literacy is an essential requirement for contemporary u. Stephen protheros religious literacy quiz part i adapted.
May 20, 2008 prothero s book ends with a dictionary of religious literacy, a remarkably helpful introduction to the major beliefs of the worlds religions. Building religious literacy through the greatest stories ever told, religion matters, stephen prothero, 9780393422047. Through the exploration of these ancient stories and contemporary practices, stephen prothero, a new york times. What every american needs to know and doesnt, harpercollins, 2007. Students will also increase their intelligence, critical thi. Mar 11, 2007 prothero should be applauded for undertaking the task of inserting religious literacy into public debate, and his book would make a good beginning as a text for teaching religious literacy. Advocating for a politics stripped entirely of religious reasonswhat the catholic critic richard. Stephen prothero is the new york times bestselling author of religious literacy and god is not one, a professor of religion at boston university, and a senior fellow at the smithsonians national museum of american history in washington d.
Religious literacy harpercollins harpercollins publishers. Stephen prothero is a professor of religious studies, and in the introduction to religious literacy, he makes very clear the difference between engaging in religious studies, and preaching. Complete with a dictionary of the key beliefs, characters, and stories of christianity, islam, and other religions, religious literacy reveals what every american needs to know in order to. Teaching for religious literacy wiley online library. What every american needs to know aboutand doesnt, by stephen prothero. Pdf god is not one ebook download full ebook makes. Complete with a dictionary of the key beliefs, characters, and stories of christianity, islam, and other religions, religious literacy reveals what every american needs to know in order to confront the domestic and foreign challenges facing this country today. But while we agree on the problem facing america today, and i appreciated his scholarship on why exactly religious literacy has declined, i do differ with prothero when it comes to the solutions he suggests. Nostra aetate and the religious literacy of catholic students. Stephen prothero overcoming religious illiteracy with the basic tenets of religion 219. Stephen prothero is the new york times bestselling author of religious.
Best of 2010 enhanced ebook, itunes for god is not one. Stephen prothero s religious literacy quiz part ii adapted from stephen prothero, religious literacy n. Religious literacy ebook by stephen prothero 9780061856211. Schreiner adds that religious education makes a vital contribut. Stephen protheros religious literacy makes a strong case that minimal reli. What every american needs to know and doesnt 2007 my work as an instructor in the academic study of religion is, therefore, cut out for me. What every american needs to know and doesnt in stephen. As an alternative, the kindle ebook is available now and can be read on any. Hirschs book, cultural literacy, which came out in 1987.
Religious literacy by stephen prothero ebooks scribd. Stephen prothero wrote the book on american religious illiteracy literally. Prodigal son as a manual or a recipe, keeping the mental set enti. Religious literacy by stephen prothero is about the history and fall of religious literacy in america. Nov 11, 2019 in stephen prothero s last book, religious literacy, prothero made the case that the level of understanding about the major world religions is dangerously low.
Only 10 percent of american teenagers can name all five major world religions and 15 percent cannot name any. Resources and tools for religious literacy and competency building religious literacy and competency is an ongoing process, with a wealth of selfdirected study resources as well as classroom training available. In one of the great ironies of american religious history, prothero writes, it was the nations most fervent people of faith who steered us down the road to religious illiteracy. One ironic factor is an emphasis on a bland tolerance that, while. In this book, stephen prothero campaigns against religious illiteracy and offers some solutions to this pervasive problem in the united states. Quill book award in religionspirituality for 2007 for religious literacy.
Quill book award in religion spirituality for 2007 for religious literacy. Just how that happened is one of the stories this book has to tell. Best religion writing of 2008, the revealer for a niche of a prayer in a vulnerable place, killing the buddha, august, 2008. Pdf download free religion matters reader library ebooks. Prothero avoids the trap of religious relativism by addressing both the core tenets of the worlds major religions and the real differences among them. George bush spoke in his first inaugural of the jericho road. Match the bible characters with the stories in which they appear by drawing a line from one to the other. The book s argument, she adds, is compelling and persuasively presented and its dictionary of religious literacy readable and sometimes entertaining. Religious literacy chapter summary 2245 words cram.
In the book, prothero disagrees with the claim that all religions share essential beliefs, arguing that its important to acknowledge honestly religious differences. By exploring these ancient stories and contemporary practices, religion matters helps students to better grasp the role of religious traditions in our fractured world and to. The book starts out about america today and its current religious literacy. Dec 03, 2014 and, like prothero, i strongly believe that increasing religious literacy is critical to building better citizens and just better people. If in america today faith is almost entirely devoid of content p. Nearly twothirds of americans believe that the bible holds the answ. Stephen prothero talks about the illiteracy in america and. Critical praise this book is a mustread not only for educators, clergy and government officials, but for all adults.
A good starting point is taking a religious literacy selfassessment quiz and then proceeding to selfstudy with a. Perhaps the most provocative recent book concerning teaching about religion is stephen. Stephen prothero is the new york times bestselling author of religious literacy and god is not one and a professor of religion at boston university. Department of religious studies at boston university. What every american needs to know and doesnt in stephen prothero, religious literacy. Religious literacy ebook 9780061856211 by stephen prothero. Why its vital to understand religious diversity in america.
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