Arecent study reveals that over 10% of American Protestants mistakenly cited New Testament narratives as their favorite Old Testament passages.
Released last week by Lifeway Research, the report titled “Protestant Churchgoers’ Views on Bible Stories” is based on a September 2023 survey of 1,008 Protestant attendees. Participants were asked to select their favorite story from the Old Testament.
The survey found that 13% of respondents favored the book of Exodus, particularly the story of Moses, as their top Old Testament tale. The story of Noah’s Ark was the second most popular choice, with 11% naming it as their favorite Old Testament story.
Notably, the proportion of respondents who preferred Noah’s Ark was matched by those who cited a New Testament story or book when asked about their favorite Old Testament narrative. Additionally, 7% of respondents selected “none” as their favorite Old Testament story, and 3% were unsure.
This indicates that only 79% of those surveyed were able to correctly identify an Old Testament story when prompted.
Scott McConnell, CEO of Lifeway Research, commented, “The fact that a significant number of churchgoers may not distinguish between the Old and New Testaments suggests that at least 1 in 5 may lack familiarity with the Bible’s structure. This could be due to limited personal study or reliance on others for guidance.”
McConnell continued, “The substantial number of churchgoers who admit to not fully understanding the biblical narratives highlights the need for consistent Bible education within churches.”
Among other popular Old Testament stories, respondents favored Genesis (10%), the story of David and Goliath (8%), Adam and Eve (5%), Job (4%), Ruth (4%), Joseph (3%), Jonah (3%), Daniel (3%), Esther (2%), David (2%), Psalms (2%), Cain and Abel (2%), Abraham (1%), Elijah (1%), and Samson (1%).
The survey also assessed participants’ familiarity with key Bible stories. Regarding David and Goliath, 34% felt they could accurately recount the story, while 39% believed they could provide a version with some errors. Twenty-three percent felt they could only give a brief overview, and 3% said they couldn’t recount it at all. Less than 1% thought it was not a Bible story.
Confidence was slightly higher for the story of Noah’s Ark, with 39% feeling they could recount it completely and 43% able to cover most details. Only 17% felt they could provide a brief overview, with just 1% unable to recall it or recognizing it as non-Biblical.
For the story of Daniel in the lion’s den, only 24% felt they could provide a complete recount, while 1% did not recognize it as a Bible story.
The survey also included a question about a fictional Bible story: Romulus and Remus. Only 39% recognized that this story is not in the Bible, while 33% couldn’t recall anything about it, 16% thought they could provide a brief overview, and 6% were confident they could remember most details.
McConnell added, “The admissions of confusion about biblical details underscore the importance of regular and comprehensive Bible instruction in churches. While knowing every biblical name may not be crucial, understanding biblical teachings is vital to the Christian faith, as Jesus declared Himself the only way.”