11% of Protestants can’t distinguish between Old, New Testaments

August 21, 2024

Nearly 1 in 10 Protestants, cited a New Testament story when asked about their favorite Old Testament passage, according to a new study by Lifeway Research.

The Christian Post reports that the “Protestant Churchgoer Views on Bible Stories” report released last week by Lifeway shows a surprising disconnect among American Protestant churchgoers who were surveyed.

According to the report, 1,008 respondents were asked, “Of all the stories found in the Old Testament of the Bible, which one is your favorite?” Lifeway reports that only 79% of participants actually identified an Old Testament story or book when asked about their favorite part of the Old Testament.

Lifeway Research CEO Scott McConnell told the Christian Post, “While churchgoers may open a Bible at church, at least 1 in 5 may not be familiar with how it is organized and what distinguishes the New Testament from the Old Testament. Some of these attendees may have spent less time in the Bible while others may not know the Bible for themselves because someone else has always been their GPS for navigating it.”

The survey also examined churchgoers’ ability to recite or summarize some of the most notable Bible stories from memory.

While most of the survey dealt with respondents’ views about genuine Bible stories, it also included a question asking for their thoughts about the story of Romulus and Remus, which is not a Biblical story.

The report states that only 39% of those surveyed recognized that the fictional passage was not part of the Bible.

Photo: top, Credit: The Christian Post