School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of Exeter
Abstract
publication-status: PublishedIn the third phase of the Biblos project we wanted to get closer to the problems
of the Bible in our culture. How can we be sure what young people think about it?
Here we used questionnaires and interviews with students in Year 6 (chronological
ages 10 and 11), Year 9 (ages 13, 14) and Year 12 (Lower Sixth, 16, 17). Are their
attitudes uniformly negative, or have we come to assume that without good reason?
How far do attitudes vary with age? Or gender? Or religious affiliation (or lack of it)?
Where have these attitudes come from? We wanted to ensure that from a statistical
and methodological point of view, the research was reliable. Our sample closely
reflected the 2001 national census categories of religious adherence. Some
conclusions from this phase of the work are surprising. Others are not. They are
presented in detail in the report that follows. But our findings represent a wake-up call
to Religious Education, to the faith communities that deal with the Bible and to the
Bible Society itself in seeking to present biblical narrative effectively to young
people.The Bible Societ
