The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-05-07
Ignorance Of the Bible.

The decadence of the Bible as book
OF study or of reading is indicated In
strong manner by an article from the
pen OF Rev. Charles F. Thwlng, presi-
dent of the Western Reserve university,
published in the current number of The
Century.
". Thwing tells OF two tests which
he has made to show the ignorance
OF the Bible by college students, which
leads him to ask the question:
Whether tho American people are real
" aware how far the Bible has ceased
TO be a forco in both their literature ana
their theology7 The Bible might con-
tinue TO be great force In theology
and cease to be a great force In litera-
ture; or one can easily think that the
Bible might maintain high place In
theology The critic is causing it 10 lose
fits theological value, and, apparently,
among the people IL Is ceasing 10 be
known a. a classic should be known.
The tests in question are thus de-
scribed by DR.. Thwing:
In the early part of the college year
of lS9i-a5 as the first exercise In IA course
of study In the Bible. / set for the mem
bers of the freshman class an examine
ton paper composed or extracts from
TennysOn each of which contained
Biblical alluslon not at ali reconcile. To
each of these thirty-four men twenty
two questions were put. which would
demand seven hundred and forty-eight
answers. The record shows that out or
a possible seven hundred and forty-elght
correct answers only three hundred ana
twenty-eight We're given.
SO much for the first test Five years
later / made a like test OF college girls
The questions We're Identical with SIN
gle exception. OF all the questions every
one was answered correctly by Just 0he
girl, and. what is rather more remarka-
BILE, her knowledge was so exact that 10
her replies TO "a good many of the queS-
tlons she added the book or the BlDIe
in which the reference is to be found.
Another girl omitted the reply to the
reference to Hezekiah, and gave Incorrect
answer to the one about the miracle
references to Hezeh.ah and 10 Peter
sheet, and answered incorrectly the ques-
ton of Pharaoh's darkness.
There are two roads by which the
position set Up by the writer might be
reached, either one of which Will have
supporters. The first will be that white
people at large may not know the line
and the letter of the book, that
this is made up by their more
manifest observance OF its aim
and spirit. Whether the angry
yerse-quoters described in The Little
Minister" show more respect for the
Bible than do the quiet observers OF ITS
preceptS 10 be found everywhere is
subject the answer to which might not
be unfavorable to the present condi-
ton. What a man does. rather than
what he quotes, should count for some
thing In the estimation of his charac-
ter.
The second phase OF the question.
showing that the Bible is not as widely
quoted in collegiate establishments, is
one much more readily answered.
There has, of late years, been a great
departure from positiyism to mega
tive, or rather, neutrality. In former
davs an educational institution was es-
tablished by a class of people having
ideas. both literary nd religious, in
common, and this WIS made manifest
in the curriculum. OF course, this lin
tied the scope of such institution to
those for whom it was intended. They
not only had the Bible there, but en-
4. ened it by their own conception OF
what it meant. The desire for increase
I'm attendance has led to the breaking
down of obstacles which stood in the
way. The interpreter Of the Bible was
removed; the book became a mere
reader" even this reading was re-
duced to occasional, and now those
who pose as leaders are moro engaged