College English Profs to Students: Read the Bible!

Written by Darren Hewer

How can students prepare themselves for success in college & university English classes? Even among English professors at secular universities, a study has found “virtual unanimity” regarding the importance of studying the Bible. “The survey reveals that English professors surveyed at leading universities — including Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford — agreed that “regardless of a person’s faith, an educated person needs to know about the Bible.”" (CollegeNews)

Although the study was released in 2006, its results are still relevant today. Ulrich Knoefplmacher, professor of ancient and modern literature at Princeton University, notes that “Not to have a knowledge of the Bible is almost crippling in students’ ability to be sophisticated readers.”

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Most of the professors seem to be recommending reading the Bible because it will help students understand literature better. But reading it will also help them understand life better too.

Is this another approach that Christians can use somehow to introduce others to God’s Word, or a way that parents can encourage their kids to read more of the Bible (and hopefully have their lives transformed by it)? For “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” and “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Romans 10:17, Hebrews 11:6)

If someone you know is interested in studying the Bible for the first time, you can point them to a resource on our own site called “A Guided Tour: Reading through the Bible” which serves as an introduction to learning about the Bible. Another option is suggest that they visit an ALPHA program in your area, which teaches some of the essentials about the Bible and the Christian faith. You can find a program nearby in the USA or in Canada, or visit the ALPHA website for other countries.

If you’d prefer to have a personal recommendation or have specific questions you can always contact us and we’ll try to point you in the right direction!