Quote:
| this thread isn't asking if the bible can contribute to a richer education, but the original question insinuated something that i think is not a true statement. i do not think someone that is unfamiliar with samson and delilah or jonah, or ruth or bathsheba equates to being culturally illiterate. |
Not to pick on you, just thinking "outloud". But I think I have changed my mind. Being culturally literate means knowing about our culture, right?
Maybe we need to see it as a whole continuum.
I would say the phonics of cultural literacy would start with basic american history and government- Jamestown, George Washington, George Bush, the 3 part govenment, the national anthem. And I think here would also be nursery rhyme sort of things-Little Miss Muffet, or Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. For instance, if I were to move to Japan (and like many Americans, my knowledge of non-western civs is terrible). I would be culturally illiterate. I wouldn't know the current leader, or what form of government they have, or anything.
But does being able to sound out words make you literate? Kind of, but it seems to me that that wouldn't be enough for most people. You would want your kids to be able to understand most anything they would pick up-newpapers, best sellers, nutrition labels. Which usually takes a bit more work then basic literacy. And I think pretty quickly here on our continuum of cultural literacy comes in the influences that Christianity has on our culture. I mean, can you talk understand "the founding fathers" or the earliest settlers without it? I also think that Roman and Greek ideas have such a huge influence on Western Civ. that you would want to include them here too. To me this is the level of knowing about Samson and Delilah, but not about his hair
Again, if I were to move to Japan, I could pretty quickly pick up the things in the first category, basic history, a few important names, and the big things that are important to the culture. But would I then be culturally literate? Or would I need to know about the religion(s) and stories that are/have been told over and over? With out this level would I be able to understand why the people want something changed or not changed? Would I be able to undestand why things are the way they are? And is that important to understanding the culture?
In the next step to being "more literate" you would be able to pick up things that have a higher then average reading level--Journals for specific fields and other things with a specific vocabulary to them. A level that you can work your whole life on and still have things to learn. Also a level that most people don't feel is as important to teach, unless there is a reason. Here we get to the more nitty gritty of our culture. Sure most of us have a hazy idea of the more common Bible stories, that we heard as children, or saw a movie make over of (veggie tales, anyone?). I think that this is the level you have to find an interest in for yourself. Back to my Japanese example, once I start to feel a pretty good understanding of the culture, that may be enough for me. On the other hand, a newspaper article, or a discussion with a friend might inspire me to research something further.
