This week has seen an increased focus on the success - and failure - of the media's coverage of religion. A BBC poll published on Wednesday showed that while 45% of people in this country think that the UK media report religion accurately, 35% think there is room for improvement.
On the one hand, this is heartening news for the many hard-working journalists and broadcasters out there. Much coverage of religion deserves commendation for its innovation and balance. However, if a third of media coverage on religion is deemed to be inaccurate, then something is wrong. And what's wrong, as argued by a new book launched this week, is that many journalists have a 'blind spot' when it comes to God. (Photo: Adam Tinworth)
A fascinating follow-up to Andrew Motion's clarion call last week for students to improve their biblical literacy. It turns out from The Guardian's - admitttedly unscientific - biblical knowledge test that Motion has been vindicated. It seems that the younger you are, the less you know about the Bible. The average score for those under 15 was 5/10; those who were three score years and ten - 70 or above - achieved an average of 8/10.
A couple of points worth noting. Firstly, this test was on prompted awareness. Respondents were presented with multiple-choice answers. Undoubtedly, if people were asked to answer the questions without help, the scores would have been a lot lower. Secondly, over 5,000 people took part in this little test. The equivalent test on the BBC was, at one stage, the most emailed story that day. Editors take note; readers are interested in content of the Bible - if it's creatively presented. Photo: Samson captured by the Philistines - wallyg
I think it's safe to say that cancer-stricken Jade Goody has now become almost emblematic of Britain's well-meaning, if muddled, spirituality. The reality TV star has turned to God in her last days, finding comfort in the Bible, planning a christening for her kids and receiving visits from a clergyman.
Her favourite passage, from which she is drawing strength, is from the book of Jeremiah (33:3): "Call to me and I will answer you. I will tell you wonderful marvellous things that you know nothing about" (Good News Bible). Perhaps fittingly for poor Jade, the verse forms part of what's known as 'The Book of Consolation' because of its message of hope - an upbeat section in what's otherwise quite a downbeat book.
Jade's sudden recourse to the Bible, however, says a lot about how we Brits relate to God. She is almost the very definition of 'believing without belonging'.
As a result, they're struggling to understand some of the classics of English Literature. From Milton's Paradise Lost to Shelley's Frankenstein, biblical themes and stories are woven into the fabric of our literary heritage. Despite this, when Motion once gave a lecture on Milton, he "found very few knew there had been a civil war. As for the Bible, forget it. They just about knew who Adam and Eve were." Fortunately, help is at hand. Photo: Zaqarbal
I've been doing some digging this week on the impact of the Bible on our world. One of the areas I've been looking at is its legacy in classical music. While beavering away, I came across this short video clip about how the Bible inspired Johann Sebastian Bach as a composer. It's worth watching.
It's a nice illustration of how the Bible has often been a hidden force for good. We would never have known about Bach's interior motivations had his Bible not been preserved - witness the discussions about the beliefs of Mozart and Beethoven for evidence of that. But here is proof that his devotional music had its origins in a real faith - and a faith in which the Bible played a central role.
"That basic notion, that the world is there for us and if it doesn't actually serve our purposes [and that] it's dispensable... has produced the devastation of vast areas of the land's surface", he claims. Strong stuff. But does Attenborough have a point? Has Genesis really been responsible for centuries of environmental exploitation? Photo: subnet24
