Name the ten commandments.

No, really… pause for a moment, turn away from the computer, and jot down all ten.

Got ’em? Good. Okay, now name the twelve disciples.

How about the Beatitudes?

Know the location of Paul’s famously beautiful chapter about love and all of its distinguishing characteristics?

Don’t worry… I’ve been embarrassed myself in recent days as I’ve studied the crisis of Biblical illiteracy. (What an ugly term.) But America… and the church… are in the midst of a crisis. While the country prides itself on its religious freedoms, even born-again believers are frightfully ignorant about what the Bible contains. And I’m one of those who needs to learn more.

After months and months of interviews and writing, my biggest assignment for Response magazine has been published. It’s a glimpse at the problem… and its devastating consequences.

I love working on this magazine, with this talented team of creative people. Below, you’ll find a list of the articles we’ve composed for this issue.

If you’d like a free copy of the print issue, send me an email at joverstreet [at] gmail (dot) com. Your subscription is free, and it really is worth it. The magazine looks absolutely beautiful (as usual). It’s worth it just for the pictures… not to mention the articles that my colleagues write for it.

This issue contains:

Are We Biblically Illiterate?
This is my cover story article. Research shows that 21st-century Americans — including Christians — are stunningly ignorant when it comes to the Bible, the book that profoundly influenced Western history and culture, and that lies at the heart of the Christian faith. So … does biblical literacy matter anymore?

Why Does Biblical Literacy Matter?
A gallery of perspectives from Christian leaders on this crisis, drawn largely from my interviews with them.

Eat This Book
My review of Eugene Peterson’s impassioned appeal to believers to meditate on scripture.

Online Exclusive: Response Biblical Literacy Quiz
A quiz to test your Bible knowledge.

The Multifaceted Bible
The Bible is one of the most extraordinary books ever written, containing a vast compilation of texts, yet forming a whole pointing to God’s story for his people. SPU professors lead Response readers through four ways the church has historically viewed the Bible: as literature, Scripture, canon, and sacrament.

Eyes of Faith
Richard Hays, one of the world’s experts on New Testament ethics, sees an urgent need for clarified vision in biblical scholarship. Today’s scholars, he says, are choosing between two diverging paths: a secularistic, historical interpretation of the Bible or a theological interpretation for the benefit of the church.

The Bible Tells Me So
While the majority of Americans may be biblically illiterate, children at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Issaquah, Washington, know their Bible. They take part in a challenging Sunday school curriculum with such offerings as Old and New Testament surveys and classes in church history and world religions.

Found in Translation
At home in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, alumni Jeff and Laura Beth Webster believe Bible translation has the potential to transform an entire people group — because it communicates the gospel message while preserving a language previously found in little or no written form.

And much, much, much more.

(Here’s an archive of my film reviews for Response.)

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