DID YOU KNOW? Jesus Ignited The Flame of Literacy and Schools
Remember the bumper sticker that you often saw on cars and trucks on suburban streets that declared “If You Can Read This, Thank A Teacher”? It’s true, all of us have had teachers at one time or another who dramatically affected the course of our lives for the better.
J. Warner Wallace, author, “Person of Interest” video series.
But did you know it was Jesus and the faith He proclaimed that revolutionized education by taking it from a privilege afforded only to the elite of society to what we know today as an expectation for universal literacy?
The truth about history is, as J. Warner Wallace — the former “NBC Dateline” cold-case murder expert — explains in the following video, it was Jesus and those He inspired to be His followers in the centuries after His death and Resurrection, who revolutionized education wherever Christianity spread. Much of the advancement of civilization, to say nothing of the improved standard of living, is the direct result:
China, Japan and South Korea have near universal literacy. After centuries of Christian missionary activity in these countries, their Christian populations are estimated at 5%, 2%, and 30% respectively. Conversely, in a number of developing countries the population is both heavily Christian and largely illiterate (e.g., Liberia: 86% Christian, 43% adult literacy). Clearly the relationship between Christian proselytizing and widespread literacy, if any, is not as simple as the video suggests.
The even bigger claim that “Jesus Changed the History of Education” goes well beyond the thin material in a short video. To make that claim stick, one would have to describe the supposed historical difference – before and after – that one sees, and show that it would not have occurred otherwise. It would take more than three minutes, for sure. But as it is, the point of the video is unclear.
Very interesting and much appreciated observations. It does indeed take more than three minutes to completely present the case Wallace is making and I encourage you to check out his series, “Person of Interest,” where he presents the evidence from secular sources that Jesus is the most important “suspect” who ever lived. If you are interested in pursuing this, email me at mt.hillfaith@gmail.com. And thanks again for a thoughtful, critical response.