Poorer Without the Knowledge

Reading the Bible to his son (Getty, 1864)

Abraham Lincoln's life, like that of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, was rooted in Christianity. His writings and speeches were filled with Scriptural references, which would be highly unusual in a politician of today. Also unusual: his audience understood him.

in an age of declining biblical literacy, we are in danger of losing touch with a key source of his greatness.

Why, for instance, did Lincoln begin the Gettysburg Address with the words “fourscore and seven years ago?” ...he knew that his audience was deeply familiar with the King James Bible and would recognize the language of the Psalms: “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years.”

At one time it was commonly understood that teaching about Christianity was different from preaching it. In avoiding the latter our schools have forsaken the former.

And so it is that we have little understanding of and identification with historical icons like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr., and we're the poorer for it.