New Online Quiz Reveals How Pastors View the Bible

Contact: Marshall Shelley, Christianity Today International, 630-260-6200 ext 4249, mshelley@christianitytoday.com

CAROL STREAM, Ill., May 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- More than 30,000 pastors and church leaders have taken a unique, interactive quiz designed to help them think about how they read—or don't read—the Bible. Developed by Leadership journal, the 20-question quiz categorizes respondents as conservative, moderate, or progressive, and has sparked a wide range of Internet discussion and feedback.

The Hermeneutics Quiz, created by Dr. Scot McKnight, Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University (Chicago), also was printed in the Winter 2008 issue of Leadership journal. Another Leadership site, BuildingChurchLeaders.com, offers an interactive version that gives immediate results to church leaders about how they interpret the Bible.

"I'm fascinated with how two people can look at the same passage of the Bible and come away with such different applications," says McKnight. "We need to do more serious thinking about what we do when we say we apply the Bible to our daily living. What I hoped for is happening: folks are taking this quiz and it is sparking conversations about hermeneutics all over the world."

"Admittedly, no quiz can reveal all the nuances of how we interpret the Bible," says Leadership Managing Editor Skye Jethani, "but we wanted to develop something that would help thousands of Christians think deeper about their Bible interpretation and even discuss it with others. We've accomplished that."

In addition to the 30,000 people who have taken the The Hermeneutics Quiz online, other data shows its impressive popularity:

• Bloggers and websites have recommended the quiz, linked to it, and/or discussed it with their readers over 11,000 times since it became available online just over two months ago.
• In its first month online, the quiz was one of the most-read articles on ChristianityToday.com.

To read The Hermeneutics Quiz from Leadership journal, visit http://www.christianitytoday.com/go/hermeneuticsquiz

To take the interactive, online quiz at BuildingChurchLeaders.com, visit http://www.hermeneuticsquiz.com

Christianity Today International was founded by Billy Graham in 1956. The publisher now produces 14 magazines, an award-winning website with more than 30 online-magazine channels and 2.5 million unique visitors per month, and a wide array of Internet resources for people of faith.