Reframing biblical interpretation may help religious students accept evolution.
Reframing biblical interpretation may help religious students accept evolution without reducing religiosity.
Why it matters
- Identifies biblical literalism as a key factor in rejecting evolution.
- Shows that educational interventions can increase evolution acceptance among religious students.
By the numbers
- Survey included 408 religious adults.
- Classroom intervention involved 186 students.
- Increased acceptance of macroevolution and human evolution after the intervention.
The big picture
- Biblical interpretation plays a significant role in evolution acceptance.
- Educational approaches can bridge the gap between science and religion.
What they're saying
- Some educators express concerns about teaching theology in public schools.
- Personal anecdotes highlight experiences with reconciling religion and evolution.
Caveats
- Study conducted at a single university with a homogenous student body.
- Limited generalizability due to the specific religious context.
What’s next
- Researchers are conducting a follow-up study to explore high biblical literalism and evolution acceptance.