Learning about Other Religions Helps Evangelical Students Stay Grounded in Their Faith, New Study Finds

A new study shows that evangelical students have a better understanding of world religions and that knowledge is helping them stay grounded in their faith, according to Christianity Today.

The Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS) studied students before, during, and after their college career to gauge their relationship with religion. Over 1,300 students were interviewed from 15 evangelical universities.

When interviewed after their college experience, evangelical students answered 0.83 more questions correctly than students who graduated from Catholic or secular schools. According to Ryan Burge, an instructor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, “that gain in religious knowledge is tied for the largest increase among any type of college or university and resulted in the highest average score at the end of the survey period.”

Before starting college, over half of evangelical students were able to answer questions about Joseph Smith’s founding of the Mormon Church; by the end of college, over 70 percent could answer the question. Students also grew in their understanding of nirvana and about the Catholic social activist Dorothy Day.

To calm any fears parents may have about students learning other world religions, the study showed that over 80% of evangelical students with a high understanding of…