A MINISTER who embarked on a mission to see if people could correctly identify Bible stories says the findings have caused “shock and disbelief”.

Since September 2006 the Rev Brian Brown, who lives in Yarnton and is a minister in the Oxford Methodist circuit, has been trying to find out how many people could name the 10 commandments or explain Biblical tales such as the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, or Joseph and his brothers.

After interviewing about 900 people across the country, Mr Brown found less than one in 20 people could name all 10 commandments — and 16 per cent couldn’t name any at all.

Sixty per cent of those interviewed knew nothing about the tale of the Good Samaritan and 40 per cent did not know the tradition of Christmas gifts came from the story of the wise men bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus.

The research was carried out around the country, including in Newcastle, Redditch, Lewisham, and Poole.

Mr Brown said: “There has been almost an outcry (about the findings) among the Ministry and a great burst of concern.

“I am not surprised by the figures because it is not something we didn’t know about, but it is the first time we have had the figures there, staring you straight in the face.

“People do not want to believe it and some try to put a positive spin on it and look at the percentages of people who do know the stories.

“It shows the figures disturb people.”

The research was carried out as part of Mr Brown’s work as a fellow at St John’s College, Durham University.

Mr Brown, formerly head of religious studies at Lady Spencer Churchill College, Oxford, tested out the questionnaire at Lime Walk Methodist Church in Oxford.

He said he was shocked that despite the most successful programme on television at the time of the research being Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for a singer to perform the role of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, 57 per cent of those surveyed knew nothing at all about the story.

Mr Brown said: “Like it or not, the Biblical tradition is the foundation of our Christian society.

“Our legal, social and care systems all derive from the stories we have inherited over the years and it is a massive cultural weakness that our children are growing up without knowing or understanding these foundations.”