This August, the Game Show Network (GSN) will be debuting a game show testing contestants' knowledge of the Bible — and they're recruiting candidates who know their Bible right now.
The show, "The American Bible Challenge," will be hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, host of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" Not everything Foxworthy has done has been family friendly, but it looks like this show will be. And while I appreciate the random educational value of watching trivia game shows from "Jeopardy!" to "Cash Cab," a game show about the Bible could help raise the Biblical literacy of countless viewers.
From their website it looks like casting is mostly over — there were events in Chicago and Texas — but they are still apparently casting in Los Angeles, though the website doesn't list locations. I'll post more details if I hear anything.
Interestingly, the casting form includes a dropdown for "Religious Affiliation," listed alphabetically, with "Catholic" as the top option. I don't know how many Catholics will be on the show, but it would be great to see biblically literate Catholics compete on the show … so if you're a Catholic in the LA area and you really know your Bible, fill out the form.
In high school I competed for two years in a national Assemblies of God–based Bible quiz program that focused each year on a New Testament book or group of books. One year we did the Gospel of Luke, the next year 1 and 2 Corinthians.
Our team won the New Jersey championship both years, but we got crushed in interstate regional competition. With competition limited to individual books, your team could basically memorize the entire book over the course of the season — and you had to, since word for word quotations (in the King James!) were an important part of play.
A game show based on the entire Bible is a much more formidable proposition. I watch almost zero television … and I'm not 100 pecent sure I get GSN … but this is one game show I'd like to check out.
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You have no idea how close I was to driving down for the Atlanta casting call. In junior high, I was a regionally ranked Nazarene Bible quizzer in Northwest Ohio.
I’m a 33 yr old husband and dad to three boys and a bible reading Catholic who would love to come and try to compete in this new Bible quiz game show. i live in NJ and i know that’s far from LA but i would like the chance the oppurtunity to see if i can compete. peace and God BLess
Yes!! I love this idea! I only wish I had heard of it, I live so close to Atlanta…
I wonder how they accommodate for different translations, but I suppose they’ll make it in a way that that is not necessary..
Hopefully, a lot of questions will be from the Apocrypha. www.davidathey.com
Anybody else thinking they’d love to see Tim Staples on there? I thought it was interesting that they were calling for “Bible enthusiast” and celebrating the Bible as part of American literature. I didn’t check, but I wonder if there is a section for atheist. Many atheist do read/study the Bible in order to refute it. If so, it would make for some interesting questions. How do you have a Bible show that doesn’t piss off Christians, but still allows people of all faiths or no faith to participate?
Sounds interesting. My only concern is I hope this won’t turn into a Bible hatefest, a la the new atheists: “There is perhaps no more unpleasant character in all of fiction than the God of the Old Testament” (Richard Dawkins), etc.
I’d be up for it….... if I lived across the pond!
I love game shows and would love to see any of the biblical scholars on the Catholic Answers team be a contestent. I can already see a lot of charities getting a lot of help!!!
Wonderful! One question is which version of the bible do they intend to use since some answers can vary according to the version. Would be awesome for some of our Catholic Bible scholars to compete.(Jeff Cavins, Steve Ray, Scott Hahn, etc)Actually I would love to see Fr. Mitch Pacwa compete on this show. He could probably not only correct the host but give detailed background on the correct answer.
Mark Hart, the Bible Geek would be amazing on this.
I see a lot of suggestions for EWTN and Catholic Answers staff. C’mon people, there are a lot of us who know our Bibles because we are students or alums of orthodox Catholic colleges. For those who didn’t have such an opportunity, many more have been blessed with excellent adult catechetical programs in their parishes and dioceses. There is more than a righteous remnant of Bible scholars in the Church these days. I look forward to watching this show and would audition myself if I didn’t live 3000 miles from LA. Meanwhile, let us all do our part in knowing our faith by supporting Catholic radio, television, magazines and our Catholic bookstores.
If this show doesn’t make it or even if it did, wouldn’t it be cool for EWTN to do their own version? Perhaps a “Where’s That In The Bible” game show or “Do You Know Your Cathechism”?
I think the location for LA is:
OPEN CALL:
William Jessup University,
Edrington Conference RM
333 Sunset Blvd Rocklin, CA 95765
(found towards the top of the page)
Not interested! Unless you have the true Catholic exegesis to follow each verse. The Protesters will use this show to proselytize Catholics who are not familiar with the Bible. Verses that seem to go against what Catholics believe will dominate the show. Mark my words! Call no man Father, saved by faith not by works lest any man should boast, etc… you get the point!
Jews wrote the TaNaKh, or what Christians call the Old Testament. Bet you won’t have any Jews on the show. They don’t study the New Testament. Furthermore, they have very little interest in it, because it defames the Jews and is responsible for so much of their perseuction throughout the ages.
My family will not be watching your so called Bible show.
Charlotte Lawrence:
Yes, Jews wrote the Tanakh or Old Testament. They also wrote most of the New Testament. Certainly Saul of Tarsus was Jewish, for instance.
From your comments it seems you haven’t studied the NT, yet you are sure it “defames the Jews.” I presume you have studied the Tanakh and are familiar with the prophets’ often scathing critique of Israel. The NT critique is in many ways similar: a polemic-from-within, grounded not in a repudiation of the Jews or of Israel, but in a new understanding of what it means to be Israel.
Some Jews study the NT, incidentally. There are Jewish NT scholars, such as Rabbi Jacob Neusner.
God bless whomever came up with this idea; brilliant!! What a great way to educate people about God’s word in today’s world. I’m Coptic Orthodox and would love to see Christians from all denominations participate in this form of “mission” work.
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I would say a nice concept and a nice format of quiz on bible, it will show how aware are the common people regarding the holy book.. nice start..
I love god people to and maythe lord bless you to.And I hope you know that god love you.and how a bless day.
I loved bless day you and god love you and may the lord bless you to and your family and have great and bless and I know god will bless you with all his love. I hope know that the holy is the one that can save you for the demon.and have good day and bless day.
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