Upon This Rock By Jeremiah Sullivan Analysis

In his essay, “Upon This Rock,” John Jeremiah Sullivan details his journey as he explores the biggest Christian-rock festival in Pennsylvania-Creation- and encounters Christians whom he centers his attention on for the duration of the festival. Darius, Jake, Josh, Bub, Ritter, and Pee Wee, the six Christian youth Sullivan meets, explain to Sullivan the situations that prompted them to follow a religious path. The boys explain that “half of their childhood friends had been murdered- shot or stabbed over drugs or nothing”; (Sullivan 21) in turn, they found Christianity as a means for “God [to take] all that anger and stuff […] away” (Sullivan 21). Eventually, Sullivan reveals that he was once a born-again Christian, an Evangelist; however, he

did not consider himself a true follower in Christ because he was able to “reason [himself] out of the faith” (Sullivan 30), a quality that no true Christian possesses. During his final days at Creation, Sullivan emphasizes that although he did not have the ability to truly love God, the six boys he met at Creation were capable of doing so. Considering the positive impact of religion in the lives of six boys who experienced several tribulations in their past, religion should be an integral part of public education because it increases the possibility of higher academic achievement.
In the public education system, especially at elementary and high school level, religion is not a factor in the school curriculum.

Per Regnerus et al, professors who hold reputable positions at accredited teaching institutions, studies “display strong evidence that public schools now lag behind Catholic schools in the average educational achievement of their students, most poignantly in cities and low-income neighborhoods” (16). Although this study pertained mostly to a specific type of school- Catholic school- similar results can be achieved by requiring a child to take at least one religion-specific class. Similarly, another study expressed the impact of religion on academic achievement: “Individuals with no religious affiliation reported the fewest years of education and were also likely to have the least religious socialization. Not being affiliated with a church resulted in a detrimental impact on educational achievement” (Brown & Gary 422). Without some form of religious impact on an individual’s life, one experienced low academic achievement. Religion should being an integral of public education and should be a requirement of all students; however, an array of different religious courses should be offered so that one is not forced to learn something they have no interest

in.
As a child, I attended a primary school in Nigeria where the school gathered in the morning and prayed before classes. Considering that only two types religion were prevalent amongst the students, one teacher would lead the Muslim prayer, and the other, the Christian prayer. Although this does not equate to taking a class in the study of a specific religion, this practice was an integral part of my education. By participating in this, I was obeying my parents’ wishes and following one of the Ten Commandments: “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (King James Version Bible, Exodus 20.12). Though I thought nothing of the prayers as a child, I now realize that they instilled a sense of responsibility that still resides in me. The positive impact of religion in the educational aspect of my life makes me believe that there will be a similar effect on the lives of other children if religion is part of the public education system.