Bible quiz facts for kids

Bible Quizzing is an exciting competition where young people test their knowledge of the Christian Bible. It's also known as Bible Bowl or Bible Quiz. Teams, often from different churches, study and memorize parts of the Bible. Then, they answer questions about what they've learned. This activity is very popular in many Protestant churches and groups, especially in the United States. The rules can be a little different depending on who is organizing the competition.

Imagine a game show like Jeopardy!, but all the questions are about the Bible! Bible Quizzing is a bit like that. It's similar to other school quiz competitions, but the Bible is the main subject. Many groups use electronic buzzers. Players "buzz in" to answer first, just like on TV game shows. Other groups use a different method: quizzers jump up from a bench or pad when they know the answer. The first one to jump gets to answer the question.

A Look Back: The History of Bible Quizzing

After World War II, many youth groups in the United States came together. They formed an organization called Youth for Christ. This group helped coordinate activities for young Christians. One very popular activity was Bible quizzing.

Early Competitions and Growth

In the early days, teams were often made up of students from local high schools. They competed against each other in local events called "rallies." A typical competition had three teams, each with four players. They tried to answer 20 questions, read one by one. If a player answered five questions correctly or three incorrectly, another player would take their place.

The best teams from local areas would travel to compete against other champions. National competitions were held every year. These big events took place at the Winona Lake Bible Conference in Winona Lake, Indiana. There, national champions were crowned! Bible quizzing was most popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. For example, in 1959, 2,000 teams participated, and 7,000 people watched!

The "Jump-Up" Challenge

Early Bible quizzing had a unique rule. To answer a question, participants had to jump up from their seats! At first, judges simply watched to see who jumped first. They sometimes used index cards to help them decide.

Later, special seat cushions were invented. These cushions had electrical switches. When a quizzer jumped up, the switch would light a signal. This made it clear who jumped first. This system made the competition fair for everyone, no matter their height. It was also one of the first competitions for teens that included both boys and girls, and it even required a little bit of athletic skill!

By the late 1960s, things started to change. Bible quiz teams began to represent individual churches. Different church groups, called denominations, started holding their own competitions. These were separate from the Youth for Christ organization.

Bible Quizzing in Pop Culture

Bible quizzing has even appeared in movies and on TV!

The "Bible Quiz" Documentary

A movie called Bible Quiz is a documentary by filmmaker Nicole Teeny. It tells the story of a teenage Bible quizzer from the Assemblies of God church. She was trying to win the National Bible Quiz Championship in 2008. That competition happened in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The film was first shown at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival. It won a big award there for Best Documentary and was later released for everyone to see.

The "Bible Bowl" TV Show

There was also a Christian game show called Bible Bowl in the United States. "Coach" Jack Gray and a robot hosted the show! Two teams competed: the Bible Boys and the Gospel Girls. The show was filmed at KJRH in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was shown on religious TV channels sometimes during the 1970s and 1980s.

See Also

• The American Bible Challenge
• International Bible Contest