Isaac Madsen: Antidote to Anecdote - Statistics As Crucial to the Mission of Tertiary Christian Education

The George Buchanan Forum

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted an issue in tertiary Christian education. Many Christians are deficient in their understanding of statistics. Whereas a lack of understanding in specialized fields (e.g. soil science) results in an excusable knowledge gap, an inadequate understanding of statistics bars access to a great deal of knowledge which relies on data. Data is used to make inferences in the sciences and inform decisions in government and business. The means by which data is interpreted to usable information are statistical methods. In this way, statistics is not a string of disconnected numbers, but rather a set of techniques that when appropriately applied allows for a more accurate understanding of our world. It is not necessary for all Christians to understand the process by which data becomes information, but for those who wish to make claims regarding the excess mortality during pandemics, the efficacy of masks, etc... an understanding of statistics is essential. For this reason Christians who seek to shape culture through leadership in business, science, and government should have a rudimentary understanding of statistical methods. Tertiary education institutions seeking to cultivate such cultural leadership should carefully consider including statistical methods as core curriculum.George Buchanan was a late 16th-century Scottish Reformed thinker who used Scripture, history, and the natural law to argue for the restraint of civil rulers, the resistance to tyranny, and the freedom of Christian citizens. Like its namesake, the George Buchanan Forum is a community of liberty-minded Christians seeking to integrate theology, political theory, economics, and history. Learn more at https://www.tgbf.org/