The Lord’s Prayer is still more easily recognised by people in Britain than some of the most famous lines from the National Anthem, Shakespeare, Dickens or Churchill, according to new research by the Church of England.
More than 2000 people across the UK were asked to match seven famous lines from literature, history and culture, including ‘Give us this, our daily bread’, with their source.
The famous literary lines were ‘To be or not to be’, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the opening to Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’.
From British history, people were asked if they recognised the phrase ‘Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few’ - Churchill’s stirring words in the House of Commons in August 1940 amid the Battle of Britain.
Famous musical lyrics offered were ‘You'll never walk alone’ which was a hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers – also the anthem of Liverpool FC; and ‘Happy and glorious / Long to reign over us,’ from God Save The King.
From the world of film, they were asked if they recognised ‘May the force be with you’ from Star Wars.
Overall, the phrase from the Lord’s Prayer was recognised correctly by the largest number of people (80.3 per cent), just ahead of Star Wars (79.9 per cent).
They were followed by Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ (73 per cent) the extract from the National Anthem (63 per cent); the line from Churchill’s speech (61 per cent); and You'll Never Walk Alone (58 per cent).
38 per cent correctly identified the opening line from Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities.
The survey then gave people the full wording of Lord’s Prayer and asked them to select the lines they found most meaningful. The most commonly selected line was '…and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us'.
Overall 89 per cent of those surveyed said that they had previously heard of the Lord's Prayer or the Our Father. This was highest among those who described themselves as Christian (95 per cent), but also by 88 per cent of those who said they had no religion.
89 per cent said they had prayed the Lord's Prayer and 58 per cent said they had done so in their daily life.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is currently leading a ‘Lord’s Prayer Tour’ of events at churches and cathedrals across the north of England attended by thousands of people, as part of his Faith In The North initiative. He said:
“These results reflect what we’ve been hearing across the North of England through our Faith in the North initiative, which invites people to explore the Lord’s Prayer.
“Though ancient, its words continue to resonate with people of all faiths and none.
“In a world of shifting cultures and changing circumstances, the Lord’s Prayer remains a steady guide - perhaps never more so than now.
“Lines like 'Give us this day our daily bread' speak powerfully to today’s challenges, reminding us to seek sufficiency, not excess, and to consider what ‘enough’ truly means.”