The dire lack of knowledge about our major religions risks driving religious debate into a conservative silo.

Illustration by Stephanie Barahona. When I was 16, I emailed singer-songwriter Tim Minchin to talk about God. I had just been to his concert, and as a devout Christian I was offended by his comedic takedowns of my religion. My first message started a dialogue that was to last for over a year. Below, I…