The more "fundamentalist" the less educated./QUOTE]
Intellect is not spelled "always correct!"
In fact, you should know better than anyone, Luke, that the more education a preacher has the more tendency they have to lose track of the child-like faith it takes to believe, and light a fire under those you lead. Too much rationalization and application of book knowledge will rob the teacher and the students of pure truth.
Over analyzing is the Bible is the problem with many seminary preachers, and in doing so, they tend to lose track of the Biblical World View of the Word of God, sliding down that slippery slope and into the jaws of a world biblical view of the Bible! Book knowledge is only acceptable and good when the book the knowledge comes from is "THEE book (the Word of God).
I am not including you in this group, so don't get ALL defensive on me here. I am, however, including the over-educated teachers who minister at our more liberal churches, like the Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and let's not forget the Catholics? It is the thinking of these academiacs that has ushered in the inclusion and ordaining of homo$e#ual$, and same gender marriage to name just a few of their faults!
Education, and the longer a heart and mind are exposed to it, often result in more liberal thinking processes, and that is true when it comes to all things in life, from politics, to social ideals and cultural leanings.
I believe that the intellectual drive for bucket full of academia is where the ideologues were given birth!
As for the stats, you provided, you know that any poll in the hands of a good statistician can be slanted and hyped and spun any which way the party behind the poll wants it to read; much like you are doing, and then throwing back in the faces of the folks commenting, daring them to prove your stats wrong.
Well, here's a stat for you ... a while back I did a poll on drinking alcohol, and I guess I could have concluded from the majority of those responding who said they drink ... that Baptists are drunkards! That isn't true, and you and I know that. And this is true about the stats you posted here. These numbers have been spun to read like the pollster wanted it to read!
I am more inclined to judge the abilities and capabilities of those in the pulpit on their heart knowledge of God over their book knowledge. I'd rather listen to a sermon from a man or woman that loves the Lord and trusts in the Holy Ghost to empower them, than some convoluted, flowery fluff of well-placed words that have been well rehearsed and thought out prior to preaching on Sunday.
I'm sorry, but some of the world's greatest preachers and evangelists possessed an average amount of intellect and a universe of faith and a huge heart for God! I've sat under Phd, Thd, MDiv preachers, and while they used all the right words, and showed themselves to be well studied on the topic they presented, they also were more likely to be unable to reach beyond the level of boredom caused by their less than enthusiastic, monotone, mundane presentation. And it is this intellectual approach to preaching that causes the majority of the congregation to either doze off, or sit and stare at their watch wanting to get church over on time, so they can beat the Baptist or Pentecostals to the local Hometown Buffet; reigned supreme! How many intellectually taught preachers do you see making it as world-wide evangelists?
I don't know you, Luke, and you are probably well versed and rehearsed, and you may be able to motivate your congregation, but I guarantee you that it is not due to your level of intellectual knowledge but a combination of that intellect and your love for God, and the desire to share the Gospel to a lost world!
