What is your response to the assertion
"A majority of the people who do serious academic study of Biblical history identify as adherents of Christian denominations." ??
I often see people asserting that this is true, and others denying that it is.
- I'd be especially interested if anyone can point me to any firm numbers on this (a survey of Biblical scholars, for example.)
I don't know of any firm studies - personal faith is something many good scholars try to keep separate from their work are consequently not much inclined to talk about it.
That said, if you talk to them, it usually becomes quickly apparent. I took a quick glance down the list of the faculty of theology at my particular Ivy league graduate school which has a reputation for being godless, and as far as I can see the two biblical scholars who are not practicing Christians are Muslim and Jewish, respectively.