TEACHING THE BIBLE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: A NEW APPROACH

by Stan Griffin

A cursory reading of Supreme Court decisions on the separation of church and state, particularly involving public schools and the Bible, would seem to indicate the justices simply don’t want any mixing of the two. Praying in schools and Ten Commandments’ displays there have been struck down by the high court.

Looking a little farther, however, you read the following taken from a decision in 1963: "The Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities ..." if "presented objectively as part of a secular (non-religious) program of education." Many public schools have not offered such course work in the past, partly because of legal worries and also due to conflicting demands for other elective classes.

Until this year, a school wishing to install such a Bible course found it difficult to locate teacher materials, depending on " ... a hodgepodge ..." of sources, none of which came highly recommended. A number of institutions turned to a program distributed by the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They provide only a rough teacher outline; Bibles themselves are used as textbooks. Favored by many evangelical groups but often criticized, this class is taught in several hundred schools in 37 states.

Building a case for the value of Biblical knowledge is not difficult. In one English Advanced Placement prep course, 60 percent of allusions (indirect mentions) came from the Bible. One example: "walking on water." Students with no background in the Scriptures would not do well.

In the works of Shakespeare, there are 1,300 documented attributions to the Bible. If these cannot be understood, then neither can the ideas of William Shakespeare. Without such knowledge, " ... (young people) cannot grasp basic references in literature, music ... art ... (and history) to David and Goliath, Moses, or concepts such as forbidden fruit and the Adam’s apple ..."

Polls indicate teens don’t know much about Scriptures. Only 50 percent of American teens know the story of Jesus changing water into wine, and 10 percent of them don’t know what the Easter holiday celebrates. "The scholastic knowledge of the Bible ... is being lost between our generations ..."

Other polls show 60 percent of Americans want to see the Bible taught in public schools, but only 8 percent of them say their school offers such an elective. And 98 percent of high school teachers believe Bible literacy gives students a distinct educational advantage.

Until recently, there has been no modern textbook published by a national company for studying the Bible. The only previous text was decades old and was inadequate " ... .because it treated the Bible only as literature, slighting its religious significance."

Now an interfaith group has released (September, 2005) a new text designed to teach public high school students about the Bible. The Bible Literacy Project of Fairfax, Virginia worked for five years and spent $2 million developing this new volume. During that time the authors consulted with educators, publishers, Christian and Jewish leaders, and First Amendment experts.

"The Bible and Its Influence" came out in time for school districts to consider it as an elective course in the 2006-2007 school year. It covers both the Old and New Testaments, is designed for use in English, history, or social studies classes, and is suitable for either a semester course or a full year’s study. Its 392 pages are " .. lavishly decorated ... , and it has a retail price of $67.95 or $50 for schools.

Over 40 men and women of varying religious backgrounds made contributions to the new textbook: Evangelical Christians, mainline Protestants, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, and secular experts took part.

Endorsements for "The Bible and Its Influence" have come from a number of major educational groups including: the American Federation of Teachers, National Association of Evangelicals, Council on Islamic Education, People for the American Way (a liberal advocacy organization), National School Boards Association, and experts on literature, religion,, and church-state law.

Authors of the new textbook have " ... attempted to teach the Bible, explaining its influence on art, music, history, etc. without endorsing any religious views. It’s their purpose to ... respect all religions, constitutional law, scholarship, traditions of various faiths, and divergent interpretations ..".

B. L. P founder Chuck Stetson says it is " ... possible to acknowledge and respect deep religious differences and still find common ground ..." and "Knowledge belongs in school. Belief is appropriate in the home and other places–not in school ..." He also said his aim is "to fill a vacuum caused by ... educators’ overreaction to a 1963 Supreme Court decision that declared unconstitutional the assigning of Bible readings and recitation of the Lord’s Prayer in schools."

Editors have " ... accommodated Jewish sensibilities about the New Testament, (attributed) ...reports of miracles to the source instead of calling them historical facts, and downplayed scholarly theories that offend conservatives ..."

Cullen Schippe, co-editor, said: "The key to effective education is respect for biblical text, constitutional law, scholarship, various faith traditions, and divergent interpretations."

The B.L.P. has self-published 10,000 copies, a relatively small number. This enables its editors to " ... seek input and make adjustments before printing a larger number of copies ..."

"The new text was tested in two high schools. Bible Literacy will offer online teacher training through Concordia University in Portland, Oregon."

A senior scholar with the First Amendment Center who has reviewed "The Bible and Its Influence" says, "I believe this really upholds the First Amendment and is sound educationally ...

It could open the door to widespread Bible courses in public high schools."
 

SOURCES
 

"Textbook On Bible is Joint Effort" Richard N. Ostling, The Associated Press, "Cincinnati Enquirer" Sept. 23, 2005

"Secular Bid to Teach the Bible" Margaret Talev, Sacramento Bee Washington Bureau, Sept. 22, 2005

"Interfaith Group Makes Bible Text Meant to Avoid Disputes" The Associated Press, www.usatoday.com

"New Textbook on Bible’s Impact Threads ‘Constitutional Needle’" Steven Thomma, San Jose Mercury News, Sept. 22, 2005

"New U.S. Textbook Aims to Teach Bible as Knowledge" Alan Elsnor, Reuters, Nov. 11, 2005

"New Public School Textbooks On the Bible Cleverly Skirts Trouble," Richard Ostling, The Associated Press, Oct. 14, 2005