Landmark Public School Textbook ‘The Bible
and Its Influence,’ Featured in This Week’s TIME Magazine Cover Story...
Now Endorsed by New President of National
Association of Evangelicals, Representing 61 Denominations.
Bible Literacy Project textbook will be
in 7 Georgia County School Districts next year, incorporating more
than 30 school districts, to fulfill GA legislation, with more
expected.
FRONT ROYAL, Va. (March 29, 2007) -- The acclaimed new public
school textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, featured as this
week's April 2nd TIME magazine cover story, just received an
endorsement from Leith Anderson, the new president of the National
Association of Evangelicals (NAE), an association of more than
45,000 local churches from 61 different denominations and serving a
constituency of more than 30 million people.
"In The Bible and Its Influence, the Bible Literacy Project has
produced an outstanding textbook that will both encourage literacy
and open students' minds to the significant role the Bible has
played in shaping our modern civilization. With excellent
scholarship, it provides a broad-based curriculum that explores the
history, culture and content of the entire Bible and demonstrates
the value and relevance of biblical literacy for today," writes Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals.
The Bible and Its Influence -- in its first year used in 83 school
districts and 30 states -- is also endorsed by the general counsel of
the American Jewish Congress, Marc Stern, who calls it "a signal
achievement," as well as the chair of the Catholic Biblical
Association, Bishop Richard Sklba, who says "I am pleased to endorse
this effort wholeheartedly." The Bible Literary Project has formed
an historic consensus across a broad range of Americans who support
our course, including leading evangelicals Chuck Colson and Vonette
Bright, among many others.
 ALSO NEW: The Bible Literacy Project recently learned that its
textbook will be implemented by seven Georgia County School
Districts, which incorporate more than 30 individual school
districts. “This is an early indication of large scale adoption
throughout Georgia as a result of last year’s Georgia legislation,
which was the first in the nation to pass a law funding an academic
Bible elective in public schools, “ says Sheila Weber, spokesperson
for the Bible Literacy Project. “We expect to hear even greater
numbers as schools are making decisions this spring for next fall.”
The Bible and Its Influence, used along side the Bible, is the first
student textbook for public high school academic and non-devotional
study of the Bible for electives in English or Social Studies. It
has received wide acclaim from the media, scholars and faith leaders
of all backgrounds and was written to satisfy court guidelines which
stipulate that an academic course on the Bible can present content,
but not promote nor disparage belief. TIME magazine senior editor
reporter David Van Biema writes "A [public school Bible] course
should have a strong accompanying textbook on the model of The Bible
and Its Influence..."
The Bible Literacy Project just launched a new program to train
volunteers who want to bring this elective course to their local
high school. In just the first few weeks of this new volunteer
campaign, there are 124 volunteers being trained to properly present
this course to school officials. Interested individuals can register
for training and materials at
www.bibleliteracy.org/volunteer.
Others praise The Bible and Its Influence:
"One of 2005's notable books on religion."
Associated Press (Dec. 14, 2005)
"Bible textbook could circumvent culture war."
Knight-Ridder newspapers (Sept. 21, 2005)
"Appealing and educationally rigorous. Teaching the Bible in public
schools just got easier."
WORLD magazine (Sept. 23, 2005)
"A very good curriculum indeed... No small achievement."
Christianity Today (Oct. 2005)
"A remarkable textbook."
New York State School Board Association's On Board magazine (July
2006)
For more information, read the Overview at www.bibleliteracy.org.
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