Questions and Answers about
The Bible and Its Influence
Frequently Asked Questions
- About our our textbook
- Teaching About the Bible in Public Schools
- Standards established in The Bible & Public
Schools: A First Amendment Guide
- Our research on Bible literacy
- About the Bible Literacy Project
- Correcting Misconceptions and
Inaccurate Reports About Our Textbook
- Getting the Facts Straight
1. About Our Textbook
What is the specific curriculum you are proposing?
We are offering a new student textbook entitled
The Bible and Its Influence,
released on September 22nd, 2005.
Online teacher training is now available nationwide, and a
teacher’s edition of the textbook was released in late
August 2006.
This new textbook was created to fulfill the standards of the
consensus statement
The Bible &
Public Schools: A First Amendment Guide. The textbook has
been reviewed by scholars and teachers, respects faith perspectives
without endorsing them, and is the first public school Bible
textbook of its kind.
A primary goal of the course is basic Biblical literacy—a grasp of
the language, major narratives, and characters of the Bible. The
course also explores the influence of the Bible in classic and
contemporary poems, plays, and novels.
Of course, the Bible is not merely literature—for a number of
religious traditions it is sacred text. Our curriculum and online
teacher training prepare teachers to address the relevant, major
religious readings of the text in an academic and objective manner.
What are the benefits of using a student textbook in a Bible
course?
This course requires that students read directly from the Bible
alongside the student textbook. The value of a student textbook is
that it prevents the teacher from veering away from First Amendment
standards. In addition, the exquisitely beautiful artwork and unique
feature sections on the Bible’s influence on culture are visually
exciting and enriching for teenagers. The course is designed to
allow the content of the Bible to “speak for itself.”
Where is this textbook being used in the public schools?
The Bible and Its Influence was released in late September
2005. Today, 181 schools in 38 states and five countries have
successfully implemented our course. At this time, nearly 2,000 educators are reviewing the
course for inclusion in their curriculum.
Highlights:
- One school district in Alaska spent five years researching how to provide a
Bible elective, and officially adopted The Bible and Its Influence early on in
December, 2005.
- One of our pilot programs in Southern California has been so
popular that the school has increased from 1 to three 3 classes
so that more than half of the seniors now take our course.
- The public high school in Leander, Texas began teaching the first half of
The
Bible and Its Influence (on Hebrew Scriptures) in September, 2005 to such great
success that at the students’ request, the high school continued offering the
course in January, 2006 to cover the New Testament half of the textbook.
(We have chosen not to release the names of schools to the public as an act of
courtesy so that school offices will not be besieged by inquiries from the
media, for which their administrative offices may be understaffed and not
prepared to manage.)
How does a school system begin using this textbook?
Every state and locality is different. Volunteers can
click here for support and
resources for bringing this curriculum to local school districts and high
schools. Our volunteer coordinator can assist interested individuals in
approaching a principal, a curriculum director, and/or a school board with a
request to provide students with this course as an English or social
studies elective.
Educators who need information or resources should complete our
school inquiry
form or call (866)-805-6574 (toll free).
Which Bible translation should be used?
The Bible Literacy Project believes the best approach is to let
students use whatever translation they prefer. When the textbook
includes excerpts from the Bible, it uses among a variety of several
translations so that there is a broad representation inside the
textbook.
How will theological questions be addressed in the classroom?
This course provides an academic study of Biblical narratives and
their influence on literature and culture; it does not promote or
discourage religious belief. Theological questions should be
referred to the student’s faith leader. Our online teacher training
and the teacher’s edition of The Bible and Its Influence will
facilitate classroom discussions and provide answers to questions included in the
student textbook.
What about other curricula for study of the Bible in public
schools? How does yours compare?
A recent Gallup poll found that only 8% of public school teens
say they have access to an elective course on the Bible, yet experts
say greater Bible knowledge is needed for a good education (Bible
Literacy Report, April 2005). We believe that this situation is due
in part to the recent lack of a legal and rigorous curriculum that
can be used nationwide. While some English teachers have created
their own courses, most teachers do not have the time or resources
to create their own legally acceptable Bible course.
Some curricula simply offer a teacher’s manual. Ours is the first
student textbook created to fulfill the legal standards of
The Bible & Public Schools: A First Amendment Guide, the
first to provide university-based, online teacher training, and the
first to provide comprehensive coverage of how the Bible has
influenced literature, art, music, history and culture.
How was the textbook created?
The Bible Literacy Project first created an outline of the
Bible’s content and then hired writers with experience in textbook
writing, literature, religion, art, and music. The first draft was
then reviewed by lawyers who specialize in First Amendment
standards, and was submitted to 40 reviewers. Our reviewers included
eminent university literature scholars; Catholic, Evangelical,
Mainline Protestant, Orthodox and Jewish Biblical scholars and
public high school English teachers who teach the Bible as
literature. Our general editor, Cullen Schippe, the former vice
president and publisher for Music, Religion and Social Studies at
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, incorporated the reviewers’ feedback into the
textbook.
Budget constraints may inhibit some school districts from
implementing this course. May sources outside the school system fund a
Bible class?
Funding for elective courses, including those on the Bible, may
be provided by outside sources as long as the funds are contributed
with “no strings attached.”
Back to Contents
2. Teaching About the Bible in Public Schools
What do you say to people who think your ideas violate the
separation between church and state?
There is a big difference between belief and knowledge.
Increasing knowledge about the Bible is part of a good education;
but teaching what to believe belongs in the home. We advocate
providing a well-rounded, thorough education that includes the basic
information students need to fully understand literature, as well as
art, music, history and culture. The Bible Literacy Project believes
we are raising a generation of students who have had an important
element of their education unnecessarily neglected in the classroom.
Ninety-eight percent of English teachers in our Bible Literacy
Report believe that students benefit academically from having
knowledge of the world’s best selling book, the Bible.
Isn’t teaching about the Bible the job of parents and churches,
not the public schools?
Faith formation is indeed the responsibility of parents and
religious communities, not the public schools. However, the great
authors of literature assumed that the general population understood
the basic themes of the Bible. Our study, the Bible Literacy
Report, released in April 2005, reveals that we are raising a
generation that teachers say is “clueless” about the context for
some of the most basic phrases in our common language. These phrases
show up on the front page of the nation’s newspapers, like “road to
Damascus experience,” “walking on water,” “seen the promised land,”
and the like.
Students without knowledge of the Bible are limited in understanding
the meaning and importance of the great works of Western and
American art. The teachers we studied said these students have more
difficulty in their English classes. They will also be disadvantaged
on major standardized tests. In one of the popular study workbooks
for the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition exam, more
than 60% of the allusions recommended for test-takers are from the
Bible.
For more information on this topic please read "The
Case for Bible Literacy."
What do you say to critics who claim this is just another attempt
to force religion into the public schools?
One reason for the neglect of the Bible as a subject for academic
study has been confusion about a series of Supreme Court decisions
in the 1960s. In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled that public schools
may not require devotional use of the Bible. In that same decision,
however, the Supreme Court explicitly acknowledged that academic
study of the Bible in public schools is constitutional, as part of a
good education. In his majority opinion to the court in
Abington v. Schempp, Justice Thomas Clark wrote:
“It might well be said that one’s education is not complete
without a study of …the history of religion and its relationship
to the advancement of civilization. …Nothing we have said here
indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when
presented objectively as part of a secular program of education,
may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment."
This decision banned devotional use of the Bible in the
curriculum, but not academic teaching about the Bible. Some
educators did not understand this distinction, however, and simply
ceased teaching about the Bible altogether. Those who did recognize
the distinction could find few curricula that presented the Bible in
an academic manner.
We do not advocate teaching religious belief, but rather
fulfilling the complete educational needs of students, who deserve
to learn the content of one of the most widely read books in the
world.
Do you think that Bible passages can be studied while still
respecting students of other cultures and religious backgrounds?
Absolutely. In 1999, the Bible Literacy Project and the First
Amendment Center co-published The Bible & Public Schools: A First
Amendment Guide, which established an historic consensus about how
the Bible can be taught constitutionally as an academic subject.
This Guide has been endorsed by 21 national groups-- from what people
might consider both liberal and conservative perspectives.
Signatories include the National School Boards Association and major
faith organizations such as the National Association of
Evangelicals, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the
U.S.A., the American Jewish Congress, and the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations.
Back to Contents
What is the difference between teaching about the Bible and
religious indoctrination?
The following statements distinguish between teaching about the
Bible in public schools, and religious indoctrination:
- The school’s approach is academic, not devotional.
- The school may strive for student awareness of religions,
but should not press for student acceptance of any religion.
- The school may sponsor study about religion, but may not
sponsor the practice of religion.
- The school may expose students to a diversity of religious
views, but may not impose, discourage, or encourage any
particular view.
- The school may educate about religions, but may not promote
or denigrate any religion.
- The school may inform the student about various beliefs, but
should not seek to conform him or her to any particular belief.
How should a Bible literature class be taught?
When teaching about the Bible in a public school, teachers must
understand the important distinction between advocacy,
indoctrination, proselytizing, and the practice of religion – which
is unconstitutional – and teaching about religion that is objective,
nonjudgmental, academic, neutral, balanced, and fair – which is
constitutional. The class should neither promote nor disparage
religion, nor should it be taught from a particular sectarian point
of view.
Supernatural occurrences and divine action described in the Bible
may not be taught as historical fact in a public school. The
historicity of many persons and events described in the Bible may or
may not be confirmed by evidence outside of Biblical literature.
Who should teach the class?
A superintendent or school board should select teachers for a
class about the Bible in the same manner all other teachers are
selected. School districts should not delegate the employment of
such teachers to an outside committee that selects teachers based
upon their religious beliefs or perspectives. Teachers should be
selected based upon their academic qualifications, rather than their
religious beliefs or non-beliefs. Teachers should not be
disqualified, however, simply because they have received religious
training.
Back to Contents
4. About the Bible Literacy Report
Tell us about your research studies.
In April 2005, the Bible Literacy Project released Bible
Literacy Report: What do American teens need to know and what do
they know? The report found that 98% of leading English teachers
around the country said knowledge of the Bible gives students a
distinct educational advantage. An accompanying Gallup poll of 1,002
young people found that almost half did not know that Jesus turned
water into wine at the Cana wedding, and nearly two-thirds couldn't
identify a quote from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount or the relation of
the road to Damascus to the Apostle Paul's conversion. About
one-in-10 thought Moses was one of Jesus' 12 apostles.
In June 2006, we released the Bible Literacy Report II: What
University Professors Say Incoming Students Need to Know, which
revealed that English professors surveyed at leading
universities--including Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford--agree
that “regardless of a person’s faith, an educated person needs to
know about the Bible.” The report surveyed 39 English professors at
34 top U.S. colleges and universities, who said that knowledge of
the Bible is a deeply important part of a good education.
For more information or to download copies of the studies, please
visit the Resource Page.
How is academic study of the Bible necessary for American or
English literature education?
American and English literature are filled with Biblical
allusions that are missed by students without a basic knowledge of
the Bible. For example, there are more than 1,300 documented
Biblical allusions in Shakespeare alone. Courses based on our
textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, could fulfill an English or
social studies elective, or the textbook could provide some
information on the Bible as part of an existing course. The English
teachers consulted for the Bible Literacy Report said that all
students would benefit from this type of education. In addition, the
National Education Association, the National Association of
Secondary School Principals, the National School Boards Association
and 18 other organizations have stated that “Educators widely agree
that study about religion, where appropriate, is an important part
of a complete education. Part of that study includes learning about
the Bible in courses such as literature and history. Knowledge of
Biblical stories and concepts contributes to our understanding of
literature, history, law, art, and contemporary society.”
Can you give examples of specific books that particularly require
an understanding of Bible passages?
Teachers in the study cited a wide range of literature that
contains Biblical allusions, such as The Grapes of Wrath, Animal
Farm, Great Expectations, The Sound and The Fury, To Kill a
Mockingbird, Song of Solomon, Brave New World, Romeo and Juliet,
Hamlet, The Pearl, A Separate Peace, and Lord of the Flies,
to name only a few.
The following are a few teachers’ remarks on the relevance of the
Bible to the study of English literature:
- “It’s difficult to pick up a work of literature that doesn’t
have some reference to the Bible.”
- “I think all the more complex works of literature reference
it.”
- “I wouldn’t say [literature] is steeped with it. It’s
saturated with it.”
Back to Contents
5. About the Bible Literacy Project
What is the Bible Literacy Project? How are you funded? Who is on
your board?
The Bible Literacy Project is a non-partisan, non-profit
organization dedicated to research and public education on the
academic study of the Bible in public and private schools. Our
funding comes from individual donors and from several well-known
foundations, including the John Templeton Foundation, the Bradley
Foundation and the Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation. Our Advisory
Board consists of prominent scholars who are Protestant, Roman
Catholic and Jewish, including Dr. Jean Bethke Elshtain of the
University of Chicago, Os Guinness of the Trinity Forum, Dr. Ellen
Frankel of the Jewish Publication Society, and Dr. Mary Ann Glendon
of Harvard University.
Back to Contents
6. Correcting Misconceptions and
Inaccurate Reports About Our Textbook
Is your textbook endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union,
People for the American Way, the National Education Association, the
Council on Islamic Education, UNESCO, or the Baptist Joint Committee for
Legislative and Public Affairs?
No, none of these groups have endorsed our textbook.
Please
see the list of endorsing scholars here.
Does your textbook promote communism or “communitarianism?”
No. Our textbook surveys the Bible’s influence on literature,
art, and music; it does not include any discussion of communism or
communitarianism, or seek to promote these ideas.
Does your course provide students with a textbook about the Bible
but prevent students from actually reading the Bible for themselves? Do
you think that your textbook is better than the Bible?
No. Our course requires students to use TWO books—our textbook
and the Bible translation of their choice. Our textbook is designed
to be read in conjunction with the Bible, so that after students
read a particular Bible passage, they learn about the great works of
literature and art that were inspired by that passage. No textbook
can substitute for the Bible and we have never claimed that ours
does.
Does your textbook “present the Bible as myth and stories rather
than as truth and revelation, undermining the authority of the Bible”?
No. Since 1999, we have stated that academic teaching about the
Bible should not undermine the beliefs of those who accept the Bible
as sacred scripture. Our textbook is designed to respect students’
faith. This is part of the reason why it has been endorsed by many
prominent faith leaders.
Click
here to see the comments of faith leaders and scholars of the
Bible about the textbook.
Was your textbook found to contain errors, use plagiarized
material and claim urban legends to be scientific fact?
No. The highly critical report released in 2005 by Dr. Mark
Chancey, a Biblical scholar at Southern Methodist University,
examined another organization’s teacher guide rather than our
textbook. By contrast, our textbook has been designed to the highest
standards of scholarship.
Is your textbook the subject of a September 2006 report,
criticizing Bible electives in Texas?
No, in fact our course, offered as a pilot in Leander, Texas
during 2005, was cited as being "acceptable" by the author of that
September 13, 2006 report, which so heavily criticized other efforts
to teach the Bible in Texas public schools.
Regarding the two or three individuals who continue to generate
misinformation that slanders the Bible Literacy Project:
Two or three individuals have continued to disseminate aggressive
and misleading press releases intended to harm our product. We
believe these individuals have been presented with a biased and
incomplete presentation about the Bible Literacy Project. It is
likely that these critics have limited knowledge of the leaders of
the Bible Literacy Project, and a limited understanding of the legal
parameters that prevent public school curriculum from promoting the
Christian faith or teachings of the church in public schools. To
date, the Bible Literacy Project has chosen not to return the
criticism in like manner and believed these attacks were not
deserving of our attention. But since they continue unabated with a
clear intent to slander us, we will be determining our need for
greater response in the future.
Our textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, provides an
unparalleled opportunity to increase the 8% of public schools which
offer Bible electives. For those who want an "all or nothing"
approach to a Bible curriculum for public schools, this has the
appearance of wanting to promote church teachings inside the
classroom; and the end result could be to end up with nothing, or
stay stuck at 8%. Some critics appear to want a Sunday School class
approach, but this would limit Bible literacy courses to districts
whose citizens overwhelmingly prefer a sectarian perspective, and
risk a legal challenge. Meanwhile, schools with diverse populations
would continue to fail in educating students about the Bible's
enormous impact on our language and culture. Many schools will not
even consider undertaking academic study of the Bible without a
textbook like ours, which is scholarly, legal, and visually engaging
to students. Our textbook is used alongside the Bible (the version
of the student's preference) and presents the Bible's content in a
straightforward fashion, not as a comparative religion course.
Schools gain further confidence from our university-credited, online
teacher training, as well as from our pro bono legal defense from
the highly respected and undefeated Becket Fund for Religious
Liberties.
7. Getting the Facts Straight
Specific Inaccuracies
Amidst broad national support and wide acclaim, the Bible
Literacy Project (www.bibleliteracy.org) has been misrepresented by
a few individuals who continue to spread falsehoods, which then get recirculated, despite BLP efforts to correct the inaccuracies.
Recent articles have inaccurately stated that the Bible Literacy
Project's new textbook, The Bible and Its Influence,
is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union or other similar
groups. "But this is not true," says Bible Literacy Project chairman
Chuck Stetson. "We have not been endorsed by these groups.
Despite the fact that we have provided the correct information to
news entities and authors regarding this matter, this information
continues to appear in print."
"Furthermore, claims are also untrue that we do not use the Bible in
our course," continued Stetson. "In fact, we require the use of
the Bible in our high school elective course -- along with our
student textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, and we encourage
students to use the version of Bible that their family prefers."
"Additionally, one of our key principles of respect for the Bible is
also under attack. We will not undermine the faith of any student,"
explains Stetson. "We are most concerned that we are becoming the
first English speaking generation that is ignorant of Biblical
content and narrative. We need to work for Bible literacy courses to
become more widely available beyond the 8% of public high schools
which now offer these electives."
Two Kinds of Critics "Critics of our textbook fall into two categories," said Stetson.
"The first are those who think that academic study of the Bible in
public schools should not take place at all. Yet the courts have
said that academic study of the Bible is legal as long as it is part
of a secular program of education, and provides knowledge, but does
not promote nor disparage belief."
A Chicago Tribune editorial (May 12, 2005) states "When [public
schools] decline to impart knowledge about such an important subject
[the Bible], they are not doing anything to preserve the separation
of church and state. They are merely failing their students."
"The second category of critics is few individuals in the faith
community who would ideally prefer a sectarian presentation and
devotional teaching of the Bible inside public school classrooms.
But at this time, the courts have held that this is prohibited,"
said Stetson. "Academic study of the Bible does not harm students of
faith, but allows public schools to teach all students about the
Bible while respecting the court interpretation of the First
Amendment."
The value of the Bible Literacy Project's widely acclaimed student
textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, and its university-based
teacher training program, is that it removes the legal risk to
schools that would otherwise leave the content of the course
entirely to the discretion of a teacher using the Bible alone,
explained Stetson. The Bible and Its Influence textbook and the
Bible Literacy Project's teacher training program were created to
give confidence to schools and teachers.
Support from Faith Leaders and Leading Bible Scholars
Evangelical leader Chuck Colson further explains his support of
the new public school textbook, The Bible and Its Influence.
"This high school textbook is not meant to be a substitute for the
teachings of the church, but rather a means of furthering the
foundational knowledge of students -- maybe particularly those who
do not get any teaching in a church -- so that our culture does not
lose its understanding and awareness of the importance of the Bible.
In this respect, the textbook does a very good job and I do not see
how any of its content would work to undermine one's faith."
Rev. Peter Lillback, Ph.D., president of Westminster Theological
Seminary, is one of the 40 scholars who reviewed The Bible and
Its Influence, addresses the accuracy of the textbook. "The
informational content, accuracy, exposition, illustrations, and tone
are all extremely well done, and I congratulate you on a highly
accurate and readable presentation," says Lillback.
The textbook's
40 reviewers -- scholars representing evangelical,
mainline Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox and Jewish communities -- have
ensured that the material in The Bible and Its Influence
reflects an accurate reporting of the Bible narrative, characters,
and content. "Our textbook aims for a straight forward reporting of
what the Bible says. There is no content in our textbook that is
intended to either promote or undermine faith," said Stetson. "We
encourage people to get a copy and read it for themselves." (at
www.bibleliteracy.org/sales) The textbook has widely
representative endorsements, ranging from Marc Stern, general counsel of the
American Jewish Congress, Bishop Richard Sklba, chair of the
Catholic Biblical Association, and other nationally renown leaders,
including Chuck Colson, Vonette Bright, Joe Stowell, and many
others.
Regarding Charles Haynes
Charles Haynes is not an official spokesperson, staff, advisor, or
director for the Bible Literacy Project. Haynes speaks on behalf of
the First Amendment Center. He is one of 40 scholars who
reviewed our textbook, including scholars from evangelical, mainline
Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish backgrounds so that The
Bible and Its Influence would be allowable for public school use and
accurately represent the perspective of faith groups which consider
the Bible as sacred text. Among those 40 reviewers of The Bible and
Its Influence, also included scholars from Wheaton College, Gordon
College, Baylor University, Westmont College and Westminster
Seminary, as well as the general counsel of the American Jewish
Congress and the chair of the Catholic Biblical Association.
Back to Contents
|
