Response to Criticisms
April 2008
Why is the Bible Literacy Project being criticized?
Outstanding success always brings attacks. In just over two
years, our textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, has become
the most widely used public school Bible curriculum – used in 39
states, approved by the Alabama State Board of Education, and
praised in a TIME Magazine cover story as a “model” for
public school Bible courses.
The Bible Literacy Project has achieved this success by bringing
people together – Evangelicals, Jews, Catholics, educators,
scholars, and parents who want our young people to learn about the
Bible in public schools. A small group of critics, supporting a
competing public school Bible curriculum, attack our course with the hope of promoting one they prefer – unwittingly lending support
to those who would eliminate all mention of the Bible from public
life.
Criticisms Misguided, Untrue
Sadly, these critics are sometimes deeply misinformed. One argued
that a reference to the famous Christian author Fyodor Dostoevsky’s
The Brothers Karamazov was evidence of the Bible Literacy
Project’s promotion of Communism. But the textbook does no such
thing, nor would that be the intention of its authors. Others
continue to criticize phrases that have long been removed from the
textbook.
Others have gone even further, releasing information that has no
basis in fact, although they have been repeatedly asked by the
Bible Literacy Project to consider the Biblical value of speaking
only the truth.
The Bible Literacy Project’s widely acclaimed textbook, The Bible
and Its Influence, has never been supported or endorsed by
the ACLU, People for the American Way, Americans United for the
Separation of Church and State, the National Education Association,
the Council on Islamic Education, UNESCO, or the Baptist Joint
Committee for Legislative and Public Affairs. Yet our course has
never suffered a legal challenge, because it is widely acknowledged
that our textbook is both respectful of the Bible as a sacred text
AND completely First-Amendment-safe for public schools.
Others have said that our course prohibits students from reading the
Bible. On the contrary, our course requires each student to use
his own Bible, turning to our textbook to learn how a particular
passage has influenced Western culture. For example, after students
read the words of Mark’s gospel in the translation their families
prefer, they learn in our textbook that these words were the
inspiration for Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.
Broad Conservative and Evangelical Support
The Bible Literacy Project’s widely acclaimed textbook, The
Bible and Its Influence, has never been supported or endorsed by
the ACLU or People for the American Way. Supporters include Chuck
Colson, Vonette Bright, Rev. Leith Anderson (President of the
National Association of Evangelicals),Rev. Peter Lillback (President
of Westminster Theological Seminary), Joe Stowell, and leaders from
the American Jewish Congress and Catholic Biblical Association.
The Bible and Its Influence respects "our Christian faith,
the Bible, and its moral values," says Finn Laursen, executive
director of Christian Educators Association International.
While critics attempt to paint this textbook as “liberal,” WORLD
Magazine’s review, written by now-Patrick Henry College dean Dr.
Gene Veith, states that “[The Bible and Its Influence’s
chapter on Genesis] depicts God as transcendent, but personal, and
the universe as ordered and good. The unit draws out the important
worldview elements of Western thought from the creation account: the
dignity of human beings, the order of nature, the stewardship of
creation, and the importance of human relationships. … Abundantly
illustrated, it is both appealing and educationally rigorous. Even
secularist critics should admit that the material taught in this
textbook is good to know and that there is no cultural literacy
without Biblical literacy.”
Extensive Review by Faith Leaders, Teachers and Legal Experts
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.
The 40 reviewers of The Bible and Its Influence also include
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.
The Bible and Its Influence reviewer Rev. Peter Lillback,
Ph.D., president of Westminster Theological Seminary, writes, "The
informational content, accuracy, exposition, illustrations, and tone
are all extremely well done, and I congratulate you on a highly
accurate and readable presentation.”
Our extensive review process has resulted in a course that has
received wide acclaim from the media and never been legally
challenged.
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.
Bible Literacy Project: Working to Bring Bible Literacy to All
Students
In the past, teachers have been fearful about how to teach about
the Bible, although the courts have said that academic study of the
Bible is beneficial for education, and that it is legal to teach
biblical content but not promote nor disparage belief. Only 8% of
the nation's public high schools offer Bible electives; our goal is
to increase that level to 80%.
Hundreds of U.S. public schools offer Bible electives without
controversy or complaint. They teach from The Bible and Its
Influence, the first and only student textbook created for
public high school literature or social studies electives about the
Bible. Reviewed by 40 scholars -- Evangelical, Catholic, mainline
Protestant, Orthodox, and Jewish -- it acknowledges the respect the
Bible deserves as sacred text for faith traditions. Educators
appreciate the university-based online teacher training and
accompanying 440-page wraparound Teacher's Edition also offered by
the Bible Literacy Project.
Public school teacher Barbara Blinn said, "When someone first
proposed this course, I voted it down because I didn't want to
support what I thought might be a watered-down presentation of the
Bible. But when I saw the textbook itself, I was thrilled. The
Bible and Its Influence is exactly what it needs to be --
respectful of the sacred text, instructive, visually exciting and
engaging. My students have absolutely loved this course. By the
second semester, we had a waiting list for the course."
Today, this course is used in 220 schools in 39 states and four
foreign countries. Educators realize the opportunity The Bible
and Its Influence offers -- a safe, trusted, legal and scholarly
way to fill a major void in American public education.
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