The Texas State Board of Education has approved a Bible-infused public-school reading list. The revised literature curriculum, which was approved June 26th in a 9-5 vote, will apply to grades K-12 starting in 2030.
The list integrates multiple Bible stories and direct scriptural passages across grade levels. Elementary students will read picture book stories like David and Goliath. In middle-school they’ll be introduced to Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount.” High school students will read certain Bible verses alongside literary classics like “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen.
Students will study the Bible as literature as follows:
- Grade 1: Noah’s Ark,
- Grade 2: David and Goliath,
- Grade 3: Daniel and the Lion’s Den,
- Grade 4: Luke, Chapter 14, Verses 7-11 highlighting the necessity of humility,
- Grade 5: Moses, the Exodus, the Burning Bush, and Parting of the Red Sea,
- Grade 6: Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 25-34 teaching students to not be anxious, and,
- Grade 7: The Beatitudes in Matthew, Chapter 5 Verses 1-12, etc.
Many Americans support this incorporation that highlights the Bible’s influence on America’s founding and civic life.
“These timeless works, including biblical passages, have shaped American culture and history, and have influenced generations of thinkers, leaders, and citizens, and they continue to offer valuable lessons about human nature, virtue, liberty, and civic responsibility,” said Mandy Drogin, a senior fellow at Texas Public Policy Foundation.
For Susan Perez, the founder of Citizens for Education Reform, America’s biblical foundation is a worthy focus and nothing to fear. “We need to focus on what our nation was founded on and not apologize for that,” Perez told the education board during testimony. “It is the truth and we should not be afraid.”
Critics hold that the state’s approved list violates religious freedoms along with their definition of separation of church and state.
However, Texas law allows parents to remove a child from a class or activity that conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs, protecting the religious freedom of both the students and parents.
Despite the disapproval of some, many Americans, including retiree Brooke Mazel, see the list’s approval as part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebration. “America should celebrate our 250 years that started as a nation of unwavering Christian values,” Mazel said.
