Alabama has become the first state to approve a Bible textbook for statewide adoption, makers of ”The Bible and Its Influence” announced Monday.
The Bible Literacy Project, an interfaith group that released the book in September 2005, said the decision by the Alabama State Board of Education last Wednesday also makes ”The Bible and Its Influence” the first textbook for academic study of the Bible to be adopted statewide.
“This is major news in the field of education,” stated Bible Literacy Project Chairman Chuck Stetson. “While academic study of the Bible is legal in all 50 states, this decision means that any school in the state of Alabama can purchase our textbook with state-provided funds until 2013.”
According to standards set forth by the Alabama School Board, the approval declares the textbook, which is intended for use in high schools, as "sufficient to be used as the sole textbook/program for a particular grade or course and meet[s] 80% or more of the standards outlined in the state course of study and/or is sufficient to be used as the sole textbook for an elective course.”
Stetson reported that 543 high schools in Alabama will soon receive a list of approved curricula.
Currently, there are 163 high schools in 35 states that have adopted the 387-page, full-color textbook, which covers the Old Testament and New Testament, for semester-long or full-year courses.
A spokeswoman for the Bible Literacy Group, Sheila Weber, told The Christian Post Wednesday that the textbook is also undergoing consideration for statewide adoption in other states but was unable to disclose which. She did, however, note that only 22 states in the nation have a system of statewide adoption.
Alabama’s approval is expected to have a major impact on other states considering the textbook, added Stetson.
”The Bible and Its Influence” is expected to survive any legal challenges as it was created to satisfy the consensus legal standards presented in ”The Bible and Public Schools: A First Amendment Guide,” endorsed by 21 national organizations including National Association of Evangelicals, National Education Association, and American Jewish Congress. It is meant to be used alongside a Bible of the student’s choice.
Other key safeguards were implemented so a course based on the textbook could be used in an elective in literature or social studies.
In addition to a 488-page wraparound teacher's edition and detailed lesson plans that accompany the textbook, the Bible Literacy Project also provides the only university-based teacher training on how the teach the Bible in public schools, available online for credit.
Before the textbook was made available, it passed the review of 40 scholars from multiple faith groups, including Evangelical, Catholic, mainline Protestant, Orthodox, and Jewish.
Weber emphasized that the textbook is intended to be “academic” and “non-devotional.”
The textbook divides the Bible into core themes and shows how each theme or period in the Bible influenced artists, musicians, poets, politicians, and leaders throughout history. It has a particular emphasis on relating the Bible influence on American figures.
Comments
daydreaminntexas
You are either for God or against God, claiming to be a child of GOD and endorsing the theory of
evolution is totally not standing for GOD. I do not say this with a mean spirit toward you, we need to stand firm on a solid foundation with Christ and not waver.
Way to go Alabama. I believe there are too many people out there trying to take God out of our lives and it is beginning to show in our country with children taking guns to school, burning schools down and many other things like that.
I believe some reader(s) unfortunately missed the part about this course being an ELECTIVE. Elective meaning your child can choose to take this course if he/she chooses to do so. It is not something that is being forced on children like the THEORY of evolution is being forced on children. I am in my mid thirties and have a brother a couple of years older than me. We were both raised in a Christian home. However, due to his study of evolution, he now questions the Christian beliefs he was raised on. I personally want to see the theory of evolution become and elective for children to take in school. Plain and simple ~ the theory of evolution is just that ~ a THEORY. Why should our children be forced to learn about this theory that goes against their Christian beliefs? Why are the non-believers not forced to learn about God? Non-believers believe the Christian faith is a theory of creation. If the schools are going to make one theory mandatory, should the other not be mandatory as well?
Again, way to go Alabama! Now let us see what we can do about making the theory of evolution an elective as well.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
I think that this is a mistake by Alabama. I'm not a Christian, neither is my wife, and my son probably won't be (its his decision in the end)-I live 2 miles from the border of Alabama-and I don't know if I'd allow my son to go to a school that ONLY gave a history lesson by using the 'Bible'. I think that there are important facts in it, but there are in the Quran and even in the Apocrypha. It seems to be a push for Christianity in the schools to me, and that REALLY scares me, because not everyone in the nation is, and it wasn't made to be a Christian nation. The original settlers of this country came to escape forced religion and religious persecution. John Adams wasn't a Christian...and even Thomas Jefferson was scared by it in the country. I have emailed the ACLU with my concerns on it. And I hope that they watch it closely. I would not want my son to go to a Christian 'Sunday School' Monday through Friday in our public school system.
And I am happy to see DannyPoo's comments above, especially being a conservative Christian.
Just another bit of info: I had a 'Bible' class in high school when I went to Niceville High School in Florida back around 1994. It WAS taught as history, but the great part about the class, is that it was taught by an atheist teacher. And it was very informative, but at the time, I was wondering why other religious books weren't being taught in the class as history.
I glad that they can go this, but I fear some teachers and instructors will over step their teaching positions and start preaching that their faith is the one and only way. I don’t think this was what this course what meant to teach. I know it hard to teach a religious course the way it supposed to be taught. We will just have to wait and see how it works out. I wish then all the luck with it.
Good for Alabama. The state's name starts with an "A" and they should lead "Alpa-betically." Next we need Ohio or Oregon to complete the process (Alpha and Omega). I am closed minded to other religions in that "religions remove the Gift Aspect - which is God's initiative." So, along with the text books, PLEASE BRING THE BIBLES BACK TO SCHOOL ALSO.
- If our nation is ever to see a revival with impact, the world must see us carry our Bibles everywhere we GO. Blocks, Neighborhoods, Cities, Towns, Districts, States, Unions, and Nations all begin with the same thing - a single person. God Bless the child that brings his or her Bible to school. Dr. King said that the true goal of education is intelligence plus character.
The Bible is the Chief CORNERSTONE of Character and the Fountainhead of the same.
Glory to God in the Highest - Way to go! - ALABAMA
I think having a textbook on the bible is acceptable. There is little doubt of the bible's influence on history and culture. I would also like to say....even as a strong conservative Christian....we should also have textbooks on other religious books (Quran etc.) that show their influence on history, culture, art. etc.. I don't say that as an "appeasement" to those who don't want this textbook, but as what I actually believe.
However, I believe the bible has had further reaching historical/cultural impact than any other religious textbook and should therefore recieve the greatest attention based on those grounds.
This is all simply my opinion however.