State Board Prepares to Vote on Proposed Bible Curriculum

By Ellie Ashby / The Texas Tribune

AUSTIN, TX — The State Board of Education is preparing to vote next week on requiring Texas schoolchildren to read about a dozen Bible passages and religious stories, stepping into the long-running debate over religion’s — and specifically Christianity’s — place in the public school classroom.

The new curriculum, part of about 200 passages that could become required reading, would have students interact with biblical stories like “Noah’s Ark, ” “David and Goliath” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” in their English classes. 

In fourth grade, students would encounter Luke 14:7-11, a New Testament passage where Jesus says: “All those who lift themselves up will be made humble. And those who make themselves humble will be lifted up.” 

The long-debated reading list — preliminarily approved by the education board in April — requires schools to use specific Bible translations.

The Christian scriptures were not written in English, so historically, any attempt to translate the original Greek and Hebrew involves intense debate over the most accurate way to present the text. 

The State Board of Education is expected to take a final vote on the mandatory reading list during its June 22-26 meeting in Austin. If approved, the changes would be applied in 2030.

The proposed Texas reading list also includes passages from the King James Bible, one of the most popular and well-known translations, and the English Standard Version, one of the best-selling Bibles among conservative evangelicals in recent years.

Created in the context of the Protestant Reformation, the King James Bible was specifically designed to be a Protestant Bible. 

Chad Seales, associate professor of religious studies at the University of Texas at Austin, said the King James Bible was taught in public schools “up until the 1950s … which explains why there’s so many parochial Catholic schools in America.” 

“Catholic parents didn’t want their kids to be taught Protestant theology in public schools,” Seales said, adding that some Jewish parents created their own schools for the same reason.

“Any time compulsory religion happens in public education, it’s going to lead to divisiveness,” he said. 

Even so, Seales believes there is a place for biblical literature in public schools.

“I grew up in the evangelical Christian tradition in Florida, and we read lots of biblical passages,” Seales said. He found it strange when his high school teachers did not acknowledge the many biblical allusions present in Western literature. 

“A complete ignorance of religion doesn’t help a student understand American history, but compulsory forms of religion also limit the ability to understand religion in any specific context, whether it’s historical, social or cultural,” he said.

Others question whether religious stories and Bible passages belong in public schools attended by atheists, agnostics, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and children of many other faiths.

“We have a good, healthy proportion of people of other religions or no religion,” said Rebecca Bell-Metereau, a Democrat on the education board who voted against the proposed reading list in April. 

“So there really isn’t, in my view, a good justification for trying to turn our public schools into Sunday schools,” she said.

Supporters of including religious texts in public education say the readings will help students understand the principles and values that established the nation and benefit the world.

Julie Pickren, a Republican member of the education board, said the readings are intended to provide “important insight into the moral and philosophical traditions that have shaped Western civilization.” 

“A classical approach to education, one that emphasizes the careful study of primary historical documents, plays a vital role in developing strong critical thinking skills in students,” Pickren said in an email. “When students engage directly with original writings, speeches, sermons, and foundational texts, they can evaluate ideas and develop a deeper understanding of the principles that have shaped the USA and Texas.”