A case for public school Bible (and more) curriculum
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July 5, 2024

The recent decree by Oklahoma's head of public education directing
(and compelling) every public school in the state to teach the
Bible has raised a lot of outcry and controversies. Many of the
predictive objections relate to the Establishment Clause of the
First Amendment and the emergence of "Christian" Nationalism. Other
problems include: How can untrained school teachers, many of them
perhaps unfamiliar with the scriptures beyond an average
layperson's understanding, actually teach the Bible? What kind of
Bible is it -- Protestant, Jewish, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or
even Latter-Day Saints to include the Book of Mormon and the Pearl
of Great Prices? Can it be genuinely non-sectarian and promote any
specific religious affiliation or viewpoint above others? In a
state like Oklahoma where church affiliation is a big part of its
culture, how do they prevent teachers from injecting their own
denominational and theological biases into classroom instruction?
Why is it that the Republicans are eager to compel public school
educators to teach the Bible while they hypocritically object to
teachers having to teach LGBTQ history or SOGI curriculums because
of supposed religious freedom?

These are important concerns that must be addressed and rectified.

Yet, I feel that biblical literacy has been an important part of a
well-rounded liberal arts education since the beginning of the
liberal arts itself. In this era of shifting the focus of education
towards STEM and vocational subjects and away from literature,
ethics, and philosophy, this can be a positive development if done
correctly.

It is also undoubtedly true that many elements of U.S. history are
inspired by the Bible and its ethical and philosophical points. The
slave abolition movement, penal reform, and the Civil Rights
movement all have their roots in the ethics of the Bible as
understood by those who stood up for their causes. Also, much of
the Western literature and arts draw their inspiration from the
Bible. Many famous classical music masterpieces are some such
examples and knowing the Bible gives younger people a greater
appreciation for them.

Having said that, how should a public entity approach this without
violating religious liberties and also respecting the diversity and
pluralism of American society?

My two cents: Create "World Heritage Literature" curriculums
designed in age-appropriate and non-sectarian manners by respected
academic experts.

A World Heritage Literature class would be year-round and may look
like this:

Fall (September-December)

- The ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Sumer, Egypt, China
(Confucius, Mencius, Sunzi), India (Vedas)
- The Tanakh and the Old Testament apocryphal documents, with an
emphasis on the wisdom and prophetic writings

Winter (January-March)

- Greco-Roman classics (especially Aristotle and Plato)
- The New Testament and select Early Church writings
- Buddhist sutras (overviews of famous ones such as the Heart Sutra
and the Lotus Sutra)

Spring (April-June)

- The Talmud (with attention to how the sages debate on ethical and
legal questions and arrive at their logical conclusions)
- The Quran
- Medieval philosophers (such as Maimonides, Thomas Aquinas, and
others)

Can this be done? A potential model is the Ethical Society class
curriculum previously used in Japanese high schools in the late
20th century. The Constitution of Japan is far more explicit than
the U.S. in its separation of church and state and prohibition of
using public funds to promote religion, not to mention it is a
highly secular society antagonistic toward organized religions.
Ethical Society was a branch of Social Studies and taught
philosophy and ethics based on world classics such as Socrates, the
Bible, and the Analects of Confucius. Even at younger grade levels,
discussions of such classics are part of their social studies
classes. I am not aware of any legal cases in Japan opposing such
instructions (the Jehovah's Witnesses, with their strict adherence
to the Bible teachings in all areas of their lives, went to court
objecting to Japanese schoolchildren's compulsory participation in
martial arts lessons, but I do not think they've ever sued schools
for the Ethical Society classes).