Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Do Courses on the Bible Facilitate Proselytizing?

June 11, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

Thank you for your insightful In Perspective article about schools’ efforts to teach the Bible from a nonreligious standpoint (“The Bible Makes a Comeback,” May 16, 2007).

I would, however, point out that almost no public high school in the United States can “cover the origins of Judaism and Christianity” in an academic way. To do so would undermine popular Christian beliefs, and any teacher who tries to present secular scholars’ historical arguments will likely have his or her head served up on a platter, much like John the Baptist’s.

For example, scholars have known for centuries that Moses (if he existed) did not write the Torah. Yet large numbers of Jews and Christians believe that he did, and an educator who taught otherwise would have an occupational death wish.

In his book Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know—And Doesn’t, the religion professor Stephen Prothero states bluntly: “Public school Bible courses should not focus on biblical criticism. They should not try to prove that Moses did not write the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.” Indeed, the Bible Literacy Project, developer of the textbook The Bible and Its Influence, says: “Since 1999, we have stated that academic teaching about the Bible should not undermine the beliefs of those who accept the Bible as sacred scripture.”

So, public school teachers cannot point out popular historical understandings that are unsupported by current scholarship. They must remain silent about biblical contradictions and the text’s ancient codes of conduct that fly in the face of modern morality. The Bible’s pre-scientific worldview must be ignored, as well as the political process through which its scrolls were included and others excluded.

With none of this scholarly interpretation allowed, such a course easily becomes a steppingstone to proselytizing, a prospect that Mr. Prothero acknowledges and accepts. He even notes approvingly the contention from former Nixon White House counselor and convicted Watergate figure Charles Colson, now an evangelical spokesman, that studying the Bible’s “role in history, or as literature” in public schools can be the platform from which Christians can take the “next step” of converting young people outside of class.

Brant Abrahamson

The Teachers’ Press

Brookfield, Ill.

Related Tags:
Opinion

A version of this article appeared in the June 13, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

School & District Management Webinar Fostering Productive Relationships Between Principals and Teachers
Strong principal-teacher relationships = happier teachers & thriving schools. Join our webinar for practical strategies.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Promoting Integrity and AI Readiness in High Schools
Learn how to update school academic integrity guidelines and prepare students for the age of AI.
Content provided by Turnitin

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 12, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz How Much Do You Know: Ed. Dept.'s ‘End DEI’ Website and More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Illustration of one man speaking into a speech bubbles which shows the letters "DEI" and another man on a ladder painting over the speech bubble as a way to erase it.
Gina Tomko/Education Week + DigitalVision Vectors
Education Quiz How Much Do You Know: Democrats Ask DOGE to Explain Education Cuts And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
Education Quiz News Quiz: Feb. 20, 2025: Trump Administration's Frequent Moves in Education
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 18, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 18, 2025.
Pool via AP