Requiring the Bible in Public Schools? Not Whether but Why

Everyone is arguing about the recent decision in Texas to require the reading of certain texts from the Bible in the public school curriculum. Most of the debate consists of enthusiastic agreement or disagreement.

I say there is a more important question at stake. Then I go on to discuss the U. S. literacy crisis and why Christians really need to care about that.

Here’s a taste. You can read the rest here.

Reading lists — whether such lists pertain to required, recommended or removed texts — are perennially controversial. Any core curriculum by its very nature creates a tension between two competing goods: cultivating a communal body of knowledge and giving freedom to teachers, classrooms and schools to teach most effectively in their own contexts. This tension exists in public schools, private schools and college classrooms. These questions are part of the bigger picture but still don’t point us to the more important questions.

The right question isn’t whether the Bible should be required, but why it is.