Bible Literacy Project News
Alabama becomes first state to adopt a textbook for academic study
of the Bible
Decision provides state funding and approval for The
Bible and Its Influence
For release: October 15, 2007
New York, NY. The Bible Literacy Project announces that Alabama
State Board of Education is the first in the nation to approve a
textbook for academic study of the Bible. The Bible and Its Influence
was approved as a textbook for use in an elective course taught in any
high school in Alabama as approved by any local board of education.
“This is major news in the field of education,”
said 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.”
In its second school
year of availability, The Bible and Its Influence is being taught
in more than 360 Schools in 43 states -- twice
the number of schools teaching it the previous year. This highly
acclaimed student textbook offers an elective, non-devotional academic
course in literature or social studies and can be implemented in any
high school around the nation. “The adoption of our textbook by the
Alabama State Board of Education is a first -- a first for any state,
and a first for any Bible course publisher,” Stetson explained.
On October 11, 2007,
the Alabama School Board designated The Bible and Its Influence
as “sufficient to be used as the sole textbook/program for a particular
grade or course and meeting 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.”
“Our textbook is the
only Bible course that has been approved in this way,” continued
Stetson. ”All 543 high schools in Alabama will soon be provided with the
list of approved textbooks, including ours. This approval will have a
major impact outside of the state of Alabama as well, as this is yet
another indication of the substantial academic legitimacy of our
course.”
The acclaimed new public
high school textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, was praised
in TIME magazine’s April 2nd, 2007 cover story
“Why We Should Teach the Bible in Public Schools,” which said “[Public
school Bible electives] should have a strong accompanying textbook on
the model of The Bible and Its Influence.”
The Winter 2007 Baylor Law Review concluded
that The Bible and Its Influence “clearly conforms to
constitutional standards” and recommended its adoption by public
schools. The New York State School Boards Association’s On Board
magazine has called The Bible and Its Influence “a remarkable
textbook.” The Bible and Its Influence has been endorsed by
leaders from the First Amendment Center, the American Jewish Congress,
the National Association of Evangelicals, and the Catholic Biblical
Association. Prior to publication, the textbook was reviewed by 40
scholars of law, English literature, and secondary education,
representing the Catholic, Jewish, Evangelical, mainline Protestant, and
Orthodox faiths.
“In addition, legislation
supporting high school academic Bible electives passed in Georgia in
2006 and in Texas and South Carolina in June 2007, which has also
created considerable statewide interest,” said Stetson.
“Our course has
three key safeguards as an elective in literature or social studies,”
said Stetson.
-
It’s
the only student textbook (used alongside the Bible of a student’s
choice) that meets the standards of the First Amendment Center
publication, The Bible and Public Schools: A First Amendment
Guide.
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The Bible and Its
Influence student text is
supported by a 488-page wraparound teacher’s edition, along with
detailed lesson plans.
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The Bible Literacy
Project provides the only university-based teacher training on how
the teach the Bible in public schools, available online for credit.
In 2005 and 2006, the
Bible Literacy Project released two national reports on Bible Literacy,
funded by the John Templeton Foundation, which showed leading high
school English teachers as well as select university literature
professors -- including Yale, Harvard, and Princeton -- indicate that
students need to know the Bible in order to be well educated. Details
on both national reports can be found in the Press Room at
www.bibleliteracy.org.
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