Curriculum revision

Christian Century, Nov 1, 2005

CURRICULUM REVISION: In response to criticism--including an article in the CHRISTIAN CENTURY ("Lesson plans," by Mark A. Chancey, August 23)--the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools has revised "The Bible in History and Literature" curriculum intended for use in public schools.

Chancey, a biblical scholar at Southern Methodist University who wrote a report for the Texas Freedom Network, criticized the curriculum for pushing a conservative Christian perspective, for being insensitive to religious-liberty issues and for lacking academic integrity. Among the changes: the revised curriculum deletes the claim that NASA has documented that two days are unaccounted for in history--which purportedly is proof of the Joshua 10 story about the sun standing still. (NASA denies this claim.) A representative of the curriculum has called Chancey and other critics "antireligion extremists" who "never met a Bible curriculum they didn't dislike." Chancey says he appreciates the changes made in the curriculum, but he still has objections, particularly regarding the way it represents the role of religion in U.S. history and its lack of academic rigor (Associated Baptist Press).