Textbook case: a bible curriculum for public schools

Christian Century, Feb 21, 2006 by Luke Timothy Johnson

For example, one unit considers kingdom and exile. In a chapter titled "The Kingdom Falls," students are required to read substantial portions of 1 and 2 Kings and are asked to learn about the reign of Solomon, the division of the kingdom, the role of Elijah and the kingdom's final fall. They are to consider "Why do governments rise and fall?"

Accompanying the exposition are a picture and paragraph devoted to architecture (Solomon's Temple), a lithograph of the Jerusalem temple, a pictorial representation of Solomon and Queen Sheba from Ethiopia, a painting by Cornelis de Vos of Solomon offering sacrifices to idols, a map of the divided kingdoms, a contemporary Chinese painting of Elijah, another painting of Elijah by Peter Paul Rubens, a 17th-century needlepoint rendition of Jezebel's death, a sidebar devoted to the term "Jezebel," and a picture of a panel showing King Jehu offering tribute to the Assyrians. There is also a short essay on "cultural connections" devoted to music, namely Felix Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah. At the end, students can choose to do one of three projects: research the archaeological remains of Solomon's kingdom, listen to and review Mendelssohn's oratorio, or chart the 14 wonders reported about Elijah and the 28 reported of Elisha by the books of Kings. This is all impressively thoughtful and organized.

Emphasis on the Bible's influence is especially evident in the "unit feature" that accompanies each section. For the introduction to the book, for example, the unit feature is devoted to "biblical allusions." It argues that without a knowledge of the Bible, one misses a great deal of what one reads in literature. The feature concludes with a list of biblical allusions in the English Advanced Placement test. Subsequent unit features take up "Milton and the Bible," "Literary Views of Abraham and Isaac," "Exodus and Emancipation," "Exile and Return," "Thirst for Justice," "The Bible and Shakespeare," and "A Summary of Literary Genres in the Bible"; and (shifting to the New Testament) "Parables of Mercy," "A Death with Meaning," "Augustine," "The Legacy of the Reformation," "Dante's Purgatorio" and "Freedom and Faith in America."

FAIR-MINDED READERS can hardly object either to the book's aims or to its way of pursuing them. None of the overt biases detected by Chancey in the NCBCPS materials can be detected here. The tone is mild, informative and balanced. Jewish, Christian and even Muslim perceptions are fairly represented. There is not even, so far as I can tell, any tilt toward a specific version of Christianity. Attention is given to both the Catholic and Orthodox canons. The excursus on "The Legacy of the Reformation" devotes paragraphs to Luther, Calvin, Henry VIII and the radical reformers, and concludes with a recognition of the reform within Roman Catholicism: "The Roman Church worked to get back to its roots in scripture and tradition. The Catholic Church is known for its worldwide good works, hospitals, and educational institutions."