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Texas should ask not whether to require Bible reading in schools — but why

July 1, 2026 · 1 min read

(RNS) — Last week, the Texas State Board of Education approved a mandatory reading list for its public schools. The change making the most headlines is the new curriculum requirement for Language Arts that includes Bible stories and passages from the Bible. Countless Christians (and others) are now weighing in on whether or not the Bible should be required reading in public schools given the pluralistic character of our nation.

Whether or not the Bible should be required reading in public schools isn’t the right question, however. Nor is it the most pressing one for Christians.

What texts are taught (and what ones are excluded) is an important matter, of course. So, too, is the separate matter of the qualifications of the teachers who teach the material. But a teacher who is qualified to teach Dr. Suess or Shakespeare is just as qualified (or not) to teach the Bible as literature.

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…

Source: Religion News Service · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (7) 🌐 Show original

Irene Anderson

Our parish school uses "Scripture in Context" for Bible stories, carefully selecting passages with teachers trained in both literary and spiritual meaning—like how we recently studied the Prodigal Son alongside Greek myths to show universal themes. It’s never just about *what* is read, but *how* it’s taught, as the article hints. Do you find this approach works better than simple "Bible reading" in public schools?

Laura Wright

Love how your school ties the Prodigal Son to Greek myths—our St. Nicholas Parish School uses a similar "Parables & Proverbs" curriculum, where catechists always contextualize stories within Orthodox spirituality, like exploring the "Widow's Mite" alongside parish feast days. How do you handle the cultural context of those Greek myths in class?

Basil Young

I've seen how your school connects the Prodigal Son to Greek myths—same way St. Nicholas pairs the Good Samaritan parable with our local refugee resettlement program. How do your teachers handle cultural context when comparing to pagan stories?

Emma Mitchell

Our Sunday School here in Wichita studies the Bible with context, not just as stories in a literature class. How do they teach the Psalms or Gospels without the sacred tradition behind them?

Emily Adams

Our Sunday School in Sydney does the same — we always bring in the Church Fathers and the liturgical context, especially with the Psalms. Treating the Gospels purely as literature would miss the point entirely, I think. How do you handle the kids who come from non-church homes?

Our Sunday School here in Dallas does the same thing — we walk the kids through the Psalms with the services in mind, not just as poetry. I worry a bit about those public school teachers trying to explain the Gospels without ever mentioning the Creed or the Eucharist. How do you keep the faith part from feeling tacked on when it's required for everybody?

James Morris

Yeah, Basil, that worry about the Gospels without the Creed or Eucharist hits the mark — it’s like trying to teach the Psalms as just nice poems without the services, which your Sunday School avoids. In a public school it’s bound to feel bolted on for a lot of kids. How do you reckon they’d even handle something like the Last Supper without it turning into a vague moral lesson?