HotShot Blog

In The Grapes of Wrath, Joe Davis' boy is a tractor driver who tears down tenants' homes for the bank. He is portrayed as selling his soul for the riches of the evil bank, an allusion which is obvious if you connect the name Joe Davis' boy to Judis and the last supper.

Western literature is replete with Christian references. Biblical allusions abound not only in works such as John Donne's Holy Sonnets, but even in a pro-communist narrative of Steinbeck. It is only fitting then that if we are to expect Americans to learn Western literature, they should have the tools to understand it. For many young men and women who grew up in religious Christian families, this is no problem. But those who are less religious or non-Christian are at a distinct disadvantage. For myself, I felt frustrated to learn that I had completely misinterpreted a reading passage on the AP English exam because I did not understand the religious connotations.

We need secular Bible education in the context of reading literature. A new textbook has been written to help schools do just that.

"The Bible and Its Influence," released last week in Washington, is designed to meet constitutional standards and to convey the Scriptures' broad influence on Western civilization. Covering Old and New Testaments, it presents the biblical narratives, characters, and themes as well as their cultural influences.

Students may gain a more nuanced understanding of Shakespeare, with his 1,300 biblical references; or grasp the import of the Exodus to the African-American experience and musical heritage; or learn how the Bible shaped Abraham Lincoln's vision. They may even recognize a biblical origin for their hometown - Corpus Christi, New Canaan, and Salem, for example.

The new textbook "treats faith perspectives with respect, and ... informs and instructs, but does not promote religion," says Chuck Stetson, the Project's founder and chairman.

Of course, I understand concerns many would have with any kind of Bible education class. Taught by the wrong kind of teacher, it has the potential for proslytezing. But the disservice done by limiting any kind of study of religion to non-Judeo-Christian faiths is too great to ignore.