Earlier this week, the Kentucky State Senate passed a bill requiring its Department of Education to create the curriculum for electives in the study of the Bible. The stated purpose of courses created by SB 56 is to:
Teach students knowledge of biblical content, characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture, including literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and public policy…
The bill also allows for appropriate displays containing religious material in the classroom, consistent with the purpose of the course.
[But wait… a brief digression: public policy? Which elements of public policy can only be understood with knowledge of The Bible?]
An elective course that teaches about the Bible without indoctrinating students with religious education is already allowed, without the need for additional legislation. It's also really difficult to pull off, a fine constitutional line to walk for teachers and administrators, made all the more challenging by the shape of the course itself: a class dedicated to the sacred text of one religious faith.
If awareness of religious characters, poetry, narratives in culture, literature, art and music are educational goals, why not simply include those in an appropriate way in our courses on literature, art and music, so there is some disciplinary context? Or, if an entire class on religious influence is desirable, why not include the poetry, characters and narratives of many religions?
Courses created under the curriculum mandated by SB 56 could be taught constitutionally, but they are an invitation to church-state trouble.
