Texas Schools to Teach Bible Stories Alongside Shakespeare in Sweeping Curriculum Overhaul

In a landmark decision that has reignited the national debate over the separation of church and state, the Texas State Board of Education has voted 9-5 to include Bible passages as core texts in the state’s English literature curriculum, alongside classic works by William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. The new guidelines, set to take effect in 2030, will require teachers to incorporate Old and New Testament passages across all grade levels—with younger pupils reading stories like David and Goliath through picture books while older students tackle the Book of Job, the Genesis account of Adam and Eve, and the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The decision, which saw one Republican break ranks to join Democrats in opposition, comes on the heels of a federal appeals court ruling in April that upheld a state law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. “We’re going to stop watering down American history. We’re going to teach the truth. Our nation was founded as a Christian nation, and Texas is a Christian state,” declared board member and pastor Brandon Hall, arguing that the Bible has had a “remarkable impact on our culture, our societies and our laws.”

Critics have condemned the move as exclusionary and a dangerous erosion of religious freedom. Felicia Martin, executive director of the Texas Freedom Network, a left-wing activist coalition, described the curriculum as “pushing a Western-centric framing of history that promotes one religion while virtually ignoring all others.” She warned that “conversations that were once meant for the home and places of worship are being pushed into the classroom, forcing educators to teach from the Bible, regardless of their own beliefs. In doing so, the government is pushing parents out and inserting itself into a role it was never meant to fill.” The decision, which will impact approximately five million students across the state, represents one of the most significant efforts to date by a Republican-led state to integrate Christian teachings into public education. As Texas charts this new course, the nation will be watching closely to see whether this becomes a model for other states—or a flashpoint for legal battles that could ultimately reach the Supreme Court.