UT tries to clear religious minefield

AUSTIN (KXAN) - High school teachers from around the state paid a courtesy call Thursday on the University of Texas Gutenberg Bible. The teachers didn’t linger long before the over 500 year-old historic Bible, on display in the lobby of UT’s Harry Ransom Center. They moved on because they are extremely busy this week, busy learning how to teach the Bible.

Two years ago, state lawmakers mandated Bible classes in all Texas high schools. When the State Board of Education declined to issue specific curriculum guidelines for the classes, professors at the University of Texas Religious Studies Department volunteered to try their hand at a four-day “Teaching the Bible in Texas Public Schools” summer institute. The workshop kicked off this week with 21 teachers from around the state.

“This area is fraught with peril precisely because there's a lot of nervousness on the part of parents of who's teaching, you know, who's teaching their child about these very sensitive materials,” said University of Texas Religious Studies Department Professor Michael White. “Imagine you're a parent of the one-and-only child in that classroom from your particular religious background. How would you like that child, how would you like your child to be treated?”

There are legal issues galore. They relate not to whether the Bible can be taught in public schools, but how.

For example, during a workshop lecture by the director of the Society of Biblical Literature at Emory University, someone suggested teachers might send a letter to parents about the new Bible classes. Professor Kent Harold Richards urged caution.

“One of the things you want to be careful with in regard to First Amendment things,” said Richards, “if you've never sent a letter to a parent, I think you want to be cautious about that, because in a court of law, ‘Oh, you're handling the Bible differently?’ can become the question.”

For White, however, the questions revolve not so much around legalities, but around human beings.

“These issues of respect and not bringing sectarian biases or proselytizing into the classroom, those are the key concerns,” White said. “So that everyone comes at it with an informed and respectful understanding of what the goals are, which is educating our children.”

This summer’s workshop is a pilot program. The 21 teachers participating will take what they learn back to their home districts. If the program proves useful, UT officials hope to expand it.