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(3/9/2007)

Bible Literacy Project Clarifies Changes in Textbook

Second printing incorporates changes that address some criticisms

FRONT ROYAL, Virginia, Mar. 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Bible Literacy Project seeks to stop the spread of misrepresentation and inaccurate reporting about the Bible Literacy Project’s widely acclaimed student textbook, The Bible and Its Influence. A second printing of The Bible and Its Influence in mid February made helpful changes in the textbook, which made criticisms publicized by another public-school Bible curriculum no longer relevant.

The Bible and Its Influence -- the first student textbook for public high school academic study of the Bible -- maintains wide acclaim from leading evangelicals, scholars, educators and the media. After just its first year, it is being used in 82 school districts in 29 states, and educators from 1,000 schools are reviewing the book for as an elective in English or Social Studies.

When The Bible and Its Influence was released in late September 2005, the Bible Literacy Project pledged to improve the text based on comments from the marketplace, as is standard in the textbook industry. Through this process, many helpful changes were made in the second printing released on February 15, 2007. (The 450-page Teacher's Edition released August 2006 already contained these changes.)

Changes include:

• Language for the Mayflower Compact now includes a fully quoted passage from the original document.

• A rhetorical question about whether "Adam and Eve received a fair deal" has been removed, because too many people were failing to note that the textbook directed students to find their answer from the text of Genesis 3.

• A philosophical question asking why God allows evil things to happen has been removed.

• Renaissance art of Adam and Eve has been replaced with a more modest image.

Educator Barbara Blinn, who teaches The Bible and Its Influence in a New Hampshire public school, says, “When someone first proposed this course, I voted it down because I didn't want to support what I thought might be a watered-down presentation of the Bible. But when I saw the textbook itself, I was thrilled. The Bible and Its Influence is exactly what it needs to be—respectful of the sacred text, instructive, visually exciting and engaging. My students have absolutely loved this course. By the second semester, we had a waiting list for the course.”

The Bible Literacy Project produced The Bible and Its Influence -- used alongside the Bible -- to increase the 8 percent of public high schools that offer an academic course on the Bible to 80 percent. The Bible and Its Influence is endorsed by leading evangelicals Chuck Colson (founder of Prison Fellowship), Vonette Bright (co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ), Joe Stowell (former president of Moody Bible Institute), Dr. Peter Lillback (president of Westminster Theological Seminary), Dr. Leland Ryken of Wheaton College, Dr. Tremper Longman of Westmont College, Dr. Paul Borgman of Gordon College, as well as the general counsel of the American Jewish Congress and Bishop Richard Sklba (chairman of the Catholic Biblical Association,) among many others. Read “What Leaders Say” by clicking here.

The Bible and Its Influence is the only academic curriculum on the Bible for public schools that was produced to satisfy the 1999 consensus standards published in The Bible and Public Schools: A First Amendment Guide, published by The First Amendment Center and endorsed by the National School Boards Association, National Education Association, the National Association of Evangelicals, American Jewish Congress, and the Christian Legal Society, among 21 national organizations.

The Bible Literacy Project offers the only university-based teacher training program in the country for how to teach the Bible in public schools, available online. Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, offers valuable graduate credits or continuing education units for the course.