Biblical literacy in the public schools : bringing the Bible back into English
      literature courses

Wagoner, Lori D.

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literature courses

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Wagoner, Lori D.

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Thesis (M.A.L.S.)--Georgetown University, 2009.; Includes bibliographical references.; Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. This thesis is an examination of the need for biblical literacy in the public school English classroom. For decades in this country, Americans were constantly exposed to the Bible: children learned to read from it and adults focused their prayer with it. Biblical references abounded in political speech and in art. Western authors referenced biblical narrative in their works, expecting readers to be aware of these nuances. In a modern world that ardently espouses the doctrine of "separation of church and state," the shared intellectual background that individuals once had no longer exists: students reading predominantly Western literature no longer come to the text with knowledge of basic Christian mythology, of prominent biblical characters, or of popular biblical themes. This pretermission hinders a full understanding of a text being studied. This thesis provides a framework for examining example texts of Western literature in light of their dependence on biblical allusion, and adding biblical texts into units of study, not for proseltyzing but rather education.; Chapter One investigates the genesis of the high school English literature course. Prominent educational leaders of the late nineteenth century established content that is still widely used to this day. Of the texts most frequently taught in; public schools, five are by British authors and five are by American authors. Both Britain and the United States of America have political, social, and cultural roots in Christianity, roots that certainly are made manifest in literary works. Chapter Two presents an overview of the foundational biblical texts needed to create student success: Genesis, Exodus, and the Gospel of Matthew. Each biblical book presents fundamental characters, themes, tenets, and plot events that are frequently referenced in Western literature. Chapter Three examines biblical influence in works from several literary genres written by both classic authors in the standard canon as well as modern additions to it. Chapter Four asserts that the Bible must be integrated into programs of study for high school English literature classes. In the pursuit of educational objectives, including biblical texts into existing curriculum units provides a foundation with which students may experience the fullness and richness of text that authors intended.