Texas Required Reading List: Unique Indoctrination?

This summer, Texas approved a new reading list for public schools which includes a variety of biblical texts. In a 9-5 vote, the Texas State Board of Education passed the required reading list along with new social studies standards in the state, both set to take effect in 2030. There is a sharp divide, even among evangelicals, about this decision. Advocates say that it advances classical literacy. Others have raised urgent concerns that the policy risks religious indoctrination, while still others say it opens the door to include other faith perspectives.

Context and Contents

The required reading list comes as a response to Texas House Bill 1605, legislation from 2023 which asks the Texas State Board of Education to increase literacy rigor among other education related directives and reforms. The Board is responsible for approving recommendations from the Texas Education Association (TEA) to meet these initiatives. TEA brought forth the list in January 2026 and, after debate, a vote was delayed until April. After the vote passed in April, the list was posted in the Texas Register for public comment for 30 days beginning May 15. Thirty days later, the list was finally adopted in a 9-5 vote in June.

The Texas State Board of Education states its reasoning for the contents of the list as taking “a classical approach—selecting enduring works that have stood the test of time—ensuring students engage with important literary texts that cross-reference the historical events they are studying in social studies.”

The Bible passages and literary works on the list include: 

• Picture books of David and Goliath and Daniel in the lions’ den for children under grade four. 

• A parable concerning humility from Luke 14:7-11 listed before an abridged Don Quixote in 4th grade

• The burning bush and the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 3 and 14) listed before Paul Revere’s Ride in 5th grade

• The call to consider the lilies and not be anxious from Matthew 6 is situated before Wendell Berry’s The Peace of the Wild Things for 6th grade 

• Psalm 23 and the beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)bookend The Outsiders for 7th grade 

• Ecclesiastes 3, which states there is a time for everything under heaven, comes before Night by Elie Wiesel in 8th Grade

• The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32) in English 1

• Excerpts from the Book of Job before readings from Martin Luther King in English 2

• Adam and Eve (Genesis 2 and 3) following The Scarlet Letter in English III

• 1 Corinthians 13 following Pride and Prejudice in English IV. 

Worldview Roundup

The adoption of required Bible reading in Texas classrooms has drawn ire from a number of groups, from those who believe such a requirement inherently curbs diversity, equity, and inclusion to professing believers. Christian outlets expressing caution range in their reasoning as well. Holy Post Media, generally seen as representing a center to center-left Christian perspective on social issues, raises concern about nonbelievers teaching the Bible to children. Ironically, they also pointed their audience to resources like the New York Times to further delve into concerns about the separation of church and state or the potential for “evangelical overreach.” A conservative Christian outlet, Wretched Radio, expressed similar concern about the nature of who is teaching Scripture without mentioning concern for church influence in the classroom. 

Proponents of the new reading list point out that within the very Supreme Court case that struck down devotionally directed Bible reading in public schools in 1963 (Abington School District v. Schempp), a provision was made for Bible reading as an academic matter. In a concurrence of the court’s opinion in that case, Justice William Brennan wrote, “The holding of the Court today plainly does not foreclose teaching about the Holy Scriptures or about the differences between religious sects in classes in literature or history.” Those who support the curriculum changes argue that it is difficult to understand the worldview grounding for Western Civilization, including those classics added to the new Texas required reading list, without understanding the biblical references ingrained in so many of them. This approach engages the Bible as a key influence for certain great works of literature. Advocates of this view also suggest that this qualifier leaves out the future use of Hindu or Islamic religious texts, since they did not make such contributions to the building of Western civilization. 

Among all of these considerations are important points for the careful Christian parent and the caring citizen. Christians understand that the faithful teaching of Scripture matters. Likewise, citizens who are concerned with human flourishing recognize John Adams’s observation that the American constitutional system was made for a “moral and religious people.” Above all, Christians trust that God’s Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:10-11). 

In a society where explicit materials have been made available on school library shelves, it is worth considering that education is never value-neutral. Every educational system teaches a worldview. The question, then, is not whether our children will be shaped by doctrine, but which doctrine will shape them.