A new Bible Literacy class begins each semester this school year and will be taught by English teacher Sue Hair.

Hair discovered the idea to start the class in 2009 when she came across a TEA (Texas Education Agency) newsletter in the teacher’s lounge stating that Texas legislature authorized Texas public high schools to offer an elective course in Bible Literacy. The official bill was passed in May of 2007 and states that the purpose of the class is to “teach students knowledge of Biblical content, characters, poetry and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture, including literature, art, music, mores, oratory and public policy.”

“[The class] is about learning the stories, history, culture and influence of the Bible as literature,” Hair said. “This class teaches kids that there are really good stories in the Bible and where they can find them. It’s not a devotional study of the Bible.”

Junior Taylor Fox, who is in the class this semester, said she joined because she wanted to learn more about the Bible and its historical context.

“As a Christian I think knowing the technical facts about the Bible will help me defend my faith,” Fox said. “I’m really eager to learn more about the stories and fun facts in the Bible.”

Hair said her inspiration for the class was derived specifically from her concern that many students don’t understand or notice Biblical allusions in the literature they read. This class goes through the entirety of the Bible in one semester and will give students the resources they need to better understand those allusions. Hair said that one reason students don’t understand the allusions is because of the fear that talking about the Bible in school is against the law.

“I’ve been concerned,” Hair said. “I felt sorry for my students for years because they never understood the Biblical allusions in the literature that we read. The Bible is the most quoted piece of literature in western civilization. [Now] when they read allusions, they’ll understand what it means [and] what the writer is getting at.”

Senior Maisie Johnson, who is also taking the class this semester, said she joined the class because it would be a good way to brighten her school day and open her eyes up to something new. So far, Johnson said she has learned many things about the history of the Bible and said it’s even been helpful to her faith by knowing the Bible in a deeper way and looks to the class to reach a better relationship with God.

“I hope that this class will bring me knowledge in areas I didn’t know before, help me tell other people the Bible in greater depths,” Johnson said. “I would tell other students who are looking to take this class to jump in and go for it. It is a lot of fun, I’ve met new friends that I share common things with, and Mrs. Hair is so great at explaining things that we need to know. In the future this class will help guide me through times that I have to share the Bible, express it, and defend [it].”