2017 VATE Conference: #LoveLearnVATE: Empowering Teachers, Empowering Students

Like the majority of secondary English teachers in America, I have been afforded many opportunities to strengthen students’ literacy skills by connecting the literary and historical elements in Western literature to Biblical history, allusions, symbols, names, and themes. Oftentimes, however, I found myself filled with dismay as I encountered rampant Biblical illiteracy among the students. This lack of biblical knowledge left a void in their overall understanding in many other literary works that educated citizens in our society are often expected to know. This deficiency in students\' reading comprehension and cultural awareness has prompted me to work to urge school administrators and educators to include Biblical literacy initiatives in secondary academic curricula. Such lessons and classes may be taught legally on public school campuses as long as the studies of the Bible are academic--not devotional.