“To understand American history and culture, I think it is necessary to have some measure of religious literacy,” said Perry, who studies Christian nationalism, or the idea that America was founded by and belongs to Christians.
Perry said the God Bless the USA Bible isn’t the only version to include patriotic documents, and including such documents influences how people read the Bible and can have political overtones.
“We have this narrative of America being founded on Judeo-Christian biblical principles,” he said. “And if you want to emphasize that, you stick those documents in your Bible.”
Walters defended the pricing of the God Bless the USA Bible, saying it has a high-quality binding and will stand up to daily use in the classroom. He also dismissed the idea of purchasing separate Bibles and copies of patriotic documents, saying the point was to get all the resources in the same place.
While phone apps can be helpful, he said, textbooks still matter. Walters also said he has been criticized for trying to push religion on students, which he rejects. Instead, Walters said, he’s trying to get schools back to teaching the basics.
“What we’re doing is making sure kids understand the role that it played in America and American society,” he said. “Until the 1960s, this wouldn’t have even been controversial. There was a Bible in every classroom. We’ve got to get back to that so kids understand the historical relevance there.”
This article originally appeared here.
