On Friday, the Texas State Board of Education voted to codify a proposed list of required reading that would eliminate titles such as "Romeo and Juliet," "The Great Gatsby" and "To Kill a Mockingbird," and introduce the text of the Bible instead, reported The New York Times. 

According to the proposed list, at least one Bible passage per year is required in the curriculum starting in the fourth grade. Some of the passages included are Luke 14 "The Necessity of Humility," Ecclesiastes 3, "To Everything There is a Season," and excerpts from the book of Job. For younger elementary students, a picture-book adaptation of the David and Goliath and Bible passages about Adam and Eve for older students are also in the mix.

The list proposes that as students grow older, the passages required will reflect different themes present in other classic literature read simultaneously. For instance, 1 Corinthians' "Definition of Love" would be taught with "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen during students' senior year of high school.

"(This) recognizes a simple historical reality, which is that it is nearly impossible to understand American history and western civilization or really, even the English language without some familiarity with the Bible. The speeches of our founders, Abraham Lincoln, and the sermons and writings of Martin Luther King Jr. are saturated with Biblical language and concepts," David Closson, the director for the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council, told The Washington Stand.

According to the Associated Press, other reading requirements will now consist of classics such as E.B. White's "Charlotte's Web" and Charles Dickens's "Great Expectations" as well.

"We routinely teach students the works of Homer and Shakespeare and other foundational texts because they have enduring cultural significance. The Bible is undoubtedly the most influential book in western history and it should not be excluded from that conversation," Closson continued.

While many Christian Texans have expressed their support for the new reading list, there are critics as well.

"The government of Texas, let alone any American government body, should never be in the business of imposing one religion on everyone," said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Closson says that this list doesn't equate to the imposition of Christianity.

"It's important to remember that this curriculum is not about requiring students to practice Christianity, or even treating the Bible as a devotional book. This reflects a growing recognition that public education has to often neglect Christianity's formative role in the development of our civilization. In my view, teaching selective Biblical passages in their proper historical literary context is not religious indoctrination. It's a rather good education. In my view this curriculum is both constitutionally permissible and educationally responsible."

Additional reading requirements are set to include Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" and a eulogy for President Ronald Reagan written by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

This comes after Texas became the largest state to require classrooms to display the Ten Commandments last year. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

The list will go into effect in 2030, reports CNN.

Quinn Delamater is a reporter for The Washington Stand.

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