The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1912-09-21
Bible HISTORY ELECTIVE
FOR HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT

North Dakota's educational interests
have. united in presenting a syllabus
of Bible study for high school students.
So far as is known ours is the first
state in the union to promulgate such
plan and to cooperate in it's
acco mplishment. A half credit
(sixteen credits are required for
graduation from. high schooD:: will
be given to any student who will sue
cessfully pass an examination on this
syllabus.
This makes bible study an elective in
high school. The instruction is to be
given outside the high school of course,
and may be pursued privately or under
the direction of some religious organi-
Zation.
One or two things ought to be made
clear in justice to the high school..board.
This is not protestant movement. A
Catholic can carry it on in his own
Bible with or without the immediate
supervision of the priest or spiritual ad-
wiser. Again, it is not really relig-
ious movement, so far as the schools
are concerned. The examination will
not bear on religion but merely on Bib
lical history and literature. Sunday
schools or other religious agencies may
use it and. blend as much religious in
struction Herewith as they please.
Finally. it is who'll y voluntary and is
purely outside work. 1t is not taught in
the school or paid for with state money.
A knowledge of the Bible is an essen
tial element in good education.
Whether or not one is interested in the
Bible as a manual of devotion, it is
imperative that he should be familiar
with it as literature and a history !,
for no literature and no history have
more vitality affected Anglo-Saxon CIV
ilization. English literature has been
greatly influenced by Biblical style and
is strewn with illusions 10 Bible stories
and teachings. Shakespeare is said to
have over seven hundr ed such illusions :;
Tennyson, over four hundred. As
Charles Dudley Warner put it: 1.-The
Bible is the one book that no intelligent
person can afford to be ignorant of. All
modern literature and all art are per-
meated with il. 1t is not at all
question of religion or theology or
DOGMA it is a question of general INTEL
ligence. A boy or girl al college in the
presence of the works set for either to
master. without fair knowledge of the
Bible is an ienoramus, and is disadvan-
tagged accordingly
And yet actual experience proves that
the average young person has very
imperfect knowledge of this wonderful
book. This syllabus has been prepared
with the hope that the boys and girls of
North Dakota of high school age may be
led to serious study of this great liter
ature. With a Bible containing maps.
the diligent student will be adequately
equipped. although other helps. if
available, may, of course. be used to
advantage. The essential thing is to
study the Bible itself, to CLEAN its his
tory and the life stories of its great
characters. to note the simple beauty of
its style and to grasp its ideas and
ideals.
The course outlined includes: Studies
in Old Testament Geography; The Great
Old Testament Narratives Brief Outline
of Hebrew History before Christ: the
Books of the Old Testament; Memory
Passages from the Old Testament
Studies in the Life of Christ; Studies
in the History of the Early Church The
Books of the New Testament Memory
Passages from the New Testament.
The Congregational Sunday school is
forming class of high school boys and
girls and Others to take up this work
and considerable interest is manifested
already. The class will be organized
on the 10Th.