Pentagon adds Western civilization and Christianity course to military base schools

The short version

• The Defense Department is introducing a Western civilization and Christianity course this fall in schools serving about 70,000 military-connected students.[Associated Press]
• The course will use The Golden Thread, a textbook published by Encounter Books, with lesson plans developed alongside Hillsdale College.[Associated Press]
• Historians and educators who reviewed excerpts told AP the textbook misleadingly equates Western civilization with Christianity and casts Islam as a threat.[Associated Press]
• Publisher Roger Kimball says 15 experts peer-reviewed the book, and the Pentagon did not directly answer questions about the textbook.[Associated Press]

Key facts

• The Department of Defense Education Activity operates about 160 schools across 11 countries, serving roughly 70,000 military-connected students.[Associated Press]
• The Defense Department is introducing a course centered on Western civilization and Christianity this fall in its schools for military families.[Associated Press]
• The course will use The Golden Thread, published by Encounter Books, with lesson plans developed in partnership with Hillsdale College.[Associated Press]
• Historians and educators who reviewed excerpts told AP the textbook misleadingly equates Western civilization with Christianity and casts Islam as a threat.[Associated Press]
• Publisher Roger Kimball says the book was peer-reviewed by 15 experts and that he stands behind it.[Associated Press]
• In March, the department replaced Beth Schiavino-Narvaez with Paul Craft as director of the Department of Defense Education Activity schools.[Associated Press]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• AP Exclusive: US military base schools put new emphasis on Western civilization and ChristianityAssociated Press · Wire: associated-press