Military Family Schools Emphasize Western Civilization and Christianity
The Defense Department will launch a Western civilization course this fall in its schools for military families, part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's push for classical and patriotic education.
- 160 DoD schools across 11 countries serve roughly 70,000 students.
- The textbook is published by Encounter Books; lesson plans come from Hillsdale College.
- High school students may use the course to satisfy a world history graduation requirement.
- The Pentagon did not respond to questions about the textbook before publication.
Why it matters: DoD schools are run by the federal government, unlike most public schools, giving the administration direct control over curriculum without state interference.
- Historians who reviewed the text told the AP it misrepresents history by equating Western civilization with Christianity and framing Islam as inherently violent.
- The book's publisher said 15 experts peer-reviewed it; co-author James Hankins said it does not characterize Christianity and Western civilization as the same thing.
How 6 sources split on this story
Where they split: The core dispute is whether the textbook teaches accurate history or imposes a religiously and politically slanted narrative on students in federally run schools.
Center coverage, 4 sources: The center presents the curriculum change as a factual education story, centering academic criticism of the textbook's historical accuracy alongside the administration's stated rationale.
Associated Press2hAP Exclusive: US military family schools put new emphasis on Western civilization and ChristianityCNCTV News2hAP Exclusive: U.S. defence emphasizes Western civilization, Christianity in military family schooling
Military.com2hUS Military Family Schools Put New Emphasis on Western Civilization and ChristianityWPWPXI Pittsburgh2hSchools serving US military families put new emphasis on Western civilization and ChristianityLeft coverage, 1 sources: The left frames the course as a politically driven attempt to embed Christian nationalism into federally controlled schools serving a captive military audience.
What’s next: The course is set to begin this fall through the department's virtual school.
- The ACLU sued the DoD school system last year over a book-ban policy covering race, gender, and democracy topics.
- Will any legal challenge target the new course on church-state separation grounds?
- How many students will enroll, and will the course remain optional or become a default graduation pathway?