Pentagon Schools Introduce Western Civilization Course Emphasizing Christianity Under Hegseth’s Education Overhaul

The Pentagon’s education system is rolling out a new course this fall centered on Western civilization and Christian history as part of a sweeping curriculum initiative by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Department of Defense Education Activity manages approximately 160 schools across 11 countries serving roughly 70,000 children of active-duty military and civilian personnel. The move has drawn scrutiny from historians and academics who question the course’s historical accuracy and its framing of Christianity and Western culture.

The course will use a textbook titled “The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, Volume I: The Ancient World and Christendom,” published by conservative press Encounter Books, with lesson plans developed in partnership with Hillsdale College, a Michigan-based Christian institution. The book portrays Western civilization and Christianity as inseparable and characterizes Islam as a fundamental threat to both traditions, according to academic reviewers who examined course materials.

Scholars have raised concerns about the textbook’s historical presentation. Matthew Gabriele, a history and religion professor at Virginia Tech, said the book selectively omits critical context about the Crusades and medieval Christian violence while emphasizing Islamic aggression, particularly through modern references to 9/11 and Hamas attacks. Phil Gorski, a historical sociology professor at Yale University, questioned whether the curriculum amounts to classical Christian education rebranded as Western civilization study.

The textbook’s publisher, Roger Kimball, defended the work as peer-reviewed by 15 experts and characterized it as a comprehensive historical account. Co-author James Hankins, a Harvard emeritus professor now at the University of Florida’s Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education, argued the text does not conflate Christianity with Western civilization and includes acknowledgment of Islamic contributions to Western culture.

Hegseth has championed classical Christian education since before his appointment, writing in his 2022 book “Battle for the American Mind” that declining to enroll children in such schools would constitute cultural defeat. He has described Western civilization as under siege from progressive forces that have systematically removed religion from educational institutions. In public remarks, he has connected the nation’s founding to Christian principles and Western philosophical traditions.

The curriculum shift reflects broader Pentagon moves to align its education system with Trump administration priorities. The Defense Department has hired new academic leadership with ties to classical learning charter schools and Republican-backed education initiatives, including Tiffany Hoben, who previously oversaw Florida civics curriculum development under Gov. Ron DeSantis. Matthew Kirby, CEO of Liberty Classical Schools, an Atlanta-based charter network, was appointed to oversee schools in the Americas region.

Classical education emphasizes the liberal arts and critical thinking through study of canonical texts, though critics argue the approach disproportionately centers Western European and Greek-Roman sources while minimizing achievements in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Susan Wise Bauer, author of a popular classical homeschooling curriculum, cautioned that education systems framing Western culture as threatened by external forces risk weaponizing literary heritage rather than fostering shared understanding.

The Pentagon also recently revised its leadership structure, replacing Beth Schiavino-Narvaez with Paul Craft as director of the Defense Department Education Activity. Hegseth characterized Craft as the appropriate leader to reorient schools toward patriotic values and classical learning. Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the defense school system over its removal of hundreds of books addressing race, gender and democracy.