Texas likes to call itself "one state under God." Joseph L. Locke is here to say, not so fast.
Locke, an assistant professor at the University of North Texas, argues in his new book that the slogan hides a far more tangled and frequently contested religious history. His book, One State Under God, was published this week, and he is set to speak in Austin on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The timing is hard to miss, coming as state leaders steadily move to fold more Christian content and private school funding into public education policy, sometimes quietly, sometimes with plenty of fireworks.
A different history than you learned
Locke says the phrase "one state under God" flattens a past full of Indigenous faiths, Catholic missions, dissenting Protestants and clashing religious movements. As he told The Austin Chronicle, the slogan is a politically self serving, twenty first century attempt to simplify and distort a much more dynamic story. The Chronicle notes that Locke threads together local episodes, from Spanish explorers to modern evangelicals, to build a larger argument about how Texans use politics and memory to define who counts as truly "under God."
The book and the publisher
Published by University of Texas Press, One State Under God blends archival research with oral history to track how religion and politics have reshaped Texas over centuries. The UT Press listing records the book's publication date as July 14, 2026 and presents Locke's work as both a regional history and a broader cultural study. His academic perch and method give the narrative a long sweep that runs from nineteenth century missions to today's schoolhouse fights.
When "Under God" became law
The language in the pledge is not some ancient Texas inheritance. Lawmakers added "one state under God" in 2007, when they passed House Bill 1034 and Gov. Rick Perry signed it into law. According to the Texas Legislature, HB 1034 amended the pledge to insert the phrase that is now recited by Texas schoolchildren. Locke argues that this legislative move compressed a very long and complicated history into a neat, patriotic catchphrase.
Bible passages moved into required reading
The policy shifts did not stop with the pledge. This summer, the State Board of Education approved a statewide required reading list that includes passages from the Bible, adopting the change in a contested vote on June 26, 2026. As reported by ABC News, the Republican majority board backed the list and set the new requirements to kick in for the 2030–31 school year. Supporters argue the list restores foundational texts, while critics warn it edges uncomfortably close to breaching the separation of church and state.
Ten Commandments mandate and court fights
Texas has also moved to put the Ten Commandments on classroom walls. A state law requiring a Ten Commandments display in every public school classroom has triggered multiple lawsuits and appeals. Civil liberties groups detailed the legal challenges in filings summarized by the ACLU of Texas, and court records show the dispute is now winding its way through the federal appeals process. The litigation underscores that these policy choices are going to be tested in court as well as in lesson plans.
State dollars now follow students to private schools
At the same time, lawmakers approved an education savings account program that lets families tap public funds for private schools, including religious ones. The Texas Tribune has tracked the legislation, which is scheduled to roll out for the 2026–27 school year. Local reporting shows that families accepted for the first year will receive roughly $10,474 per student to spend on tuition and approved services, according to Community Impact.
Why this matters in Austin
Locke told The Austin Chronicle that the steady drumbeat of changes, from the pledge language to Ten Commandments displays, Bible reading lists, and vouchers, amounts to a recent consolidation of Christian political power in Texas. He cautioned that "if you look at it purely from demographics, it seems like this current incarnation of Texas' Christian politics just can't sustain itself," a theme he plans to develop at a book talk at First Light Books on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. First Light's event listings confirm the appearance at the Hyde Park shop, which lists the store at 4300 Speedway in Austin.
Whether his prediction holds up or not, Locke's book lands at a moment when classroom walls, curriculum lists, and state budgets have become prime battlegrounds in the fight over religion and public life. The legal clashes and political arguments he chronicles are almost certain to outlast the buzz around this week's book launch.
