The University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom reportedly added trigger warnings to parts of the Bible for students studying classical and biblical literature this year, according to a Freedom of Information request submitted to the Daily Mail.  

Specifically, the college stated that Cain and Abel’s story in Genesis and all four gospels, which describe the life and crucifixion of Christ, contain “graphic bodily injury and sexual violence.” 

Biblical advocates denounced the university’s decision to add such a warning. Equating the Cain and Abel story and the gospel accounts of Jesus with sexual violence is a patently false and grossly neglectful equivalency, seemingly designed to create a pre-bias toward the Bible in students. 

According to Angus Saul, the head of communications at the Christian Institute, the label is perplexing and nonsensical.  

“Neither the Gospels nor Genesis give explicit accounts of Abel’s murder or Jesus’ crucifixion,” Saul stated. “And what the ‘sexual violence’ label refers to is mystifying. While Christians and unbelievers alike can be profoundly moved by the powerful and enduring words of Scripture, such passages are far less explicit than many of the set texts [with which] English literature students come into contact.” 

Additionally, in a statement to the Daily Mail, Andrea Williams of Christian Concern expressed disapproval at the university’s decision. 

“To suggest that the crucifixion story involves ‘sexual violence’ is not just inaccurate, it’s a profound misreading of the text,” Williams stated. “The account of Jesus’ death is not a tale of trauma; it is the ultimate expression of love, sacrifice, and redemption, central to the Christian faith.” 

The university released a response to the backlash, stating that the label was simply “a content note [and] is a standard academic tool used to signpost when sensitive or graphic content will be discussed.” The university added that “its purpose is to ensure subjects can be highlighted and discussed openly and critically, while preparing students who might find such details difficult.” 

To single out the Bible appears suspicious at best. To achieve consistency within their own logic, the college would need to add labels to volumes upon volumes of English texts dating back to Beowulf, written between the 8th and 10th centuries.  

This isn’t the first instance in which a university in England has attempted to censor Christianity through warning labels. In 2024, the University of Nottingham flagged a medieval literature course named “Chaucer and His Contemporaries” with a “trigger warning.” It stated that the class materials contained “violence, mental illness, and expressions of Christian faith.”  

Not only is the Bible delicate in handling matters of contention and sexuality, but its lessons are invaluable for both believers and non-believers alike.  

Saul stated his opinion on a possible reason individuals fear the Bible and desire to censor it. 

“What people are more likely to find offensive in the Bible are its bold assertions,” Saul stated. “That there is one God; that all have sinned and fall short of his glory; that Jesus Christ is God; that he died to offer forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe in him and repent; and that salvation is only possible through him.” 

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