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Steadfast Curriculum vs Summit Ministries

Two homeschool Bible programs, compared on what actually decides the fit: Christian tradition, teaching style, what you study, and how much you'll teach.

Updated September 2026 · based on parent reviews and publisher information

The short answer

These two are close: the differences are small, so price, grade range and what parents say below may decide it.

Choose Steadfast Curriculum if…

  • Teaching style: Reading and discussion
  • Teaching style: Inductive study
  • Siblings together: Only one child
  • Screen time: Mostly offline
  • Teacher involvement: Minimal: solo work

Choose Summit Ministries if…

  • Teaching style: Workbook and memory work
  • Teaching style: Video or online lessons
  • What you study: Doctrine and catechism
  • What you study: Character and devotion
  • Screen time: Some screen time
  • Screen time: Online
  • Teacher involvement: Some: 20–30 min daily

Still torn? Answer a few questions and see how both rank for your child, side by side.

Compare for my child

Side by side

Steadfast CurriculumSummit Ministries
Grades9th–12th9th–12th
TraditionConservative evangelical Protestant (Bible inerrancy and young-earth creation; written from a Schaeffer-style worldview)Evangelical Protestant (broadly conservative Christian worldview)
TranslationAny (the program does not fix a translation)Any (course is not tied to one translation)
ApproachHistory-based Christian worldview study with Bible reading, Great Books and apologetics texts, plus discussionTextbook plus student manual, short expert videos and discussion
Who teachesThe program does the teachingThe parent teaches
Parent prepLow to moderate (open-and-go weekly plans, answer keys and rubrics; parent discusses and grades)Moderate (classroom-designed; parent leads discussion, grades quizzes, adapts the syllabus)
Screen timeMostly offline (books and paper)A mix of screen and paper
Video lessonsAvailable: some assigned videos, but print notebooks do the teachingAvailable: short expert videos come with the teacher manual's online access; text works alone
Cost$320: Year One complete bundle (history, humanities, literature and composition with the Bible and apologetics strands); required books extra$54: Foundations student textbook ($29.50) + student manual ($24.30); teacher manual extra
Parents love
  • Worldview and apologetics woven into history and literature
  • Teacher notebooks include outlines, answer keys and rubrics
  • Real books by Schaeffer, Lewis and apologists, not just short excerpts
  • Teaches teens to compare Christianity with other worldviews fairly
  • Short expert videos break up the reading in each chapter
  • Teacher manual includes a syllabus, answer keys and quizzes
Common complaints
  • Not a stand-alone Bible course: you buy a whole humanities program
  • Required books and videos are gathered separately
  • One conservative Protestant view; other positions are covered mainly to refute them
  • Designed for classrooms, so parents need to adapt it at home
  • Dense reading; best for mature, motivated teens
  • Publisher offers little homeschool-specific support

What parents say

Steadfast Curriculum

Parents describe it as open-and-go, faith-centered and strong on writing, Great Books and worldview, with teacher notebooks that spell out answers and grading. Its Bible and apologetics work is mixed into a history and literature program rather than being a stand-alone Bible course, books are not all included, and it is firmly one conservative Protestant viewpoint.

Summit Ministries

Reviewers call the Summit worldview line serious, well-researched high school material that exposes teens to the strongest competing ideas. The common complaint is that it was built for classrooms, so homeschool parents must adapt the schedule and discussion, and the content can be dense. Summit itself says it cannot give much homeschool support.

Questions parents ask

Is Steadfast Curriculum or Summit Ministries better?

Neither is better for every child. Steadfast Curriculum is the stronger fit for reading and discussion; inductive study; only one child. Summit Ministries is the stronger fit for workbook and memory work; video or online lessons; doctrine and catechism.

What tradition is each written from?

Steadfast Curriculum: conservative evangelical Protestant (Bible inerrancy and young-earth creation; written from a Schaeffer-style worldview). Summit Ministries: evangelical Protestant (broadly conservative Christian worldview).

Which Bible translation does each use?

Steadfast Curriculum: any (the program does not fix a translation). Summit Ministries: any (course is not tied to one translation).

Which costs less, Steadfast Curriculum or Summit Ministries?

Steadfast Curriculum: $320: Year One complete bundle (history, humanities, literature and composition with the Bible and apologetics strands); required books extra. Summit Ministries: $54: Foundations student textbook ($29.50) + student manual ($24.30); teacher manual extra.

Sources (17)

Summaries are in our own words.