American Genesis
The Evolution Controversies from Scopes to Creation Science
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- $34.99
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- $34.99
Publisher Description
The question of teaching evolution in the public schools is a continuing and frequently heated political issue in America. From Tennessee's Scopes Trial in 1925 to recent battles that have erupted in Louisiana, Kansas, Ohio, and countless other localities, the critics and supporters of evolution have fought nonstop over the role of science and religion in American public life.
In American Genesis, Jeffrey P. Moran explores the ways in which the evolution debate has reverberated beyond the confines of state legislatures and courthouses. Using extensive research in newspapers, periodicals, and archives, Moran shows that social forces such as gender, regionalism, and race have intersected with the debate over evolution in ways that shed light on modern American culture. He investigates, for instance, how antievolutionism deepened the cultural divisions between North and South--northerners embraced evolution as a sign of sectional enlightenment, while southerners defined themselves as the standard bearers of true Christianity. Evolution debates also exposed a deep gulf between conservative Black Christians and secular intellectuals such as W. E. B. DuBois. Moran also explores the ways in which the struggle has played out in the universities, on the internet, and even within the evangelical community. Throughout, he shows that evolution has served as a weapon, as an enforcer of identity, and as a polarizing force both within and without the churches.
America has both the most advanced scientific infrastructure as well as the highest rate of church adherence among developed nations, and the issues raised in the evolution controversies touch the heart of our national identity. American Genesis makes an important contribution to our understanding of the impact of this contentious issue, revealing how its tendrils have stretched out to touch virtually every corner of our lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Moran explores the historical underpinnings of the schism between the antievolutionary movement and mainstream science. Eschewing the broad-brush strokes in which the antievolution movement is generally characterized, Moran explores the cultural dynamics informing the almost century-old debate, documenting the formative role religious Southern women, who viewed themselves as "active agents of morality," played in bringing the perceived threat of Darwinism to the fore. Moran notes that the early 20th-century outcry against evolution was waged "for country God and mother's song" as well as the role of Southern regionalism, which saw evolutionists as cultural invaders from the North. Finally, there was a split among African-Americans based on whether they thought evolution would help dowse or inflame racism, and set black intellectuals against ministers. Evolution is perceived by religious fundamentalists as among specific theological threats. More familiar is the shift to the purported scientific approach known as creationism, and the increasingly sophisticated and strategic tactics of antievolutionists. Though the book is somewhat academic in tone, Moran transcends today's media stereotypes while offering a fresh analysis of the roots of the antievolutionist movement particularly the roles of women and African-Americans, and the personalities and motivations of advocates on both sides of the debate. Illus.
