A flyer from the 1930s, advertising a boxed set of 25 pamphlets by Rimmer. After introducing the combatants, McCormick announced the proposition to be debated: That the facts of biology sustain the theory of evolution., Schmucker wanted to accomplish two things: to state the evidence for adaptation and natural selection and to refute the claim that evolution is irreligious. His article about dinosaur religion was featured in my series onScience and the Bible, but I highlighted a different aspect of the article. I have not found a comparable body of literature from the first half of the twentieth century. If his Christian commitment wavered at all, its not evident in his helpful little book,On Being a Christian in Science. The more eminent they were in their fields, the more likely this was true. He actually felt that atheistic materialism is dead, and that Nature Study would help show the way toward a new kind of belief, rooted in the conviction that God is everywhere. Shifting-and highly contested-definitions of both "science" and "religion" are most evident when their "relationship" is being negotiated. The debate took place on a Saturday evening, at the end of an eighteen-day evangelistic campaign that Rimmer conducted in two large churches, both of them located on North Broad Street in Philadelphia, the same avenue where the Opera House was also found. To rural Americans, the ways of the city seemed sinful and extravagant. Rimmer was a highly experienced debater who knew how to work a crowd, especially when it was packed with supporters who considered him an authority and appreciated his keen wit. How did fundamentalism affect society in the 1920s? Sadly, its still all too commonly donethe internet helps to perpetuate such things no less than it also serves to disseminate more accurate information. https://philschatz.com/us-history-book/contents/m50153.html. In the 1920s, a backlash against immigrants and modernism led to the original culture wars. When it comes right down to it, not all that different fromKen Ham versus Bill Nye, except that Ham has a couple of earned degrees where Rimmer had none. The laws of nature, he said, are not the decisions of any man or group of men; not evenI say it reverentlyof God. There has always been nativism, in many time periods, including now :(, immigrants have not been welcome. This was true for the U.S. as a whole. Carl Sagan, undoubtedly the most famous American scientist of his generation, was a suave, sophisticated proponent of folk science with a melodious voice with a blunt quasi-pantheistic religious statement: The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be. Having set up the situation in this way, Rimmer knew full well that so great a gap will never be crossedwe will never find millions of transitional forms. Would the matter of both nativism and religious fundamentalism be considered a response to the new urbanised America that was developing at the time? Like most fundamentalists then and now, he saw high schools, colleges, and universities as hotbeds of religious doubt. For the time being, Im afraid its back to Schmucker. A former high school science teacher, Ted studied history and philosophy of science at Indiana University, where his mentor was the late Richard S. Westfall, author of the definitive biography of Isaac Newton. If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked. The controversies of the early twentieth century profoundly influenced the current debate about origins: we havent yet gotten past it. Rimmers son had him pegged well: Dad never won the argument; he always won the audience (interview with Ronald L. Numbers, 15 May 1984, as quoted in Numbers,The Creationists, expanded edition, p. 66). The two books of God came perfectly together in modern scienceprovided that we were prepared to embrace a higher conception of God alongside a clearer reverence for [scientific] investigation. Elaborating his position, he identified three very distinct stages in our belief as to the relation between God and His creation. First was the primitive belief based on a literal interpretation of Genesis. The Institutes mission was to educate the general public about science, at no cost, and Schmucker was as good as anyone, at any price, for that task. The last two parts examined some of Rimmers activities and ideas. The cause was that a scientific theory (natural selection) challenged the beliefs of the legislators in Tennessee, who outlawed the teaching of that theory. He expressed this in language that was more in tune with the boundless optimism of the French Enlightenment than with the awful carnage of theGreat Warthat was about to begin in Europe. Harry Rimmer at about age 40, from a brochure advertising the summer lecture series at the Winona Lake Bible Conference in 1934. What was Fundamentalism during the 1920's and what did they reject? When the boxer and the biologist collided that November evening, they both had a substantial following, and they presented a sharp contrast to the audience: a pugilistic, self-educated fundamentalist evangelist against a suave, sophisticated science writer. Fundamentalism and nativism had a significant affect on American society during the 1920's. Nativism, on the other hand, focuses on the idea of 'Americans first.' Nativists greatly disliked immigrants, as they felt they were stealing job from native born Americans (hence the name, nativists). This was especially relevant for those who were considered Christians. He saw it as a money-making opportunity where he could sell memberships . While prosperous, middle-class Americans found much to celebrate about a new era of leisure and. He laid out his position succinctly early in his career as a creationist evangelist, in a brief article for aleading fundamentalist magazine, outlining the goals of his ministry to the outstanding agnostics of the modern age, namely the high school [and] college student. The basic problem, in his opinion, was that students were far too uncritical of evolution: With a credulity intense and profound the modern student will accept any statement or dogma advanced by the scientific speculations and far-fetched philosophy of the evolvular [sic] hypothesis. The key words here are credulity, speculations, far-fetched, and hypothesis. Only by undermining confidence in evolution, Rimmer believed, could he affirm that The Bible and science are in absolute harmony. Only then could he say that there is no difference [of opinion] between the infallible and absolute Word of God and the correlated body of absolute knowledge that constitutes science. A second idea embedded in Rimmers rhetoric was emblazoned on the gondola in the balloon cartoon: Science Falsely So-Called, which references 1 Timothy 6:20, O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called. For centuries, Christian authors have used this phrase derisively to label various philosophical views that they saw as opposed to the Bible, including Gnosticism, but since the early nineteenth century natural history has probably been the most common target. Nativism inspired groups like the KKK which tried to restrict immigration. A time will come when man shall have risen to heights as far above anything he now is as to-day he stands above the ape. There seemed no end to what Infinite Power and limitless time could bring about. The Rimmer quotations come from Combating Evolution on the Pacific Coast,The Kings Business14 (November 1923): 109;Modern Science and the Youth of Today(1925), pp. Historically speaking, however, there was nothing remarkable about this. As it happens, his opponent was Gregorys longtime friend Samuel Christian Schmucker, a very frequent speaker at the Museum and undoubtedly one of the two or three best known speakers and writers on scientific subjects in the United States. Although it is against the law to teach or defend the Bible in many states of this Union, he complained, it is not illegal to deride the Book or condemn it in those same states and in their class rooms (Lots Wife and the Science of Physics, quoting the un-paginated preface). Going well beyond this discussion, I recommend a penetrating critique of religious aspects of naturalistic evolutionism by historianDavid N. Livingstone, Evolution as Metaphor and Myth,Christian Scholars Review12 (1983): 111-25. 39-43, 141-53, and 169-78; and Howard Van Till, Robert E. Snow,John H. Stek, and Davis A. A narrow bibliolatry, the product not of faith but of fear, buried the noble tradition (quoting the 1976 edition ofThe Christian View of Science and Scripture, p. 9). Courtesy of Edward B. Davis. I have also quoted newspaper accounts of the debate, Kansan [Rimmer] Wins in Debate on Theory of Evolution,Philadelphia Public Ledger, 23 November 1930, part II, 2; and See Divine Will Behind All of Life,Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, 24 November 1930, 16. ),Wrestling with Nature: From Omens to Science(University of Chicago Press, 2011), pp. The ISR's Ashley Smith interviewed him about one of the pressing questions raised by the Arab Springthe Left's understanding of, and approach to, Islamic Fundamentalism. The telephone connected families and friends. Indicative of the revival of Protestant fundamentalism and the rejection of evolution among rural and white Americans was the rise of Billy Sunday. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Many Americans blamed _ for the recession and taking jobs from returning soldiers., The trail of _ focused on the fact that the accused men were anarchists and foreigners., In the 1920s, the _ lead a movement to restrict immigration. Isaac Newton at age 46, as painted by Godfrey Kneller (1689). The 1920s was a decade of change, when many Americans owned cars, radios, and telephones for the first time. John Scopes broke this law when he taught a class he was a substitute for about evolution. Unfortunately, Rimmer sometimes used even pseudo-scientific facts to defend the reliability of Scripture against scientists and biblical critics. Apparently, Rimmer had originally sought to debate the renowned paleontologistWilliam King Gregory from theAmerican Museum of Natural History, but that didnt work out. Schmucker himself put it like this: With the growth of actual knowledge and of high aims man may really expect to help nature (is it irreverent to say help God?) Lets go further into this particular rhetorical move. Now we explore the message he brought to so many ordinary Americans, at a time when the boundaries between science and religion were being obliterated in both directions. One of the students who heard Rimmer at Rice, Walter R. Hearn, became a biochemist specializing in experiments exploring the possible chemical origin of life (seehereandhere). Direct link to David Alexander's post One of the most apparent . How Did The Scopes Trial Affect Society. The laws of nature are eternal even as God is eternal. Despite the fact that Isaac Newton himself had explicitly rejected both the physics and the theology he was about to utter, Schmucker then said that gravitation is inherent in the nature of the bodies. Ken Ham, the CEO of theCreation Museum. Slowly the brute shall sink away, slowly the divine in him shall advance, until such heights are attained as we today can scarcely imagine. That was the message of his national Chautauqua text,The Meaning of Evolution(pp. 21-22). How did fundamentalism affect America? Before the moderator called for a vote, he asked those people who came to the debate with a prior belief in evolution to identify themselves. Both groups differed in viewpoints on almost every topic. This material is adapted from two articles by Edward B. Davis, Fundamentalism and Folk Science Between the Wars,Religion and American Culture5 (1995): 217-48, and Samuel Christian Schmuckers Christian Vocation,Seminary Ridge Review10 (Spring 2008): 59-75. Despite the refusal of the U.S. Senate to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, Harding was able to work with Germany and Austria to secure a formal peace. Instead, they tend to reinforce positions already held, by providing opportunities for adherents of those views to hear and see prominent people who think as they do. A former Methodist lay preacher whohelped launchthe field of developmental biology in the United States, Princeton professorEdwin Grant Conklinwas one of the leading public voices for science in the 1920s and 1930s. what was the cause and effect of the Scopes Trial? How did fundamentalism affect society in the 1920s? Next, an abiding sense of the existence of law, led to acceptance of an ancient earth, with forms of life evolving over eons of time. In earlier generations, historians would have been tempted to apply the warfare model to episodes of that sort, on the assumption that science and religion have always been locked in mortal combat, with religion constantly yielding to science. Fundamentalism and secularism are joined by their relationship to religious conviction. The twenties were a time of great divide between rural and urban areas in America. Without such, its impossible to claim that science and a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible agree. Fundamentalism attempts to preserve core religious beliefs and requires obedience to moral codes. His God was embedded in an eternal world that he didnt even create. Direct link to David Alexander's post We can reject things for , Posted 4 years ago. Reread that title: his concern to reach the next generation cant be missed. All humor aside, Rimmer was an archetypical creationist. The pastor of one of the churches, William L. McCormick, served as moderator. How should we understand the Rimmer-Schmucker debate? How did fundamentalism affect society in the 1920s? Direct link to David Alexander's post This is sort of like what, Posted 2 years ago. However, most of these changes were only felt by the wealthier populations of the metropolitan North and West. Hams version of natural history qualifies fully as folk science.. Prosperity was on the rise in cities and towns, and social change flavored the air. What did the fundamentalists do in the 1920s? Nevertheless, the trial itself proved to be high drama. MrDonovan. As a teenager, Rimmer worked in rough placeslumber camps, mining camps, railroad camps, and the waterfrontgaining a reputation for toughness. They believeall of the historical sciences are falsecosmology, geology, paleontology, physical anthropology, and evolutionary biology. Darwinism, he wrote, has conferred upon philosophy and religion an inestimable benefit, by showing us that we must choose between two alternatives. Nativism posited white people whose ancestors had come to the Americas from northern Europe as "true Americans". Indeed, hes the leading exponent of dinosaur religion today. Writing to his wife that afternoon, he had envisioned himself driving a team of oxen through the holes in his opponents arguments, just what he wished the Trojans would do to the Irish: they didnt; Notre Dame won, 27-0,before 90,000 fans. He had been up late for a night or two before the debate, going over his plans with members of the Prophetic Testimony of Philadelphia, the interdenominational group that sponsored the debate as well as the lengthy series of messages that led up to it. At a meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation in 1997, biochemist Walter Hearn (left) presents a plaque to the first president of the ASA, the lateF. Alton Everest, a pioneering acoustical engineer from Oregon State University. This photograph from the early 1930s was given to me by his son, the late John J. Compton. Perhaps Ill provide that medication at some point down the road. For more than thirty years, Schmucker lectured at theWagner Free Institute of Science, located just a mile away from the Metropolitan Opera House in north Philadelphia. Many women didn't want to give up the well-paying jobs and economic freedom they'd acquired during World War I. So, it comes to no shock when the nativism is shown to also be a problem in the 1920s. The modern culture encouraged more freedom for young people and morality started changing. Born in San Francisco in 1890, his father died when he was just five years old. During the 1920's, a new religious approach to Christianity emerged that challenged the modern ways of society. If you arent breathless from reading the previous paragraph, please read it again. The trial was exacerbated and publicized to draw attention to Dayton, Tennessee, as well as the fundamentalism vs. evolution argument. Proponents of common sense realism sometimes see such ideas, which lie at the core of all branches of modern science, as wholly unjustified speculations. The theory of evolution, developed by Charles Darwin, clashed with the description of creation found in the Bible. His textbook,The Study of Nature, was published in 1908the same year in which The American Nature Study Society was founded. Fundamentalism consists of the strict interpretation of the bible. This caused a sense of fear and paranoia in American . The cars brought the need for good roads. If there is just one take-away message, it is this: the warfare view grossly oversimplifies complex historical situations, to such an extent that it has to be laid to rest. Courtesy of Edward B. Davis. This material is adapted from two articles by Edward B. Davis, Fundamentalism and Folk Science Between the Wars,Religion and American Culture5 (1995): 217-48, and Samuel Christian Schmuckers Christian Vocation,Seminary Ridge Review10 (Spring 2008): 59-75. The negative opinion many native-born Americans held toward immigration was in part a response to the process of postwar urbanization. Like todays creationists, Rimmer had a special burden for students. A regular at several prestigious venues in the Northeast, he was best known for his annual week-long series at theChautauqua Institution, the mother of all American bully pulpits. So Italian-americans, Portuguese-americans, Greek-americans, Syrian-americans, Eastern european-americans, African-americans, Hispanic-americans (in short, people of color) opposed nativism. Science is mans earnest and sincere, though often bungling, attempt to interpret God as he is revealing himself in nature. (Through Science to God, pp. Societal Changes in the 1920s. In the year following the Scopes trial, fifty thousand copies of this pamphlet by Samuel Christian Schmucker were issued as part of an ongoing series on Science and Religion sponsored by the American Institute of Sacred Literature. and more. There is no limit to human perfectability [sic]. Often away from home for extended periods, Rimmer wrote many letters to his wife Mignon Brandon Rimmer. What caused the rise of fundamentalism? Every immigrant was seen as an enemy fundamentalism clashed with the modern culture in many ways. The notion of folk science comes from Jerome R. Ravetz,Scientific Knowledge and Its Social Problems(Oxford University Press, 1971). Distinctions of this sort, between false (modern) science on the one hand and true science on the other hand, are absolutely fundamental to creationism. Beginning at the end of the nineteenth century. Simultaneously, some of the larger Protestant denominations were rent by bitter internal conflicts over biblical authority and theological orthodoxy, with the right-wing fundamentalists and the left-wing modernists each trying to evict representatives of the other side from pulpits, seminaries, and missionary boards. For example, lets consider his analysis of the evidence for the evolution of the horsea textbook case since the late nineteenth century. One of the most apparent ways was to refuse to join the league of nations. This cartoon, drawn by W. D. Ford forWhy Be an Ape?, a book published in 1936 by the English journalist Newman Watts. Consistent with his high view of evolution and his low view of God, Schmucker believed that evolution would eventually but inevitably produce moral perfection, as our animal nature fades away. Protestant Christian fundamentalists hold that the Bible is the final authority on . Opposition to teaching evolution in public schools mainly began a few years after World War One, leading to thenationally publicized trialof a science teacher for breaking a brand new Tennessee law against teaching evolution in 1925though it was really the law itself that was in the dock.
