In the Beginning: Fundamentalism, the Scopes Trial, and the Making of the Antievolution Movement(H. Eugene and Lillian Youngs Lehman Series)

This title presents the political origins of the creationist movement. Reaching back to the origins of antievolutionism in the 1920s, and continuing to the promotion of intelligent design today, Michael Lienesch skillfully analyzes the creationism movement, one of the most formidable political movements of the twentieth century. With fresh insights, Lienesch retells the story of the 1925 Scopes 'monkey' trial and reinterprets its meaning. In tracking the movement from that time to today, he explores the rise of creation science in the 1960s, the alliance with the New Christian Right in the 1980s, and the development of the theory of intelligent design in our own time. He concludes by speculating on its place in the politics of the twenty-first century.

About the Author :
Michael Lienesch is professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His previous books include Redeeming America: Piety and Politics in the New Christian Right (from the University of North Carolina Press).

Review :
"A remarkably successful contribution to the voluminous literature on fundamentalism that offers material not only to those who are primarily interested in the evolution of fundamentalism as a political movement but also to readers who seek greater insight into the development of American fundamentalism." -- Journal of Religion "A valuable addition to our knowledge of the development of the fundamentalist and antievolution movement." -- Southern Historian "An informative, important contribution to scholarship." -- American Historical Review "Brings new insight to the movement and succeeds in making political theory comprehensible through concrete application. . . . A wonderful model of applying political theory to real historical events to retell a familiar tale in new and enlightening ways. Lienesch succeeds marvelously at writing a book that historians, political scientists, and an interested public alike can read for enjoyment and edification." -- Journal of Southern History "By tracing the development of the anti-evolution movement from the origins of fundamentalism to the campaign for intelligent design, In the Beginning is the first book to consider the movement as a whole. It should therefore be of great interest to scholars of social movements and conservative Protestantism." -- Politics and Religion "In treating fundamentalism as a social movement -- and in a way that is thoroughly informed by cutting-edge movement theory -- In the Beginning brings to light much that has been overlooked in the emergence of fundamentalism, and it offers insight into how the politics of religious conservatism has become so important in the last twenty years." -- Church History "Lienesch is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the successive waves of anti-Darwinism, right up to intelligent design." -- The Nation "The book is a smashing success. It is engaging, beautifully written, and it is based on painstaking archival research. The interesting characters in this historical drama come alive in the book's pages. . . . I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand why the controversy surrounding evolution has not, and will not, simply fade away." -- Rory McVeigh, Contemporary Sociology "This book could be a case study of how social theory can be fruitfully applied to historical work to uncover what might otherwise be hidden. . . . Lienesch's valuable book helps us understand why [creationism] continues as a social movement in American society." -- Journal of American History "Valuable for clarifying how the antievolution movement developed." -- Journal of the American Academy of Religion