Intelligently Designed - How Creationists Built the Campaign against Evolution (Paperback)

Tracing the growth of creationism in America as a political movement, this book explains why the particularly American phenomenon of anti-evolution has succeeded as a popular belief. Conceptualizing the history of creationism as a strategic public relations campaign, Edward Caudill examines why this movement has captured the imagination of the American public, from the explosive Scopes trial of 1925 to today's heated battles over public school curricula. Caudill shows how creationists have appealed to cultural values such as individual rights and admiration of the rebel spirit, thus spinning creationism as a viable, even preferable, alternative to evolution. In particular, Caudill argues that the current anti-evolution campaign follows a template created by Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, the Scopes trial's primary combatants. Their celebrity status and dexterity with the press prefigured the Moral Majority's 1980s media blitz, more recent staunchly creationist politicians such as Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee, and creationists' savvy use of the Internet and museums to publicize their cause. Drawing from trial transcripts, media sources, films, and archival documents, Intelligently Designed highlights the importance of historical myth in popular culture, religion, and politics and situates this nearly century-old debate in American cultural history.

General

Imprint:	University of Illinois Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	October 2013
First published:	October 2013
Authors:	Edward Caudill
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 20mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	280
ISBN-13:	978-0-252-07952-8
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > African history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political activism > Pressure groups & lobbying Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Life sciences: general issues > Evolution Books > Humanities > History > World history > From 1900 > General Books > History > African history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > History > World history > From 1900 > General
LSN:	0-252-07952-3
Barcode:	9780252079528

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