05236nam a2200577Ki 4500 ocn861200175 OCoLC 20200709060002.0 m d cr cnu---unuuu 131021s2013 ilu ob 001 0 eng d N$T eng rda pn N$T 9780252095306 (electronic bk.) 0252095308 (electronic bk.) 9780252038013 0252038010 9780252079528 0252079523 (OCoLC)861200175 652290 (N$T) n-us--- BS651 .C38 2013eb REL 067000 bisacsh 231.7/6520973 23 SOC052000 SCI027000 bisacsh N$TA Caudill, Edward. Intelligently designed : how creationists built the campaign against evolution / Edward Caudill. Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield : University of Illinois Press, 2013. 1 online resource (page cm.) text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier " 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. "-- Provided by publisher. "Tracing the growth of creationism in America as a political movement as opposed to a science-religion issue, this book explains why anti-evolution, this peculiarly American phenomenon, has succeeded, as measured in terms of popular appeal. Conceiving the history of creationism as a strategic public relations campaign, it emphasizes ways that media have been used to spin creationism as a viable, even preferable, alternative to evolution. Understanding creationists' campaigns means understanding their popularity and appeal in American culture. Beginning with the rise of fundamentalism in the early 20th century, Edward Caudill traces the movement through the rest of the 20th and into the 21st century. He illustrates how the 1925 Scopes trial created the contours of the modern debate over evolution. Its primary combatants--Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan--became the celebrity representatives of opposing sides in the battle over teaching evolution in public schools. He then draws parallels between the media's role in the Scopes trial and subsequent political campaigns against evolution represented by Moral Majority of the 1980s, the 2005 cases in Kansas and Dover, PA, current anti-evolution politicians, such as Sara Palin and Mike Huckabee, and highlight creationism's recent gravitation toward museums and websites as a medium of communication. Caudill draws from media sources, trial transcripts, films, as well as the archives to highlight the importance of historical myth in popular culture, religion, and politics and situate this nearly century-old debate in American cultural history"-- Provided by publisher. Includes bibliographical references and index. Description based on print version record. Creationism United States History. Evolution (Biology) Religious aspects Christianity History. Intelligent design (Teleology) History. United States Church history 20th century. SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies. bisacsh SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution. bisacsh RELIGION / Christian Theology / General bisacsh Electronic books. Print version: Caudill, Edward. Intelligently designed. Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield : University of Illinois Press, 2013 9780252038013 (DLC) 2013018103 (OCoLC)843858229 EBSCOhost http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=652290 EBSCOhost EBSC 652290 cpp1723AUTO 02 N$T 54029 54029