We’ve come a long way.

It is always good at the end of a semester to look back and see how far we have come. We began with the goal of studying the cultural, social, historical, and philosophical impact of the theory of evolution in America and specifically in Tennessee, possibly including a field-trip to Dayton, TN (site of the infamous 1925 Scopes "Monkey Trial" and of an annual dramatic reenactment). We read, studied, and discussed two texts include Edward Larson's, Summer for the Gods, and Matthew Chapman's Trials of the Monkey. Chapman was the great-great...grandson of Charles Darwin and he made the trip to Dayton. As part of our course we considered why the idea of evolution has encountered both enthusiasm and hostility in this country, and at the prospects for peaceful coexistence between evolutionary science and religious faith in the future.

We have been very fortunate to read or learn about the perspective of other individuals whose views agree and disagree with those espoused by Darwin and his supporters. We’ve learned about individuals who attended the original trial, those who participated directly, Bryan, Darrow, Malone, Stewart, Hays, Neal, McKenzie, Hicks, Bryan Jr., and Raulston, Robinson, and Rappelyea and those who were not allowed to participate as witnesses, Whitaker, Cole, Mather, Curtis, Mathews, Rosenwasser, Lipman, Judd, and Newman, and those who attended as observers, Mencken and WGNS.

Dr. Metcalf was the one witness who testified while the principal defendant who did not was John T. Scopes. Scopes sat on the sidelines he was a devoted observer watching the participants and recording images in his mind that he would later enter in his memoir of the event and provide us with a ring side account of what transpired from his perspective.

It was the trial of the century for several reasons, for one, it was the first one to be carried over the radio to the nation and that insured that it would have a cultural, social, historical, and political impact on the country. Its impact was experienced differently in different regions of the country and its impact is still being felt today. There is still an ongoing conflict between science and religion and between science and politics from old issues like evolution to new issues like the environment. Perhaps Tony Randall was right when he said, “Sometimes we wonder if anyone ever learns anything.” Well, I can state unequivocally, that I did learn something from this course and it has stimulated my desire to learn more.